bums in seats
English
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Alternative forms
- bums on seats
Noun
bums in seats pl (plural only)
- (plural only, informal, chiefly Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) Spectators, passengers, or customers in attendance at a venue or other place where people assemble.
- 1989, Rob Carrick, "Wardair offer urged executives to pay $18,000 for year's travel," Toronto Star (Canada), 28 Feb., p. B8:
- [A]nalyst Doug Galbraith of Runzheimer Canada speculated the airline came up with the card because it was simply "in need of getting bums in seats."
- 2000 October 6, Daniel Girard, “Ottawa to double Canadian film funding”, in Toronto Star:
- "It's all about bums in seats," Copps said in a downtown Vancouver theatre. While Canadians' movie going is among the highest in the world, films made in Canada […]
- 2007, "Meet the pro-wrestlers of Auckland," New Zealand Herald (New Zealand), 26 Oct. (retrieved 31 Aug. 2010):
- Wrestlers and promoters began to realise opportunities for gimmicks with broad appeal which would be used to put bums in seats.
- 2010, "Former Liverpool and Leeds star Robbie Fowler on the move again," Daily Mail (UK), 27 April (retrieved 31 Aug. 2010):
- “He's a quality player and puts bums in seats.”
- 1989, Rob Carrick, "Wardair offer urged executives to pay $18,000 for year's travel," Toronto Star (Canada), 28 Feb., p. B8:
Usage notes
- Often preceded by the verb put.
- Often used to suggest the importance of satisfactory attendance or occupancy for success or profitability, but sometimes suggestive of the opposite—the importance of attendance regardless of economic advantage.
Synonyms
- warm bodies
See also
- eyeballs