Is a 'show stopper' bad... and other things

[EinsteinaGogo]

A thread about a thread (eeek!).

On a current thread, the OP is selling her house, and mentions there are one or two show stoppers about the property that are very clearly described in the details.

Therefore - any viewers who book an appointment, look around the house, then feedback that the show stopper is the reason they don't like it, are unreasonable.

The OPs home showstopper isn't stated, but it's clear that 'show stopper' is a negative .
Something like no parking, leasehold of 1 year, built on a train platform, about to be bulldozed by Christmas, etc.

To the OP - and me, and a handful of other posters - a show stopper is something negative - an obstacle hard to overcome. To the majority, it's a positive - something brilliant to make everyone gasp in awe.

What is a show stopper to you?

AND

Do you have any similar tales of using a phrase (any phrase) in a different way to its general meaning?

It has both meanings.

Oxford English Dictionary definition - entry updated 3rd March 2017

showstopper, n.
Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈʃəʊstɒpə/, U.S. /ˈʃoʊˌstɑpər/
Frequency (in current use):

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: show n.1, stopper n.
Etymology: < show n.1 + stopper n., after to stop the show at stop v. 21c(b).

Compare showstopping adj.
Originally U.S.
1.

a. A performance which or performer who receives prolonged applause from the audience; one that ‘stops the show’ (see to stop the show at stop v. 21c(b)).

b. In extended use: a particularly impressive, striking, or attractive person or thing.

2. Originally Aeronautics, now often Computing. A technical failure, complication, or fault that impedes a schedule, programme, or product function or release. Hence more generally: anything that creates an obstacle to further progress.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2017).

I have always known showstopper used when its something which means that an obstacle you cant get over. Agree that this is often something in software or products which mean that it cant be used.

Looks like there are 2 definitions which is odd really.

Showstopper is clearly a compliment

It means a stand out performance

I know what thread you're talking about, @EinsteinaGogo. The turn of phrase immediately jumped out at me as very jarring because, in my world:

showstopper = fantastic, amazing, not enough superlatives in the language to capture its wondrousness, blah, blah, blah
dealbreaker = baaaaaaad

I've always known showstopper to mean "that was so good we may as well stop here. Pack it all up and go home 'cause nothing is ever going to beat that".

I've never seen it used to mean a bad thing before.

To me, a show stopper is something amazing.
I read the thread you referred to and I was so confused at the OP

Very positive

Interesting though that both meanings are current and pretty much polar opposites.

If I was watching/talking about a theatrical performance its use would be positive.

In my work in IT it has highly negative connotations. Something so serious it stops all progress - no workarounds available etc.

In the thread the Op saw it used I recognised from the context that it was a negative.

I don't see the issue with it having two opposing outcomes.
It literally means something significant happened to stop the 'show'. That could be good or bad.

The people that are saying it can only mean something positive are driving me potty.

I accept you may have only heard it used in a certain way and that's fair enough. But insisting that it is DEFINITELY only positive and can't possibly be negative is just bloody wrong.

Look it up in the sodding dictionary. It can be both.

But @ExhaustedFlamingo as I pointed out earlier the dictionary says literally can be used to mean figuratively, so 🤷‍♀️

@cardibach - yes, the dictionary may often include how words are used as well as just their traditional meaning.

Also, the dictionary entry you're referencing shows the entry as informal use. There's a clear difference between the actual meaning and informal use. That's not the case with showstopper.

If you want to be literal about it - showstopper is something that stops the show. Clearly that could either be bad or good.

Do a google search for showstopper and there's a good mix of it being used as a negative and positive. Possibly slightly more negative uses but fairly mixed.

If you're not happy to accept dictionary definitions, what are we saying? That we just accept people's word for what something definitely means?

As I said, I totally appreciate that lots of people may have only heard it used in a positive context, which is fine. But that doesn't mean they're right. Insisting you know better than a dictionary is infuriating 😅😅

Show stopper = positive thing.
Deal breaker - negative thing.

But if you worked in theatre or show biz circles I can understand why it might be the opposite. (I need to get a life I’ve thought about this for way too long)

I work in IT and a showstopper is bad, something that stops the shoW, ie a Bug/issue that means we can’t go live with a development.

A ‘showstopper’ to me is negative - when completing testing for new systems at work, a showstopper is something that would stop us from even considering implementing it.

@NotAQueef Exactly this!

I think this link sums it up well

brians.wsu.edu/2016/05/31/show-stopper/

As it says there, the term was "flipped" within the world of computing and the new usage has spread from there.

But it would appear from this thread that the spread is still largely limited to those in the spheres of IT business government etc.

So for those of us outside that world, it is baffling to hear it used in this way. But the spread will continue and these 2 threads have contributed to that process.

brians.wsu.edu/2016/05/31/show-stopper/

Agree @notaqueef - it's been in regular use in IT for years, sometimes as a "showstopper defect" but often just abbreviated to showstopper.

It's very obvious in this context what it means. I don't think IT developers tend to have many moment where work has to stop to allow for luaghter or applause.

Some of the responses to OP on that threat were really patronising and unpleasant

I read the thread referred to on here last night and had never heard that term used negatively before either - the OP did say that they used it as a negative in her work environment.

When did it become a negative? Or is is those of us with a dance or performance background that see it as a positive term now (I've seen someone stop the show and it was an awesome performance of a song!).

I suppose we can agree that whichever way you use it, it puts a temporary halt to proceedings!

Interesting, I've never come across the negative meaning, I wonder why the corporate world decided that a phrase that had had one meaning for decades if not centuries would be better used to mean the exact opposite.

Maybe IT workers don't appreciate the theatre

@ExhaustedFlamingo

I would associate showstopper with both positive and negative. You should be able to tell which it is from the context of the rest of the sentence/tone.

I think historically I would have normally have heard it used as a negative but more recently, I've heard it used as positive.

I didn't see the thread but if someone described show stopping elements to their house that might prevent a sale, I'd be very clear about the fact it was negative. I would be happy that the word had been used correctly.

I've looked in several dictionaries online to check. A couple only have showstopper as a negative but the more comprehensive dictionaries have it as both a negative and a positive. There are no dictionaries which only describe it as a positive.

The screenshot attached is from the Cambridge Online Dictionary.

There certainly are dictionaries that define it only as positive - look at Collins and Macmillan.

The original meaning (positive) appears to be first noted in the 1910s.

The negative meaning feels like a mostly US and/or tech meaning, as in the poster earlier who unselfconsciously referred to it as “affecting the go live.”

To be clear, “go live” isn’t a fucking noun, either.

The first thing that comes to mind is Bake Off, but if you think about it I suppose “show-stopper” does have negative connotations. After all, something stopping and disrupting a show can’t be a good thing.

Show stopper - good

Deal breaker - bad