razzmatazz, razzamatazz colloq. (orig. U.S.).
(ˌræzməˈtæz, ˌræzəməˈtæz)
Also razamataz(z, razmataz(z, razz-ma-tazz, etc.
[Origin unknown; perh. alteration of razzle-dazzle.]
a. A type of rag-time or early jazz music; old-fashioned ‘straight’ jazz; sentimental, ‘corny’ jazz; hence anything old-fashioned; stuff, rubbish. b. Noisy, showy publicity; meretricious or extravagant display; an event surrounded by such publicity or display; fuss, commotion, garishness. Also attrib. or as adj.
In quot. 1899 the sense is uncertain but may be ‘up-to-date, stylish’ or ‘cultured, superior’.
| 1899 G. Ade Fables in Slang 37 It would be a Big Help to the Poor and Uncultured to see what a Real Razmataz Lady was like. 1901 T. D. Collins (title of piano music) Raz-a-ma-taz. 1901 W. H. Smith (title of piano music) Raz-ma-taz. 1936 Amer. Mercury XXXVIII. p. x/2 Rooty-toot,—unadulterated corn; razz-ma-tazz. 1937 Amer. Speech XII. 48/1 Razmataz band, a band which plays in an outmoded style. 1938 Brit. Empire Mod. Eng. Illustr. Dict. 1257/1 Razz-ma-tazz (Am.), old-fashioned jazz. 1942 Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §579/2 ‘Straight Jazz.’ (Old-fashioned jazz, which reproduces the score faithfully, as distinguished from ‘swing’.)..razzmatazz. 1947 Sat. Rev. Lit. (U.S.) 25 Oct. 65/2 Expert horsing of the old razzmatazz style by an expert horsewoman. 1950 C. Coben Old Piano Roll Blues (song), And while we kiss, kiss, kiss away all our cares, The player piano's playin' razzamatazz, I wanna hear it again. 1953 Berry & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang (1954) (ed. 2) §233/5 Something old-fashioned,..razzmatazz. 1958 People 4 May 8/2 She will, from next Friday when she flies to Cannes, be getting the full razza⁓ma-tazz, big-star build-up. 1958 Spectator 1 Aug. 174/3 Don't you remember anything about the Twenties but crime, booze, flappers, religious razzmatazz? 1959 J. Wain Travelling Woman x. 148 The enormous selling bonanza that was going on about him, in its astonishing flood of genuine goodwill, even a grain here and there of genuine piety, with unscrupulous salesman's razzmatazz, heightened his sense of living in a dream. 1961 Sunday Times 26 Nov. 48/3 Barbara Murray, a girl who is entirely wasted on rats, retorts and all that razzmatazz. 1963 The Beatles 9 Though some of our material is a bit out of the way for a razzamatazz chap like him. 1965 G. McInnes Road to Gundagai iv. 59 The great wide streets have an air of grandeur which even the razz-ma-tazz of neon cannot wholly mar. 1969 Listener 17 Apr. 544/1 Oh! What a lovely war (Paramount) is a razz-ma-tazz spectacular. 1970 Times 9 Mar. 13/1 He turned, as might have been expected, a fairly serious event into a razamataz. 1971 Morning Star 8 Mar. 4/7 Some of the hotels and centres can be a bit razzamataz and noisy, especially at night. 1972 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 16 Feb. 32/1 There was no need to go through ‘all this razzmatazz’. The replacing of white centre lines with yellow ones wasn't all that difficult to comprehend. 1973 Daily Tel. 8 Nov. 5 (Advt.), We thought the car good enough not to need any launch gimmicks or razmataz. 1973 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 23 Nov. 22/3 Opening day Thursday had all the razzmatazz of a revival meeting. 1974 Time Out 27 Sept. 23/1 There is the host, resplendent in white satin, razmatazz shirt. 1977 Listener 20 Oct. 508/3 This programme included a razzmatazz of presentational devices which seemed better suited to a giveaway quiz show. 1979 Guardian 1 May 30/1 In keeping with the showbiz, razz⁓matazz side of the election, the most glamorous transport belongs to the media. |