Difference between revisions of "That's Not Too Many"

From Fancyclopedia 3
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 1: Line 1:
An oft-quoted allusion to a piece by the late [[Charles Burbee]], one of the funniest men ever to write for the [[microcosm]]. He collected ragtime player piano rolls and reported, in his [[fanzine]], having run into someone who collected player pianos. When [[Burb]] asked how many he had, the man said he owned 50. [[Burb]] quoted himself as replying, "Fifty player pianos? That's not too many."
+
An oft-quoted allusion to a piece by the late [[Charles Burbee]]. He collected ragtime player piano rolls and reported, in his [[fanzine]], ''[[Burblings]]'' 1, having heard from his player-piano repairman about someone who collected player pianos. He owned 50. [[Burb]] quoted himself as replying, "Fifty player pianos...that's not too many."
  
After [[Terry Carr]] and [[Ron Ellik]] republished the piece in ''[[The Incompleat Burbee]]'', an anthology of [[Burbee]]'s writings, it crept into repeated [[fannish]] usage – and, for a while, it was difficult to mention any number larger than three without someone else popping up to say That's Not Too Many.
+
After [[Terry Carr]] and [[Ron Ellik]] republished the piece in ''[[The Incompleat Burbee]]'', an anthology of [[Burbee]]'s writings ([https://fanac.org/fanzines/Fanthologies/Fantho28.pdf online here], p. 32), it crept into repeated [[fannish]] usage – and, for a while, it was difficult to mention any number larger than three without someone else popping up to say, “That's not too many.
  
 
{{fanspeak}}
 
{{fanspeak}}
 
[[Category:catchphrase]]
 
[[Category:catchphrase]]

Revision as of 08:51, 29 July 2021

An oft-quoted allusion to a piece by the late Charles Burbee. He collected ragtime player piano rolls and reported, in his fanzine, Burblings 1, having heard from his player-piano repairman about someone who collected player pianos. He owned 50. Burb quoted himself as replying, "Fifty player pianos...that's not too many."

After Terry Carr and Ron Ellik republished the piece in The Incompleat Burbee, an anthology of Burbee's writings (online here, p. 32), it crept into repeated fannish usage – and, for a while, it was difficult to mention any number larger than three without someone else popping up to say, “That's not too many.”


Fanspeak
This is a fanspeak page. Please extend it by adding information about when and by whom it was coined, whether it’s still in use, etc.