Johnny-one-note
nounEtymology Derives from the show tune Johnny One Note, from the Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms (1937), in which the lyrics tell a story of a male vocalist named Johnny who sang with a band and could sing only one note, but sang that note extremely well.
2
Canada, US, Idiomatic An opinion or viewpoint on a single subject or a few particular subjects which is frequently expressed by a person or organization.
- Whether his boss (Hearst) had told him to get off his Johnny-one-note of hate toward labor leaders, foreigners and New Dealers, or whether Pegler had decided all by himself to change his tune, no one knew.1945 July 9, “The Press: Confessions of a Grouch”, in Time, volume 46, number 1, archived from the original on 06 Aug 2013:
- Related terms
- one-note, Johnny-on-the-spot