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Origin and history of cue

cue(n.1)

"words spoken at the end of a speech in a play that are the signal for an answering speech," 1550s, of uncertain origin. By one theory it is a spelling out of Q, the letter, which was used 16c., 17c. in stage plays to indicate actors' entrances and was explained at the time as an abbreviation of Latin quando "when" (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns) or a similar Latin adverb. Shakespeare's printed texts have it as both Q and cue. Cue as a name for "the letter Q" is attested from 1755.

Transferred to music by 1880. Figurative sense of "sign or hint to speak or act" is from 1560s. The television reader's cue-card is attested by 1948.

also from 1550s

cue(n.2)

"tail, something hanging down," variant of queue (n.), ultimately from Latin cauda "tail." Meaning "long roll or plait of a wig or hair worn hanging down, a pigtail," is from 1731. Meaning "straight, tapering rod with a small soft pad, used in billiards," is by 1749. Hence cue-ball, the ball struck by the cue, recorded by 1881.

cue(v.)

1928, "provide or furnish with a (theatrical or musical) cue," from cue (n.1). Meaning "tie in a cue or tail" is from 1772, from cue (n.2). For "to stand in line" see the alternative spelling queue. Related: Cued, cueing.

also from 1928

Entries linking to cue

queue(n.)

late 15c., "band attached to a letter with seals dangling on the free end," from French queue "a tail," from Old French cue, coe, queue, "tail" (12c., also "penis"), from Latin coda (dialectal variant or alternative form of cauda) "tail" (see coda, and compare cue (n.2)).

Also in literal use in 16c. English, "tail of a beast," especially in heraldry. A metaphoric extension to "line of dancers" (c. 1500) perhaps led to the extended sense of "line of people, etc." (1837), but this use in English is perhaps directly from French (queue à queue, "one after another" appears in early 19c. English and American military dictionaries).

If we look now at Paris one thing is too evident: that the Baker's shops have got their Queues, or Tails ; their long strings of purchasers arranged in tail, so that the first come be the first served,—were the shop once open! This waiting in tail, not seen since the early days of July, again makes its appearance in August. In time, we shall see it perfected, by practice to the rank almost of an art ; and the art, or quasi-art, of standing in tail become one of the characteristics of the Parisian People, distinguishing them from all other Peoples whatsoever. [Carlyle, "The French Revolution," 1837]

Churchill is said to have coined Queuetopia (1950), to describe Britain under Labour or Socialist government.

Also used 18c. in sense of "braid of hair hanging down behind" (attested by 1748), originally part of the wig, in later 18c. of the hair of the head.

QUEUE. From the French, which signifies tail; an appendage that every British soldier is directed to wear in lieu of a club. Regimental tails were ordered be nine inches long. [William Duane, "A Military Dictionary," Philadelphia, 1810]

miscue(n.)

by 1873, in billiards, "failure to strike the ball properly with the cue; accidental slip of the cue at the moment of making a stroke, causing the tip to glance off the ball," from mis- (1) or perhaps miss (v.) + cue (n.2) in the billiards sense. General sense is attested by 1883.

*kwo-

also *kwi-, Proto-Indo-European root, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns.

It might form all or part of: cheese (n.2) "a big thing;" cue (n.1) "stage direction;" either; hidalgo; how; kickshaw; neither; neuter; qua; quality; quandary; quantity; quasar; quasi; quasi-; query; quibble; quiddity; quidnunc; quip; quodlibet; quondam; quorum; quote; quotidian; quotient; ubi; ubiquity; what; when; whence; where; whether; which; whither; who; whoever; whom; whose; why.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit kah "who, which;" Avestan ko, Hittite kuish "who;" Latin quis/quid "in what respect, to what extent; how, why," qua "where, which way," qui/quae/quod "who, which;" Lithuanian kas "who;" Old Church Slavonic kuto, Russian kto "who;" Old Irish ce, Welsh pwy "who;" Old English hwa, hwæt, hwær, etc.