Fringe Theatre Began Literally on the Edge
A fringe is a decorative border or an edge. The Edinburgh Fringe was named for the performers outside the official festival.
A fringe is a decorative border of threads, or the outer edge of something. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe earned its name in 1947, when eight uninvited companies performed around the edges of the official festival. A journalist described them as playing on the fringe, and the accidental label became the world's largest arts festival.
- A decorative border. *A silk fringe.*
- An outer edge. *The fringes of the city.*
- Hair over the forehead (British). *A blunt fringe.*
- Unconventional. *Fringe theatre.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | fringe | A heavy fringe. |
| Plural | fringes | Outer fringes. |
| Adjective | fringed | A fringed shawl. |
| American | bangs | She has bangs. |
| Compound | fringe benefit | Fringe benefits. |
How it is used in a sentence
- She cut her fringe herself.British: Americans say bangs.
- Fringe benefits are non-cash perks.Employment.
- The Fringe now dwarfs the festival it grew beside.Edinburgh.
Fringe compounds
- Fringe benefit — a perk beyond salary
- Fringe theatre — alternative or experimental performance
- Lunatic fringe — the extreme end of a movement
- Fringe group — one outside the mainstream
- Urban fringe — the edge of a built-up area
From Old French *frenge*, from Late Latin *fimbria*, a border or fringe. The Edinburgh sense dates from 1947.
Fringe or bangs?
Fringe is British, bangs American. Both mean hair cut across the forehead.
Why is the Edinburgh Fringe called that?
Because eight uninvited companies performed around the edges of the official 1947 festival, and a reviewer described them as on the fringe.