• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / How Did “Bleachers” In a Gymnasium Get Their Name, What Does it Mean, and Where Did it Originate?

How Did “Bleachers” In a Gymnasium Get Their Name, What Does it Mean, and Where Did it Originate?

July 2, 2020 by Karen Hill

Bleachers were used in a pinch as uncovered overflow seating from the grandstand before they became common at baseball and football games.

The first recorded printed reference was in the Chicago Tribune on May 6, 1889.

They were called “bleachers” because of their exposure to the sun.

The folding seating at an inside gymnasium simply took its name from the open seating outside.

That’s why the extra seats in a gymnasium or open-air benches in a stadium are called “bleachers”.

Related Facts

  • Where does the word "gymnasium" (gymnast) come from and What does gymnasium mean?
  • What Does the Word "Gymnasium" Mean in Greek and How Did the Word "Stadium" Originate?
  • How Did Levi Denim Jeans Get Their Name, How Did Jeans Originate, and What Does the Word Mean?
  • How Did "Longshoremen" Get Their Name, What Does it Mean, and Where Did the Word Stevedore Originate?
  • How Did the Boston Bruins Get Their Name and Where Does the Name of the Hockey Team Mean?
  • How Did England Get its Name, What Does England Mean In Latin, and Where Did the Name Originate?
  • Where Did the Tony and the Emmy Awards Get their Name and How Did they Originate?
  • How Did Americans Get Their Name and Where Did the Name Come From?
  • How Did the Toronto Maple Leafs Get Their Name and How Did the Hockey Team Originate?
  • How Did Movie Trailers Get Their Name and Where Did the Coming Attractions Originate?
  • How Did "Bloomers" Get Their Name and How Did the Women's Underwear Originate?
  • How Did Tanks Get Their Name, What Does It Mean, and Where Did the Armored Battle Vehicles Come From?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Does “Putting English On It” When Spinning a Ball Mean and Where Did the Expression Come From?
Next Post: How Did the Expression “A Leg Up” Originate When Someone Has an Advantage and What Does it Mean? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy