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TIL "prop" in film and theater is short for "property"
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Omega lemmy.world Omegamanthethird@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-16
Quote

"A prop, formally known as a theatrical property, is an object an actor uses on stage or screen during a performance or screen production."

303   Original
Cris_Citrus (he/him <3) piefed.zip Cris_Citrus@piefed.zip
Joined: 2026-02-26
#2 · Quote Reply

Oh neat, I didn't know that either! Great post

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LEM 1689 lemmy.sdf.org lemmie689@lemmy.sdf.org
Joined: 2023-06-27
#3 · Quote Reply

I was a prop propper, made proper prop props, propped the props with my props.

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darklamer feddit.org darklamer@feddit.org
Joined: 2026-02-19
#4 · Quote Reply

What else could it possibly have meant?

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Psythik lemmy.world Psythik@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-12-21
#5 · Quote Reply

What else could it possibly have meant?

I just thought prop meant prop.

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EtnaAtsume lemmy.world EtnaAtsume@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-07
#6 · Quote Reply

I had always thought that the term just came from objects that are used to give a little boost to (or prop up) a performance.

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Pronell lemmy.world Pronell@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-02
#7 · Quote Reply

What else could it possibly have meant?

Upvoting you because I agree, it is obvious... but to me, only in retrospect.

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snooggums piefed.world snooggums@piefed.world
Joined: 2025-07-08
#8 · Quote Reply

What else could it possibly have meant?

Decoration/background/objects that 'prop up' the performance?

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spittingimage lemmy.world spittingimage@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-20
#9 · Quote Reply

What else could it possibly have meant?

I thought it was prop as in 'prop up the performance'.

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spittingimage lemmy.world spittingimage@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-20
#10 · Quote Reply

I was a prop propper, made proper prop props, propped the props with my props.

"I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's son. I'm only plucking pheasants 'til the pheasant plucker comes."

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StillAlive piefed.world StillAlive@piefed.world
Joined: 2025-11-09
#11 · Quote Reply

"Back in the day, actresses were part of the props department."

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Omega lemmy.world Omegamanthethird@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-16
#12 · Quote Reply

I just thought prop meant prop.

Yep, I didn't think it was short for anything. I thought it was its own word.

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UnfairUtan lemmy.world UnfairUtan@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-07
#13 · Quote Reply

I'm sure there's a React joke to make here, can't think of one though

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joelfromaus aussie.zone joelfromaus@aussie.zone
Joined: 2023-06-10
#14 · Quote Reply

Now that’s a good TIL!

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Tollana1234567 lemmy.today Tollana1234567@lemmy.today
Joined: 2025-06-04
#15 · Quote Reply

the meaning also includes other things like PEOple, in worst case scenario for desperate "influencers" or another person .

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ninjabard lemmy.world ninjabard@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-01
#16 · (edited) Quote Reply

"I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's son. I'm only plucking pheasants 'til the pheasant plucker comes."

I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker wife and I've been plucking pheasants my whole pheasant plucking life.

One of my favorite tongue twisters.

3
IWW4 lemmy.zip IWW4@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-07-12
#17 · Quote Reply

That is really cool!

3
foliumcreations lemmy.world foliumcreations@lemmy.world
Joined: 2025-03-29
#18 · Quote Reply

"Back in the day, actresses were part of the props department."

This intrigued me, but I can't find any information about this. Except that on smaller productions especially back in the day, actors and actresses often worked in the prop department as well.

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StillAlive piefed.world StillAlive@piefed.world
Joined: 2025-11-09
#19 · Quote Reply

This intrigued me, but I can't find any information about this. Except that on smaller productions especially back in the day, actors and actresses often worked in the prop department as well.

It's from an SNL skit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ZaBIKhCzI

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Starya67 lemmy.world starlinguk@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-17
#20 · (edited) Quote Reply

What else could it possibly have meant?

Yeah, when I worked in props (at Phantom of the Opera many moons ago) the job was still called property manager...

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Rivermoonwolf lemmy.world Rivermoonwolf@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-04-16
#21 · (edited) Quote Reply

I don't know how to switch accounts and fucked up my wife's entire persona she was building by commenting under her account. Instead of deleting the comments when I realised my mistake, I instead just switched accounts and left those comments there for her to find when she woke up. I claim to have planned to go back to delete them, but instead I was just gonna completely forget about them.

I am so smart 🤓

2
ohulancutash feddit.uk ohulancutash@feddit.uk
Joined: 2025-02-16
#22 · Quote Reply

I don't know how to switch accounts and fucked up my wife's entire persona she was building by commenting under her account. Instead of deleting the comments when I realised my mistake, I instead just switched accounts and left those comments there for her to find when she woke up. I claim to have planned to go back to delete them, but instead I was just gonna completely forget about them. I am...

The 2nd AD is the person in charge of extras.

There are two Best Boys, one for electrical and one for grip.

4
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