People are only just discovering what Odeon actually means

01 April 2023 , 12:40

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People said they were 'today years old' when they realised the meaning of the name (Image: Getty Images)

If you've ever been to an ODEON cinema, the likelihood that you've sat in your screening and pondered what the individual letters mean is slim - but people are just realising what the name actually means, and their minds are blown.

Of course, Odeon traditionally is the name for ancient Greek and Roman buildings built for musical activities such as singing, musical shows, and poetry competitions - it translates to 'singing place'.

But social media users have been discovering that there's another meaning behind the popular cinema chain - and it's probably never even crossed your mind before this point.

The real meaning of ODEON has been revealed - and people are shocked (SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Someone took to the Odeon Cinemas Facebook group to share their knowledge with others, writing: "Did you know that ODEON stands for Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation?"

Others pointed out the original meaning of the word, but people are miffed that there's a secret definition.

'I don't want children staying up late at weekends - I really need adult time'

"I learned that was the meaning of ODEON recently. In York. On a bus tour", someone admitted on Twitter.

Another wrote: "I was today years old when I found out that Odeon stands for Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation!"

In an interview with his son Ronnie Deutsch, Business Live seemed to confirm the meaning of the word, writing: "Years later, it would become apocryphally known as 'Oscar Deutsch Entertains our Nation'."

Ronnie Deutsch remembers being at the opening of the first Odeon cinema with his father Oscar in Birmingham in 1930, the first 1,638-seat ODEON in Perry Barr on August 4, and he went on to build an empire after that.

People have been similarly shocked recently upon leaning that ASDA stands for ASquith and DAiries.

And if you were wondering what ASOS meant, it's As Seen On Screen - every day is a school day!

Did you know what ODEON stood for? Let us know in the comments.

Danielle Kate Wroe