chitlin circuit

American  

[chit-lin sur-kit] / ˈtʃɪt lɪn ˈsɜr kɪt /

Or chitlin' circuit

noun

Informal.

1. a group of clubs and theaters featuring Black performers and intended to appeal to Black people.

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Etymology

Origin of chitlin circuit

First recorded in 1965–70; so called because of the assumption that chitlins (one of several dialect pronunciations of chitterlings ( def. ) ) are eaten mostly by African Americans

Example Sentences

Venues on the national chitlin circuit included glitzy palaces in large cities like Indianapolis and Houston and glorified jukes in smaller towns.

From New York Times • May 29, 2023

We need to know the difference between how people dressed in a juke joint or on the chitlin circuit or in small clubs, the difference between Indiana and the South and California.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 1, 2018

He became a hugely successful comedian during the 1960s, with a homespun, conversational style that sharply contrasted with the raunchier fare of "chitlin circuit" comics such as Redd Foxx.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2014

He played the chitlin circuit in the South before being discovered as a rocker in Europe and his music was also steeped in the blues, R&B and jazz.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 5, 2013

At his early peak, Tate toured the chitlin circuit with Aretha Franklin as her version of “Respect” climbed the charts in 1967.

From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2011