Meanings
- informalentertainmentThe round of summer stock theater performances.
They either starve, take up smuggling or invade the citronella circuit in a beat-up revival.
1951, LIFE, volume 30, number 26, page 941 more example
We don't mean just the usual fare of summer stock offerings, although it is certainly pleasant to see a recent Broadway hit or view a tryout for the Big Time on the so-called citronella circuit.
1972, Travel, volumes 137-138, page 12
Origin
Coinage attributed to the actress Tallulah Bankhead. Citronella is an insect repellent that one might expect to use outdoors in summer.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
citronella circuit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/citronella%20circuit
“citronella circuit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/citronella%20circuit. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “citronella circuit,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/citronella%20circuit.
Source: citronella circuit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.