Nosebleed section
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The phrase nosebleed section is applied tongue-in-cheek to those seats of a public arena, usually an athletic stadium or gymnasium, that are highest and, usually, farthest from the desired activity. A common reference to having seats at the upper tiers of a stadium is "sitting in the nosebleed section" or "nosebleed seats."
The reference alludes to the propensity for nasal hemorrhage at high altitudes, usually owing to lower relative humidity caused by temperature reduction. Colder air generally feels dryer (has a lower relative humidity), and air temperature decreases appromately four degrees Fahrenheit for each 1000 feet increase in altitude. Therefore, nasal hemorrhage owing to lower humidity may occur at high altitudes.
A similar term, nosebleeder, describes a basketball player with unusual jumping abilities.
Nosebleed in the literal sense, "bleeding from the nose," dates from the mid-nineteenth century, though the word was used as early as the 15th century for Achillea millefolium.
Other uses of the word nosebleed include "Raising the level of Congressional hypocrisy to nosebleed heights" (Wired, 1995) and "Interest rates that start at high and extend to very high and nosebleed" (Time, 1996).
"The Nosebleed Section" is a song by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods.
See also
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