The theatrical word, “Vomitorium”(Vomitoria, in plural form; or just vom/voms), has its origins in ancient Rome, which was also known for stadium spectacles that were not for the squeamish, and also for general drunkenness and gluttony. So one might naturally assume the worst about how these spaces – the passages situated below or behind a tier of seats in a theater, amphitheater, or stadium – got their name. But a quick check on Wikipedia reveals that, while linked with the Latin verb, vomo, which means “to spew forth,” the meaning simply applies to the rapid dispersal of the audience and has nothing to do with the sudden loss of a recent meal.
-Nook Schoenfeld, from “Nook’s Tidbits,” PLSN May 2017, page 81
