The ONE-NIGHT STAND, meaning a single performance or encounter, comes from the days of touring theater companies, who would perform for just one night in a town because that town was likely to provide only enough audience for a single night.

What does stand mean in one-night stand?

in one-night stand n. at one-night adj. Special uses. So the stand is the stopping place on a theatrical tour. The one-night stand is a place where the show is performed for only one night.

When did one-night stand start?

Origin of one-night stand 1 is an Americanism dating back to 1875–80; def. 3 was first recorded in 1935–40.