Can anyone explain the term "Scenery Chewing" or "Chewing the Scenery" to me?

I've always thought that it described overacting in some way, but never quite stumbled upon the actual meaning.

In the states it means to be very impatient, or in a hurry, but be made to wait for someone or something.

People will also say, so and so is so tired of waiting, he's "chewing the carpet".

It does also mean to overact, as well.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chewing+scenery

:) Sierra

Ah, wonderous...slowly the pieces fall into place, world domination is now that little bit closer!

Thanks for the tip, by the way.

Chew (up the) scenery means 'to act melodramatically; overact'. Usually, it's in the context of a play or movie, but it can refer to an aunt of yours who is a frustrated actress.

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable and a couple of other sources attribute chew the scenery to Dorothy Parker, the writer and humorist. In a 1930 review she wrote: "...more glutton than artist...he commences to chew up the scenery." But Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang has a much earlier (1894) example from Coeur D'Alene, by Idahoan novelist Mary Hallock Foote. I read a facsimile on the Internet-it first appeared in Century Magazine. The relevant part is about a miner, Jack Darcie, described as being of Scottish family and English education, a young gentleman of prepossessing appearance. After Darcie's entanglements with Faith, daughter of the mining company manager, people gossip about him in a negative light: "Lads, did ye hear him chewin' the scenery, giving' himself away like a play-actor? 'I'm not what ye think I am', says he. 'I'm in a cruel, equizzical position.'...You can't make evidence out of such rot as he was talkin', ...a young fella turning his chin loose about his mash! He chins wid us, an' listens to our talk, but he's too fancy for a miner. He's a bird, he's a swell, and makes out he's a workin'man like the rest av us." (Here "chin" means 'to chat' and "mash," originally theatrical argot, means 'a sweetheart or infatuation.') So Jack Darcie's extravagant and affected character is an example of the negative connotations of 'overacting'...

from here (http://www.theatrecrafts.com/glossary/pages/chewingthescenery.html)