I think it is a general type of phrase that you might expect to read or hear in a British murder mystery. I wouldn't say it was an especially common phrase in the U.S. (or anywhere), and I probably overstated it a bit in my reply further down, but I really don't think Harris was referencing the musical. But I suppose it's possible she saw a production of it somewhere at some point, and the phrase stuck in her head.
Anyway, here's a little-known fact about "It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!": Playbills for the original production and the original tour listed it as "It's a Scandal! It's an Outrage!" except opening week at the St. James when a typo made it ""It's a Scandal! It's n Outrage!" Mavens of musicals will correct you if you say or type "It's a Scandal! It's an Outrage!", and the lyric is "It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!", but apparently Hammerstein either never noticed that it said "an" in the playbills or didn't care or wanted it that way. |
