vanity

/ˈva-nə-tē/

Middle English vanite, borrowed from Anglo-French vanité, borrowed from Latin vānitāt-, vānitās "emptiness, lack of judgment, foolish pride," from vānus "empty, lacking content" + -itāt-, -itās -ity

noun

  1. inflated pride in oneself or one's appearance : conceit

  2. something that is vain, empty, or valueless

  3. dressing table

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or being a work (such as a book or recording) whose production cost is paid by the author or artist

  2. of, relating to, or being a showcase for a usually famous performer or artist who is often also the project's creator or driving force

noun

  1. the logo of a production company that appears briefly on-screen following the credits for a television show or movie

The book's title comes from the producer's vanity card that turned up on TV screens nationwide at the end of TV programs Goldberg produced. Viewers saw the picture of a black Labrador retriever with a Frisbee in his mouth and heard Goldberg say, "Sit, Ubu, sit. Good dog!"