Snowclone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A snowclone is a type of formula-based cliché which uses an old idiom in a new context. It was originally defined as "a multi-use, customizable, instantly recognizable, time-worn, quoted or misquoted phrase or sentence that can be used in an entirely open array of different jokey variants by lazy journalists and writers."[1]
The term emphasizes the use of a familiar (and often particular) formula and previous cultural knowledge of the reader to express information about an idea. The idea being discussed is usually contextually different in meaning from the original use of that formula, but can be understood using the same trope as the original formulation.
A common example of a snowclone is "X is the new Y", a generic form of the original expression "pink is the new black". In order to apply the snowclone, X and Y should be substituted with new words or phrases. For instance, this snowclone might appear as "Random is the New Order", a marketing phrase for the iPod shuffle. See the list of snowclones for further examples.
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[edit] History
The term was coined by Glen Whitman on January 15, 2004[2][3] in response to a request from Geoffrey Pullum on the Language Log weblog[1]. The term is an allusion to a specific instance of the phenomenon:
- If Eskimos have N words for snow, X surely have Y words for Z.
As the Language Log explains, this is a popular rhetorical trope used by journalists to imply that cultural group X has reason to spend a great deal of time thinking about the specific idea Z[4][5] , despite the fact the basic premise is wrong: Eskimos do not have an unusually large number of words for "snow" (see Eskimo words for snow).
[edit] Examples
- In space, no one can hear you X. (Original: "In space, no one can hear you scream", the tagline for Alien)
- All your X are belong to us. (Original: "All Your Base Are Belong To Us", an internet meme)
- Have X, will travel. (Original: Have Gun — Will Travel, the title of old US TV western, or the vaudeville phrase "have tux, will travel"[6])
- To X, or not to X? (Original: "To be, or not to be" from Hamlet)
- Will X for Y. (Original: "Will work for food")
- What happens in X stays in X. (Original: "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas")
[edit] Identifying snowclones
A search engine can be used as a tool to identify instances of snowclones, through the use of the asterisk operator in a search. For example, searching for "All your * are belong to us" results in several specifics:
- All your base are belong to us (the original)
- All your basketball are belong to us
- All your acid are belong to us
- All your base station are belong to us
By using a search engine in this way, it is possible to build a basic picture of how many times a particular snowclone appears, and the various incarnations of it that are used in Internet discourse.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000061.html
- ^ http://agoraphilia.blogspot.com/2004_01_11_agoraphilia_archive.html#107412842921919301
- ^ http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000350.html
- ^ http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002248.html
- ^ http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000049.html
- ^ http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=have
[edit] External links
- Pullum, Geoffrey (2004-01-16). Snowclones: lexicographical dating to the second. Language Log. Retrieved on 2006-06-26.
- "Trendsurfing: 'Snowclone' journalism" (David Rowan, The Times, 2005-12-03).
- "The Word: Snowclone" New Scientist, Issue 2578, 2006-11-18.
