Snowclone
Snowclone is a neologism for a type of cliché and phrasal template 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 variants".
An example snowclone is the phrase "grey is the new black," a form of the template "X is the new Y." X and Y may be replaced with different words or phrases—for example, "Orange is the New Black" or even "comedy is the new rock 'n' roll." Saddam Hussein's 1991 speech promising "the mother of all wars" gave rise to the snowclone "the mother of all X" e.g. "the mother of all patents," "the mother of all bombs", etc. The term "snowclone" can be applied to both the original phrase and to a new phrase that uses its formula.
History
The term snowclone was coined by Glen Whitman on January 15, 2004, in response to a request from Geoffrey Pullum on the Language Log weblog. Pullum endorsed it as a term of art the next day, and it has since been adopted by other linguists, journalists and authors. The term alludes to one of Pullum's example template phrases:
Podcasts:
Snowclone
ALBUMS
- Blunder of the First Water released: 2008
Swingline
by: Adrian BelewSwingline throughout the backyards of the midwest
lean back, baby, in your seat on the train
look through the window pane
Look at that kid over there with no underwear
and a silly dog who doesn't care
his mother stretches to reach the clothes line
while a mean neighbor leans on the population sign
Non-stop through the backyards of the midwest
eavesdrop, baby, from your seat on the train
look through the window pane
Some kinda Buick left in a stream
it used to be somebody's' dream
a town stares at the summer heat waves
past a smooth afternoon,