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In researching (ahem, yeah, I call my surfing research) an entry on Image Macros, I came across a category of phrases that use the format: “I’m in Your X, Y’ing Your Z.” It turns out that such formatted phrases have a name, snowclones, and a rich history.
Here’s how Wikipedia describes snowclones:
A snowclone or catch structure 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.” [...]
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 replaced with new words or phrases. For instance, this snowclone might appear as “Random Is the new order”, a marketing phrase for the iPod shuffle.
Check out Wikipedia’s impressive list of snowclones (update: this link seems to work, but may be temporary) organized by date of origin. Some classics:
16th century: Et tu, X?
19th century: The only good X is a dead X.
1910s: The X to end all Xs.
1920s: A W in every X and a Y in every Z.
What’s your favorite snowclone? I think mine has to be X is the new Y. Or perhaps the “we don’t need no badgers” bit pictured above, popularized (for me) by UHF. (And yes, both of these are explained in the list.)
Comments (22)
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In LA, the dominant snowclone is “X is the new Y.” Laaaaame!
posted by Ransom on 6-6-2007 at 12:27 pm
Wow. I never knew there was a name for these. We toss these around quite a bit.
One that my friends and I have been tossing around is, “No one expects the X!” Original X: “Spanish Inquisition”. It must be said in the same manner as the Monty Python skit to be effective.
Other recent ones we’ve used are “Got X?” (Original X: milk) and “I’m not an X, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Select!” (Original X: Doctor?”).
posted by Jason! on 6-6-2007 at 1:41 pm
How about the “X from hell”? I hear that one alot. As in, “this has been the day from hell” or “this is the salad from hell.”
posted by Okay on 6-6-2007 at 2:58 pm
My 6 year old nephew likes to say:
X was so last year…
Cracks me up each time.
posted by Scott from Cincy on 6-6-2007 at 3:01 pm
And then there’s “The mother of all Xs”.
posted by Barbara on 6-6-2007 at 10:11 pm
“Old & Busted: X, new hotness: Y.” -fark.com cliché
“What’s that, like X Canadian?” -use it while you can, the Canadian dollar is almost equal to the US dollar now.
posted by Daylightrambler on 6-6-2007 at 11:29 pm
UHF!!! Long Live Weird Al Yankovic!! Sorry… *quitely slips back into the dark recesses of cyberspace*
posted by Jacqui on 6-7-2007 at 12:19 pm
X is Micheal, Y is Tito
posted by Bruce on 6-7-2007 at 2:08 pm
Catch structure? WTF? I have never heard of that as an alternate term to describe snowclones, and I’ve been reading Language Log (whence the term comes) for a couple of years now. I do believe someone’s been having fun with that Wikipedia page. (Hi, here via a Technorati search for “snowclones” because I’ve started the Snowclones Database.
posted by Erin on 7-2-2007 at 5:16 pm
What has two thumbs and X? this Y
(e.g. “What has two thumbs and hates Todd Packer? [points to self] This guy”)
had no idea there was a term for it
posted by jjomd on 7-30-2008 at 4:36 am
lest we forget “in soviet russia, x y’s you!”
i know, i know. I’m sorry.
posted by nikki on 7-30-2008 at 7:54 am
nikki – shouldn’t it be “In Soviet Russia, Y X’s you!”? ;)
ironically, the recaptcha is “Mocker needed”
posted by Debbie on 7-30-2008 at 8:15 am
The “Will X for Y” is usually pretty amusing on handmade signs around town (as in “Will beg for money”)
But I love the classic “Whose X do I have to Y to get a Z around here?” (as in “Whose leg do I have to hump to get a cup of coffee around here?”). In fact, I will make a concerted effort to incorporate this snowclone into my conversations on a daily basis.
posted by Liz on 7-30-2008 at 8:17 am
I like “All your X are belong to us.”
posted by Michelle on 7-30-2008 at 8:35 am
Liz,
Love the whose X do you have Y to get Z around here.
A goody to be sure.
posted by Julianna on 7-30-2008 at 9:50 am
“In Soviet Russia the X’s X YOU!”
posted by Zach on 7-30-2008 at 10:32 am
I for one welcome our new X overlords
posted by snapmouse on 7-30-2008 at 11:12 am
X is the greatest thing since Y
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 7-30-2008 at 9:45 pm
“I’m not an X, but I play one on TV.” I believe the original X is “doctor”, but my favorite X is “actor”.
posted by Moving Target on 7-30-2008 at 11:22 pm
“X. Think about it.”
Here, ‘X’ is typically an absurd conclusion reached at through silly logic.
Examples:
(From Catch-22) “Men,” he began his address to the officiers, measuring his pauses carefully. “You’re American officiers. The officiers of no other army in the world can make that statement. Think about it.”
(Stephen Colbert lampooning President Bush) So don’t pay attention to the approval ratings that say 68% of Americans disapprove of the job this man is doing. I ask you this, does that not also logically mean that 68% approve of the job he’s not doing? Think about it. I haven’t.
posted by Alex on 7-31-2008 at 2:11 am
That wikipedia link doesn’t work and I’m pretty sure the we don’t need no sticken badges is a adaptation of a line from Blazing Saddles, not UHF.
posted by nightstraveler on 8-5-2008 at 2:47 pm
@nightstraveler – thanks for the heads-up on that Wikipedia link; I’ve added in a temporary link that should go to the current list (looks like the list of snowclones page is in flux…).
Also, UHF is definitely not the source of “X? We don’t need no stinkin’ X!” though, as I said, UHF brought it to my attention. It was originally from the movie Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and then misquoted (and popularized) as you said, by Blazing Saddles.
posted by Chris Higgins on 8-5-2008 at 3:13 pm