butt-crack is the new cleavage
“Roughly speaking, the thing we need a name for is 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.”
Geoffrey K. Pullum, Phrases for lazy writers in kit form
X is the new Y.
X. Y X.
If Eskimos have N words for snow, X surely have Y words for Z.1
X, M dollars. Y, N dollars. Z? Priceless.
From Wikipedia’s List of Snowclones
Glenn Whitman finally dubbed the linguistic artifact a snowclone WP (at 22:56:57 on Thursday, January 15, 2004, in Northridge, California, btw) and the meme just bit me. It just bit you.
(oh, and regarding the gratuitous snowclone I used for title: it’s true, but the jury’s still out on whether this is a passing Hollywood fancy or a giant step for butt-kind.)
3 Comments
I think snowclones are indeed lazy but fun, I like the X is the new Y one, but I have to disagree with your gratuitous snowclone, from what i can see your sources are from 2002 and 2000, that’s waaaay too long ago in fashion terms. Style.com says about the fall winter 06 season “Overt sexiness, in case you didn’t get the memo, is over.”
You may be right (in fashion, half of being right is being now)... but nah, Style.com knows squat. I stand by that gratuitious snowclone: Overt sexiness and butt-cracks are just getting started. :)
Jajajaja…..that’s fashion heresy!! You will burn in the fires of unbranded clothing for that….!!! :)