I’ve just learned from Stan Carey what a snowclone is. Geoffrey Pullum developed the concept on Language Log back in 2004, for a clichéd phrasal template that gets repeated in innumerable variants.
Geoffrey Pullum:
“I was looking at things like “In space, no one can hear you X”, where the customizability is that you get to choose [...]
Why do you write or blog? If you don’t write or blog, why not?
I finally called off my blog project yesterday after reading the Pew’s Report on teens not blogging and twittering. (Summary in Mashable) The reasons given for the lack of interest which I, too, have experienced in the group of people I approached [...]
What do you say when you call out a warning? An essential phrase, don’t you think?
Now, Lily Munster (Yvonne DeCarlo) sings the southern traditional “He’s Gone Away”, which uses another phrasal verb, “look _____!”, which is completely useless outside the realm of songs like this one, and “Dixie”:
He’s Gone Away
traditional
He’s gone away
For to stay [...]
Grizzly Bear’s beautiful album Vekamtimest: The more I listen to it, the more it grows on me. For Shelly.
Language notes: Sometimes idioms in German and English are quite similar:
to leave someone high and dry – jmd auf dem Trockenen sitzen lassen
to wait something out – etwas aussitzen
to make your way – sich durchsetzen, seinen Weg [...]
Alison Schulnik’s clown reminds me of the “Fool on the Hill”: “And the eyes in his head see the world spinning round.” Tired eyes. The music is Grizzly Bear, singing “Why don’t you do any dishes? I always clean up the kitchen fine.” I think this hobo clown needs a hug and a vacation.
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