Hollywood Archives – A Way with Words

Make A Train Take A Dirt Road

Posted by Grant Barrett on May 31, 2014 · 1 Comment

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Working Titles

Posted by Grant Barrett on November 10, 2012 · 1 Comment

Would some Hollywood classics still have been box-office hits if they’d stuck with their original names? Take Anhedonia, which later became Annie Hall. Or $3000, which became Pretty Woman. And can you guess the eventual title of the movie originally called Harry, This is Sally? This is part of a complete episode.
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Metonymy

Posted by Grant Barrett on October 6, 2012 · Add Comment

When someone talks about Hollywood or Wall Street, they’re probably not talking about a California city or a Manhattan street. It’s an example of what rhetoricians call metonymy. Metonyms like the White House or Downing Street are often used as substitutes for a group of people or an industry. This is part of a complete [...]
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nyotaimori

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 18, 2007 · 1 Comment

nyotaimori n.— «Rachael was a human sushi platter for the evening, the centerpiece of an opening party last month for Hadaka Sushi on the Sunset Strip. Taking gentle breaths, she kept as still as possible so as not to disturb the clusters of oil-infused sushi rolls, sashimi and other pieces of raw fish artfully arranged on [...]
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body sushi

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 18, 2007 · Add Comment

body sushi n.— «Rachael was a human sushi platter for the evening, the centerpiece of an opening party last month for Hadaka Sushi on the Sunset Strip. Taking gentle breaths, she kept as still as possible so as not to disturb the clusters of oil-infused sushi rolls, sashimi and other pieces of raw fish artfully arranged [...]
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pishing

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 9, 2007 · Add Comment

pishing v.— «Birders are a passionate flock. They will travel anywhere to get a glimpse of a rare bird. They will watch TV and look for birds, laughing at Hollywood if they hear a common loon in the desert. They think and even talk like birds, using a technique called “pishing” to call them close.» —“You’ll get [...]
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