# English Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 12, 2002, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642 "2002-05-12T16:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/1 "2002-05-12T16:05:51Z")
Is there a specific name for a figure of speech that’s _acted_, for instance: “Thars gold in them thar hills!” stated in the voice of a grizzled prospector? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/2 "2002-05-12T17:20:22Z")
Not sure exactly what you mean. If you mean the use of “thar” instead of “there’s”, that’s called “dialect.” ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2002, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/3 "2002-05-12T23:20:42Z")
I’m thinking more of a new form of English expression where the phrase is said as seen in the original medium like “We don’t need no stinking badges!” as both in context to the situation and as a reference to the movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Often these figures of speech are more commonly known than the original instance, for example, I’m not sure what my first example is _from_ except that it’s probably from a movie or TV. Obviously this mimicry or acted phrase is a fairly recent (impossible pre-radio, say) mode of communication. Just wondering if it has a name yet. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/4 "2002-05-13T00:14:14Z")
I don’t think it has a name, but I’d be interested in learning the nomenclature if there actually is any. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/5 "2002-05-13T04:51:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by eunoia \* > \*\*I’m thinking more of a new form of English expression where the phrase is said as seen in the original medium like “We don’t need no stinking badges!” as both in context to the situation and as a reference to the movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Often these figures of speech are more commonly known than the original instance, for example, I’m not sure what my first example is _from_ except that it’s probably from a movie or TV. Obviously this mimicry or acted phrase is a fairly recent (impossible pre-radio, say) mode of communication. Just wondering if it has a name yet. \*\* It’s hardly impossible that pre-radio folk imitated people of other lands and other classes saying things that they have heard from rumor; such mimicry would not be accurate, but it could become standardized, so to speak. The only word I know of that’s close in meaing is _cliche_. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/6 "2002-05-13T06:27:53Z")
[Catch-phrase](http://www.wordsmyth.net/cgi-bin/simplesearch.cgi?matchent=catch+phrase), _cliche_, idiomatic expression, quotation. reference, etc. There are so many terms that fit, it’s unlikely that a new word will be created. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/7 "2002-05-13T08:02:10Z")
This is a bit of a hijack, but this being the Straight Dope and all, I feel the need to clear this up. “We don’t need no stinking badges” comes from _Blazing Saddles_. In _The Treasure of the Sierra Madre_, it went: > [@](#): > > Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges! ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/8 "2002-05-13T09:39:29Z")
Continuing the hijack, “We don’t need no stinking badgers!” is from _UHF_. Glad I could be of service. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/9 "2002-05-13T13:13:55Z")
Regarding the OP: I suppose it could be regarded either as an affectation if the person (or persons) did it for more than just the catch phrase. Or it could be argued to be a cinematic allusion. In regard to the argued quotation, clearly it dates back to _Treasure of the Sierra Madre_ even if the quotation was mildly changed. To give it credit to either the later _Blazing Saddles_ or the even later _UHF_ would be like giving credit for the phrase “Play it again, Sam” to Woody Allen in the play/movie _Play It Again, Sam_ rather than _Casablanca_ even though Rick never actually said the exact phrase. “You know, Louie, this could be the start of a wonderful friendship” ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/10 "2002-05-13T13:50:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TV time \* > \*\*Regarding the OP: I suppose it could be regarded either as an affectation if the person (or persons) did it for more than just the catch phrase. Or it could be argued to be a cinematic allusion. > > In regard to the argued quotation, clearly it dates back to _Treasure of the Sierra Madre_ even if the quotation was mildly changed. To give it credit to either the later _Blazing Saddles_ or the even later _UHF_ would be like giving credit for the phrase “Play it again, Sam” to Woody Allen in the play/movie _Play It Again, Sam_ rather than _Casablanca_ even though Rick never actually said the exact phrase. > > “You know, Louie, this could be the start of a wonderful friendship” \*\* Thanks. Clearly all later usages are direct references to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre regardless of phrasing. The subtle difference between a pre-radio phrase and a post-radio phrase is that a pre-radio phrase would not be consistently _acted_ or mimicked. Compare: “To be or not to be.” and “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” I’m not looking for a Great Debate or to add to the English language, I guess my question has been answered in the negative. ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/11 "2002-05-13T14:48:20Z")
Uttering a statement “out of voice” without regard to the original source would generally be regarded as an affectation. If the OP inquiry was about the concept of a statement carrying meaning from the original source then it might loosely be described as an allusion. That is, this situation is somewhat like the one in the movie everyone knows of. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-question/108642/12 "2002-05-13T17:26:35Z")
Sure, it’s a reference, but it’s wrong to say it’s a quote. Rereading **eunoia** ’s post, I realize s/he didn’t claim it was a quote. I’m just spreading trivial knowledge, since the mistake is commonly made.