# Movies that I must watch due to their titles becoming neologisms **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504 "2014-03-12T02:49:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [March 12, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/41 "2014-03-12T22:00:55Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Just thought of another: _This is Spinal Tap_ - every rock band has its Spinal Tap moment. I know I use it every time I’m at a concert and the drummer explodes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/42 "2014-03-12T22:17:42Z")
**TV Time** , not only did “Fail Safe” predate the movie, but I suspect that most instances of its usage have nothing to do with the movie, either. That’s just a movie being named after an expression that has been and continues to be used widely in the appropriate fields. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/43 "2014-03-12T22:33:32Z")
Want me to pull a Jack Bauer on you? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/44 "2014-03-12T22:52:53Z")
And get medieval on his buttocks? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/45 "2014-03-12T22:54:20Z")
Spending a lot on home renovations? It’s a “Money Pit”. That movie flopped, pulling a “Heaven’s Gate”. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/46 "2014-03-12T23:28:57Z")
Whenever RIDE drivers look for where to tie down the back of my chair, I say,“Sorry but I can’t go Linda Blair to help you.” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/47 "2014-03-12T23:29:02Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/48 "2014-03-13T00:23:06Z")
I don’t think this one caught on, but I thought it was funny: in an episode of Supernatural, when Dean is temporarily in ghsst mode, he manages to get mad enough to knock a glass or something off of a tray as a means of ending a fight between his brother and father. His line: “I full-on Swayzed that mother…!” ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/49 "2014-03-13T07:30:42Z")
A [**Svengali**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svengali) is a Machiavellian patron of a perfromer. And a [**Trilby**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilby_(play))is a [hat]([Trilby - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilby) hat), so you get two for the price of one. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/50 "2014-03-13T07:52:46Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > Two come to mind for me.\* Peyton Place\* and _Fail Safe_. Of course, both had very successful books predate the movie, but they could still qualify. **Fail Safe** has been covered but does anybody below the age of 75 still refer to a sordid hypocritical small town or neighborhood as a “Peyton Place”? I think the book, movie, and TV show dropped off the pop culture radar years ago. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/51 "2014-03-13T10:52:32Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Does anybody below the age of 75 still refer to a sordid hypocritical small town or neighborhood as a “Peyton Place”? When I see a particularly buxom lass (a la Sherilyn Fenn), I sometimes go “Whoa! Twin Peaks!” 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/52 "2014-03-13T13:17:47Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Sophie’s Choice has been covered by others, but your other two are also wrong. The Catholic Church abolished the Devil’s Advocate decades ago and Godfather was adapted by the Mafia because they liked Puzo’s novel/the movie so much. > [@astorian](#): > > In Italian, the word for godfather is “compare.” In Sicily, it’s been bastardized into “cumpari.” Actually, Sicilian mobsters did use the term _padrino_ (literally, “godfather”) to describe those that ranked above them. It wasn’t a fixed status, though, so “The Godfather” doesn’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/53 "2014-03-13T13:52:33Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > “Stepford Wife” used to describe a certain type of woman. Stepford is now used to describe any type of robotic behavior. “He acted all Stepford on me.” Bébé’s Kids describes out of control children perfectly. I’ve heard shawshank and brokeback used as verbs. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/54 "2014-03-13T13:59:25Z")
> [@Elephant\_tactics](#): > > Godfather is also something true from history, mafia dons were named godfather to people under their control, especially in the bandit days Maybe so, but nobody in the English speaking world called a mob boss a godfather until the movie, now that’s just about all they’re called. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/55 "2014-03-13T14:00:41Z")
It’s (blank) on a plane. Pops up in everyday conversation a lot. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/56 "2014-03-13T22:21:55Z")
Any incompetent group, especially if they engage in a lot of pointless chaotic activity, can be known as the “Keystone Cops” (or “Keystone Kops”) after the Mack Sennett series of film shorts. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/57 "2014-03-13T22:41:13Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > It’s (blank) on a plane. Pops up in everyday conversation a lot. It’s mofo (blank) on the mofo plane! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/58 "2014-03-14T20:02:52Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Maybe so, but nobody in the English speaking world called a mob boss a godfather until the movie, now that’s just about all they’re called. You’ll like this guy! He’s a **Goodfella**! > [@Penfeather](#): > > A [**Svengali**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svengali) is a Machiavellian patron of a perfromer. Not Svenjolly?😃 ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/59 "2014-03-14T20:35:28Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > Just out of curiosity, how popular was the term “Psycho” before Hitchcock’s 1960 film? Anybody know? (I’m asking a real question here.) Good question! [This ngram](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=psycho&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cpsycho%3B%2Cc0) suggests its peak was a bit before the movie and was actually declining in 1960. There looks like a bit of a blip upward in the years after the movie, but the trend was definitely downward. I’m surprised. ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-i-must-watch-due-to-their-titles-becoming-neologisms/683504/60 "2014-03-14T21:52:34Z")
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