# Substitute phrases for "jump the shark" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 1, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793 "2003-04-01T21:10:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/1 "2003-04-01T21:10:16Z")
Some of us know that the phrase “jump the shark” is a reference to the Happy Days episode in which the Fonz jumps over a shark while water skiing. This phrase has come into fairly common usage to describe the moment at which a TV show, music band, etc. has begun to lose its edge. If you were to recognize the JTS phenomenon by using a phrase which refers to a different show and its JTS moment, what would this phrase be? The phrase has to be worded so that it could fit in place of “jump the shark.” Here are some of my suggestions and the shows to which they refer: “Gazooed” - “The Flintstones” “Had Cousin Oliver show up” - “The Brady Bunch” “Won the lottery” - “Roseanne” ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/2 "2003-04-01T21:19:10Z")
What about a more general term, that would apply to a number of shows? **McGinley’ed** , after the patron saint of the [famous website](http://www.jumptheshark.com/). ---
**Author:** ![lesa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/34f0e0/32.png) [@lesa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lesa)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/3 "2003-04-01T22:20:41Z")
For all the Buffy fans, I suggest: “Introduced the Dawnie” ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/4 "2003-04-01T22:36:28Z")
“abducted Spooky” : X-Files “slept with Addison” : Moonlighting “went to color” : The Andy Grifith Show ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/5 "2003-04-01T22:54:44Z")
“Papermache Princed” - This thread - posting a link that basicaly does the work of the entire thread.😃 ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/6 "2003-04-01T23:10:12Z")
How about - “Switched the Darrins”? ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/7 "2003-04-01T23:20:19Z")
A couple more: “Killed Henry” - MASH “Married Daphne” - Frasier ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/8 "2003-04-01T23:22:50Z")
How about a more general term: “Started to suck”? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/9 "2003-04-02T00:28:25Z")
The first thing I thought of was, “Brought in Oliver”. But I guess since that was suggested in the OP, I’ll go with… Hell, I can’t think of anything better than that. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/10 "2003-04-02T00:37:04Z")
“Scrappy’d” ---
**Author:** ![Simbelmyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Simbelmyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simbelmyne)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/11 "2003-04-02T00:37:55Z")
“Robert Downey Jr is back in rehab…again.” ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/12 "2003-04-02T00:46:41Z")
“Graduated high school” – any show with high school characters, including “Buffy” “Lost TV’s Frank” – MST3K “Premiered” – “Birds of Prey,” “John Doe” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/13 "2003-04-02T00:53:42Z")
Main characters _Had Sex_ or _Had a Baby_. This covers a number of shows, including Remington Steele, Northren Exposure, Murphy Brown and Moonlighting. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/14 "2003-04-02T01:25:21Z")
Some startrek ones: voyaged gone to the delta quadrant defeated the continuum (Not entirely fair - voyager didn’t suck from the start. But I think they get the idea across.) ---
**Author:** ![slice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@slice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slice)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/15 "2003-04-02T01:39:26Z")
Since some of the suggestions here refer to other categories from Jump the Shark, let me suggest “Brought in the other Becky” or “Brought in the other Vivian.” ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/16 "2003-04-02T01:47:17Z")
Eh, none of these have the punch of “jumped the shark” which is probably why that phrase has taken off and will probably continue to endure. ---
**Author:** ![Pollo\_Boyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@Pollo\_Boyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pollo_Boyo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/17 "2003-04-02T02:00:48Z")
It has no significance to any show in particular, but I am partial to “bonked the walrus”. ---
**Author:** ![Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/18 "2003-04-02T09:12:55Z")
I thought we were going to adopt “[taste the fart](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170886)” as the replacement phrase… ---
**Author:** ![AchimbaProphet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@AchimbaProphet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AchimbaProphet)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/19 "2003-04-02T12:01:52Z")
I will never use this phrase. How fucking dumb. Fortunately I can use words like decline, degrade, and diminish to express my opinions on popular culture. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793/20 "2003-04-02T12:20:24Z")
OK, I’m finally going to ask. Where does the phrase “jump the shark” come from anyway? Is it mainstream or just a SDMB thing? I’ve never heard it anywhere else? Does it have anything to do with the time Fonzie jumped over a shark on waterskis? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-phrases-for-jump-the-shark/165793.md?page=2)