A favorite game of mine is to play “What’s it from?” It’s quite a simple game and requires no game board, pieces, tokens, chips, etc. You simply use your memory and imagination. A good ability with accents doesn’t hurt, depending on what it’s from. Many would call it a movie quote game, but growing up, my sister and I simply called it by the question that follows the offering.
The quote I used to catch my sister with constantly was “Making goo-goo eyes at Jane.” She could never remember what movie it’s from and it drove her mad. I could ask her every day of the week and she would forget the answer from day to day. There are obviously standardquotes that are used regularly in every day life, but when actually playing one wants to use a more challenging quote.
Everyone uses movie speak at some point in their day. Many of our adages come from plays, films, television, even radio. More expressions come from Shakespeare than most folks realize. A sampling:
All the world’s a stage.
To be or not to be, that is the question.
The green eyed monster.
Method in the madness.
All that glistens is not gold.
What a piece of work is man.
Out, damn spot.
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose…
Many others that I use regularly, but you get the idea. How many times have you heard someone say “You’re gonna need a bigger boat?” when referring to trying to fit something in your car, purse, house, etc.? Today, I’ve been enjoying a series of quotes on fb with some friends and so far no one has bothered mentioning the movie which makes it more fun. Many movies generate quotable lines and have websites dedicated just to the quotes. But in “What’s it from?” you actually want to pick the more obscure quote. Obscure but still identifiable.
I speak in movie speak at work somewhat regularly and happily my boss has not only gotten used to it but even enjoys it. At home, it’s a way of life. And why not? Wouldn’t we all love writers to make us sound witty? There’s a scene in How to Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog (Kenneth Branagh and Robin Wright Penn-funny movie) where this exact topic is discussed. Haven’t you walked away from a conversation at some point in your life thinking, “I wish I hadn’t said that…why couldn’t I have said this?” You are basically wishing that a writer had followed you around that day offering up witty dialogue for that moment.
We don’t have writers following us around all day though. Usually the things we say that we wish we could take back are not from movies. They are our own ideas that we didn’t think all the way through before saying them. To quote, “You can’t take it back. …Why not?… Because it’s already out there… call the police. It’s already out there.” Once it’s out of your mouth, it’s out there and you can’t do anything but open mouth and insert foot. Where are the writers when you need them?
The truth of the matter is no one needs a writer. We all just need to remember that most folks are just doing the best they can each day. We could all slow down, think about what we are going to say before we say it. How will the person I am going to say this to react or feel about it? Could it be misinterpreted? Does he look like he’s having a bad day? Should I save my remark for later? Should I simply say nothing and smile instead? If we could all step outside of our own worlds and think of others for a brief moment before imposing our pressing issues upon them, the world would be lovely.
Trust me, I stink at thinking before I speak. I am a talker. So is my one son. So is my husband. Explains why our youngest is the strong, silent type (though he’s catching up fast). I’ve been working on it though. I’ll take a brief pause before I speak, or I’ll preface something that I know might come across weird by explaining that I’m working through how to say something. Baby steps. Baby steps out of the office. Baby steps down the hall.
ohbloodyhell8 