grammar - A term describing the replacement of a specific word in a saying with one that ryhmes


I understand this is quite a complicated title, however I have failed to discover a word (or a few words) to adequately describe the creative language used when changing a saying (or well-known phrase) into something slightly different, with a different meaning but still echoing the original phrase used.


As much as that was a horrible way of trying to explain the concept, I will provide an example that expressed want I want to sufficiently and coherently explain.


A reasonably well-known phrase which was used on a recent Batman film by Christopher Nolan (although this won't have been the first use of the phrase) is:



Some people just want to watch the world burn



Recently, I came across this photo which was a very clever (in my opinion) use of that phrase, changing it slightly to give it a different meaning based upon the current situation:



Some thugs just want to watch the world learn [see photo below]



Which is very clever and I was wondering if there is a word that describes the creative language used here.


Any insight would be much appreciated.




Answer



The term that describes this phenomenon is snowclone, which Collins defines as



a verbal formula that is adapted for reuse by changing only a few words so that the allusion to the original phrase remains clear



Note, however, that this definition says nothing about the extent to which the new word(s) may or may not rhyme with what they replace.


According to Collins, snowclone is a 21st-century coinage which derives from the common formula "If the Inuit have N words for snow, then surely X have Y words for Z" + clone.


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