[Ads-l] Snowclone: Can a (derog) X get a Y?

[Jonathan Lighter]

Also, "Hey! How does a guy get a  X around here?"

JL

On Sat, Apr 18, 2015 at 12:02 PM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Snowclone: Can a (derog) X get a Y?
>
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>
> I feel like the canonical example is a guy trying to get the attention
> of a bartender or other drink-server. From Google Books:
>
> "'Can a guy get a drink around here?' he said, turning and motioning
> to the waiter."
> William Heffernan, _Caging the Raven_ (1981)
>
> "Can a guy get a Scotch on the rocks around here, or do I have to
> choose between beer, beer, and beer?"
> Eugenia Riley, _Where the Heart Is_ (1987)
>
>
> On Sat, Apr 18, 2015 at 10:01 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >
> > I've heard the innocuous "Can [or "Can't"] a guy get an X around here?"
> >
> > Can't say just when. '80s?
> >
> > On Sat, Apr 18, 2015 at 2:26 AM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> My apologies. Obviously "Jew" is not derogatory.
> >>
> >> Looking for "Arab," I found two hits for the same quote by mprs: can an
> >> arab get a ban over here?
> >> 2002: http://bit.ly/1b6GIT4
> >> 2006: http://bit.ly/1aFnV0I
> >>
> >>
> >> > Benjamin Barrett <mailto:gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> >> > April 18, 2015 at 12:02 AM
> >> >
> >> > Today, a Jewish friend said to his wife while holding their infant,
> "Can
> >> > a Jew get a bib?"
> >> >
> >> > According to http://snltranscripts.jt.org/96/96edefjam.phtml, Chris
> Rock
> >> > said on Saturday Night Live in 1996, "Scalpel! Scalpel! [ yelling ]
> Can
> >> > a nigger get a SCALPEL up in this [ bleep ]!! [ the wrong instrument
> is
> >> > handed to him ] I said SCALPEL, you [ bleep ] [ bleep ] [ bleep ]"
> >> >
> >> > In 1999 (http://bit.ly/1EV1eSQ,
> >> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigger_%26_Blacker), Chris Rock's
> "Bigger
> >> > and Blacker" evidently has a song "Can a Nigger Get a Tabledance"
> (which
> >> > is unfortunately also the name of a song by what looks to be a racist
> >> > named Johnny Rebel). See also http://bit.ly/1b6CmeW for "Can a nigger
> >> > get a table dance or there is no sex in the champagne room" by
> shadowcat.
> >> >
> >> > There are not a lot of hits for this snowclone, but there are a few
> out
> >> > there. Here is what I found:
> >> >
> >> > 24 December 2009: http://bit.ly/1DtOujJ
> >> > moneymcbags writes: 12/24/09 Mid-Morning Report: It's Christmas Eve,
> can
> >> > a jew get a table dance?
> >> >
> >> > No earlier than 2009: http://bit.ly/1CXeCB5
> >> > Matthew "Baller on a Budget" R. writes: "Can a Jew get a ham sandwich
> up
> >> > in this?"
> >> > Extra snowclone points for "up in this."
> >> >
> >> > 2010: http://bit.ly/1O1J1cf
> >> > SlickMoneyXL writes: Can a spic get a link please?
> >> >
> >> > 2011: http://bit.ly/1ORO6kl
> >> > jesus1 writes: Just like Cinco de Mayo...can a spic get a break?
> >> >
> >> > Late 2014/early 2015: http://bit.ly/1b6AhQ1
> >> > hosaycore writes: Can a spic get a care package?
> >> >
> >> > 02/01/2015: http://bit.ly/1OplBZc
> >> > skellettes writes: can a homo get a promo on their birthday?
>
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