3 ms·
You're not wrong, but that's the fun of neologisms. Their meanings don't always stay anchored. I think to maintain the significance of the term, it should be
by arbitrage 8y ago
You're not wrong, but that's the fun of neologisms. Their meanings don't always stay anchored.
I think to maintain the significance of the term, it should be limited only, as you point out, to only objects of meaningless, exchangeable value. Kinda drives home the point that the MacGuffin is not part of the plot in any meaningful way, it just serves as a motivation to get things moving.
- ggambetta 8y agoI think the problem is not so much using McGuffin in the neologism, giving Canary McGuffin a specific and well-defined meaning (which I have no problem with), but the incorrect description of the McGuffin as a screenwriting device given in the article.
- jessaustin 8y agoIs the problem that this trope is attributed to screenwriting rather than writing in general? Or is there some other definition of MacGuffin floating around? The Reference [0] seems to agree with TFA. Personally, I find this neologism highly satisfying. It is a novel combination of two precise idioms that when combined have the precise (although not necessarily obvious) meaning ascribed to the term by its creator. Many neologisms are strained at their creation, and only become idiomatically comfortable after years of use. This seems right, right now. Kudos to Rachel by the Bay! [0] https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MacGuffin https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MacGuffin