Give a Whole New Meaning

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Often used in a punny or Double Entendre manner, something is described as giving a whole meaning to a particular expression. An alternative version is "I've heard of X, But This Is Ridiculous."

Compare Is That What They're Calling It Now??

Examples of Give a Whole New Meaning include:

Film

Live Action TV

  • Power Rangers Dino Thunder - During a Megazord fight with an ice monster. "This gives new meaning to the phrase "Chillin' like a villain!""
  • It isn't an episode of Smallville without Chloe and/or Lois saying this at least once.
  • The Police Procedural, or at least CSI, seems to favor this kind of One-Liner.
    • In CSI: NY, Maka gives a One-Liner regarding a bride who died before her wedding: "Gives a whole new meaning to the term 'cold feet'" in "Til Death do we Part."
    • In CSI: Miami, "Breathless," Alexx quips "Gives a whole new meaning to the term 'Members Only'" after... well the context is unknown, but apparently nicotine got inside someone's penis, presumably a corpse's.
    • Does not occur in a New York episode where a house is literally moved by road and transported across the East River.
  • In 3rd Rock from the Sun, a critic describes Dick's performance in Romeo and Juliet as "Giving a whole new meaning to the word 'tragedy'". Dick decides to quit acting after this - he was so successful he redefined a whole artform, any more would compromise the mission.

Western Animation

  • The Simpsons, as the queen catches fire Lenny takes it upon himself to yell "It gives a whole new meaning to the term 'Flaming Queen!"
    • Family Guy made a joke about the same term; after a British pub that replaced the Drunken Clam burns down, the reporter on the scene holds up a scorched picture of Elizabeth II, saying it gives a new meaning to the phrase "check out that flaming queen".

Troping

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Give_a_Whole_New_Meaning?oldid=1583657"