Is there anyone who could briefly explain the specific usage of the famous blooper "Boom goes dynamite"? And is it still OK to use the expression in a formal writing?
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It's a non-standard rap lyric. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 13 '21 at 18:30
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2The reason for it becoming popular is possibly out-of-scope for this site...and ny quick google search shows "Boom goes the dynamite. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Apr 13 '21 at 18:30
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2@Cascabel - actually when and how an expression gained or lost currency is on topic on ELU. – user 66974 Apr 13 '21 at 18:37
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3@66974 If it has reasonable currency outside the song etc it appeared in. I'm not convinced there's much evidence for that (and OP's lack of any supporting evidence makes the question closable). – Edwin Ashworth Apr 13 '21 at 18:46
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1I wouldn't include this in a formal paper, say like a thesis, or a project summary, or an RFP unless I was dead sure it would be ok with the folks reading it. The same goes for any other popular phrase. You do so at your peril. – FeliniusRex - gone Apr 13 '21 at 18:47
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I think this goes back to when children are first learning how to read - they read picture books with captions like, 'Moo,' says the cow. – Canadian Yankee Apr 13 '21 at 19:30
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@CanadianYankee We had a "famous" question dealing with that maybe a year ago, but it was :"The cow goes moo". – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Apr 13 '21 at 19:41
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1@Cascabel - Aha! I found this: Is “to go + (onomatopoeia)” a recognized pattern? – Canadian Yankee Apr 13 '21 at 19:48
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Just found it at Why did Ylvis use “go” instead of “say” in phrases like “Dog goes 'woof'”?...One of the answers (since deleted) cited Lou Reed, which some users found objectionable and questioned on meta @CanadianYankee – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Apr 13 '21 at 20:23
2 Answers
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It's a fad.
an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; a craze.
...like the hoola hoops and Davie Crocket / Daniel Boone coon-skin caps in the 1950s.
...as a 1960s Andy Warhol said,
"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."
"Boom goes the dynamite" seems to be having such a moment:
It sounds similar to...
or even ...
bada bing, bada boom
...as popularized by the American Mafia series The Sopranos .
Those sayings were very popular for a while, but then died down in usage: still understood; just no longer fashionable.
If "Boom goes dynamite" survives 5 more years then possibly it will become known as a saying.
Right now,
It would not be acceptable in an academic setting.
Neologisms have no place in academic writing unless the topic concerns colloquial speech.
Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_
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The expression was coined in 2005 and in 2021 we are still talking about it. It can be found in some slang dictionaries and it’s been used in a number of different contexts. I agree it is not acceptable in academic papers, but it appears to be more than a simple fad. – user 66974 Apr 14 '21 at 06:50
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It is an informal expression generally used to express satisfaction at something that’s gone the way you expected:
(interjection) An exclamation used to emphasize when something exceptional has happened, especially when it occurred exactly as one intended. (The phrase was popularized after a video of Ball State University student Brian Collins uttering it during a collegiate sportscast went viral on the internet.)
- A: "You've got to use the sniper rifle to take out the guards in the tower, or else you'll never beat this level!" B: "OK, let me just line up my scope and—boom goes the dynamite!" A: "Hey, nice shot!"
You can find other usage examples here on Google Books.
user 66974
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6This answer is pretty much the basic research that the OP should have done in the first place. If the phrase has become popular through non-standard rap lyrics then I think that makes it off-topic. BTW...not my down-vote. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Apr 13 '21 at 18:40
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2@joe Before giving up entirely, think about how you can re-phrase the question to bring it on topic. Also, deleting a question that already has an answer could have an impact on privileges here...my suggestion is to let it perk for a bit. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Apr 13 '21 at 18:49
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1@Cascabel, thanks I did some revision on the question. Hopefully it sounds better. – jck21 Apr 13 '21 at 19:00
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How am I being not nice? I have been trying to help the OP to bring their Q on-topic. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Apr 13 '21 at 19:02