What's the term for when a phrase is slightly changed for effect?

Question

What is the name of the rhetorical device of slightly changing a standard phrase?

Here is an example:

McDonald's Yuan Menu

The original word, "Dollar," has been replaced with "Yuan," giving the phrase a new meaning, but a recognizable context.

Here's another example:

Clean Air Guitar Act

The word, "Guitar," has been inserted into the phrase, "Clean Air Act."

A near identical question has been asked here, "Changing a quotation so that the original is recognised, but has been given a new meaning."

Here are the answers that were provided to that question:

trope
reference
allusion
pop culture reference
play on a quote
snowclone
paraphrasing

None of these answers are good. Trope, reference, and allusion are very broad terms. More important, they don't actually describe the act of slightly altering a phrase, and instead are describing the mere mention of a phrase. Snowclone is not correct because a snowclone describes a template based on an idiom.

user44294 · Answer

Phrasal template seems to be the best term for it. "McDonald's _____ Menu" is the template in that example, where any currency could be used to fill in the blank.

However,

Clean Air Guitar Act

is an example of a different type of wordplay, and not the same device as the "Yuan Menu". This is important because the distinction is that the "Yuan Menu" isn't using similar terms meant to be humorous, it's just to fit the McDonald's template.

Solocutor · Answer

You might say that you put a new twist on the phrase.

I think I'd prefer a more formal term if you can find one, though.

Richard · Answer

It sounds a good deal like "metaplasm," though strictly speaking that term applies to changes of a letter or syllable in a word; the principle, however, seems to be what you are looking for: "Metaplasm 1. Grammar. Usu. with reference to classical languages: the alteration of a word by addition, removal, or transposition of letters or syllables; an instance of this." OED definition.

Answered by Richard on February 8, 2021

What's the term for when a phrase is slightly changed for effect?

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