Grammar Girl here. I’m Mignon Fogarty. Some of you might know that Sunday marks the beginning of Shark Week, brainchild of the very clever marketing folks at the Discovery Channel.
So this week, we’re going to talk about some funky phrases about sharks, and bonus: All of these have their origins in pop culture — mostly TV and movies.
Put on your wetsuit, and here we go.
6 Strange Sayings About Sharks
by Samantha Enslen
Jumping the Shark
Let’s start with a classic: “jumping the shark.” This phrase was first used to describe the moment a TV show had clearly run out of ideas and resorted to cheap stunts to get viewers. You might assume the phrase is metaphorical, but it refers to an actual episode of the sitcom “Happy Days,” which ran from 1974 to 1984.
In the infamous episode, the entire cast takes a trip to California. In a drawn-out beach scene, the character “Fonzie” is water-skiing — wearing a leather jacket, of course — and jumps over a shark.
The expression has become ubiquitous over the years. Its meaning has broadened to refer to just about anything — from a politician to a restaurant franchise — that has reached its peak and fails miserably in its efforts to remain relevant.
For example, a few years ago, the breakfast chain IHOP (International House of Pancakes) changed its name to IHOb — and then revealed that it was just a stunt to promote its burgers. Get it? Because burgers start with a “b”? And one article asked, “Have branded PR stunts jumped the shark?”
In other words, are they resorting to gimmicks in a desperate attempt to sell product? I don’t know the answer to that, but it sounds likely.
Voodoo Shark
“Voodoo shark” is a lesser-known term that also has roots in pop culture. It refers to a failed attempt to fill a plot hole in a narrative. Its origins lie in “Jaws: The Revenge” — a movie so bad it killed the popular “Jaws” franchise and earned a 2% rating on the movie-review website Rotten Tomatoes.
In the film, a shark is somehow able to locate and seek revenge on the family of its nemesis, Sheriff Martin Brody. But no explanation is offered as to how, exactly, the shark acquired these superpowers.
So a follow-up novelization of the movie tried to fill this gaping plot hole: It explained that the shark was under a voodoo curse. But some fans found that explanation lacking. So henceforth, people have used the term “voodoo shark” to refer to a weak explanation that creates more questions than it answers.
A good example is “midi-chlorians” in the Star Wars franchise. These tiny organisms were introduced into the world in “The Phantom Menace,” the often-reviled fourth movie release in the series. The movie tried to explain how the Force works by pointing to midi-chlorians, tiny organisms that supposedly live in the cells of all life forms. Apparently, they are what enable Jedi warriors to channel the Force.
But this explanation introduced more questions than it answered. How exactly do midi-chlorians interact with the Force? Why do some people have more than others? And are there special midi-chlorians that connect to the Dark Side?
And so forth and so on. Midi-chlorians are a voodoo shark.
Sharknado
While we’re on the subject of silly explanations, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Sharknado series. There have been six films, and a prequel, “Sharknado Origins” was supposed to launch in “Summer 2026” — but that’s now, and I can’t find anything current about it, so it’s likely coming later, if at all. Still, it’s almost an institution.
A sharknado is … exactly what it sounds like: a natural disaster in which a tornado scoops up sharks from the ocean and sprinkles them all over unsuspecting citizens. At once scorned and beloved, the Sharknado franchise enjoys a special status in U.S. popular culture. It’s similar to that briefly held by the movie “Snakes on a Plane.” (That one has zero sequels, by the way.)
Sharks with Laser Beams
Many of you have probably seen the 1997 movie “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.” The movie spawned countless popular quotations, and one of the most famous involves our friend, the shark.
In the film, supervillain Dr. Evil has an intricate plan to destroy the hero, Austin Powers. When Dr. Evil is told he can’t set up an elaborate shark-related plan, he rants, “You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads!”
This moment inspired countless memes. And it’s an expression that’s still used in response to an absurd, if not impossible, request. For example, a professor at the College of William & Mary was quoted as describing all the blue-sky projects his team was working on using 3-D printing technology. He ended the article with this thought: “Sharks with laser beams attached to their heads? Sure. We’ll give it our best shot.”
Land Sharks
Some of our older listeners (and that includes me) might remember the Land Shark. He was featured on early episodes of “Saturday Night Live” and played by actor Chevy Chase. This silly predator would knock on the door of unsuspecting women and announce “plumber!” or “flowers!”
As Jaws-inspired music soared, the victim would open the door … only to be devoured by a giant stuffed shark. As the body count piled up, the Land Shark would use increasingly absurd ruses to get victims to fall for his scheme.
If you’ve ever heard someone inexplicably shout “Candygram!” now you know why.
Shark Tank
Finally, there’s the popular reality show called “Shark Tank.” This show features real-life entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to a panel of potential investors, who are referred to as “sharks” because they are ruthless in their criticism and intimidating to face.
The “sharks” offer feedback and decide which start-ups, if any, get money. The title “Shark Tank” is likely a nod to the intense and cut-throat nature of venture capitalism, as well as the risks hungry entrepreneurs face in the real world.
That segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com.
Familect
Finally, I don’t have a familect this week — you need to call and tell me yours! Instructions are in the show notes — but I do have a comment from Paul, clarifying something I asked about a few episodes ago:
Hello, Mignon, this is Paul calling from Joplin. In a recent episode, you were discussing the word “Nimrod,” and you were wondering aloud if Bugs Bunny ever called Elmer Fudd a “Nimrod.” I’m a huge fan of the classic Warner Brothers cartoons, and I’m almost certain that Bugs never did. However, in “Rabbit Every Monday” from 1951, Bugs does call Yosemite Sam a “Nimrod,” and Daffy Duck does call Elmer Fudd a “Nimrod” in the film “What Makes Daffy Duck.” You can find clips of both of those on YouTube if you care to check them out. Keep up the good work. Bye.
Thanks, Paul! I love it when listeners call in with this kind of deep pop culture research that I never would have found on my own.
Grammar Girl is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. Thanks to Nat Hoopes; Morgan Christianson; Rebekah Sebastian; Holly Hutchings; Dan Feierabend; Maram Elnagheeb, and Steven Schapansky, who collects way too many hockey jerseys.
And I’m Mignon Fogarty, better known as Grammar Girl.
That’s all. Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to like and subscribe wherever you listen.