On 1/29/2016 8:13 AM, Bob Whitmire wrote:
I wonder--without expending the energy to look it up, knowing someone here
will do it <g>--if there is not a subtle difference of meaning between
background and back story. If I recall correctly, back story is a term
derived from television/movies, and denotes a tangential or parallel story
of lesser significance than the primary narrative. It is background in a
way, but it's also a smidgen more than that. Or am I thinking of the A and
B story formula used for sitcoms?
Hum. Having looked up the two despite the above, I find the definitions
very similar, downright interchangeable. In addition, I find noted the
first use of back story in 1984, lending credence to the assertion it's one
of those new fangled, fancy sounding terms serving no discernible purpose
other than to annoy people who love language. <g>
I agree with your first part. The dictionaries are messed up. ;-)
Backstory is a story telling device. Background is information about some one or something that goes beyond what may be
obvious.
Related, but separate.
Moose D'Opinion
--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
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