snowclone

British  

/ ˈsnəʊˌkləʊn /

noun

1. a verbal formula that is adapted for reuse by changing only a few words so that the allusion to the original phrase remains clear

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Etymology

Origin of snowclone

C21: from _snow in reference to the common formula 'If the Inuit have N words for snow, then surely X have Y words for Z ' + _clone

Example Sentences

Goodall, by now adjusted to the idea that he did not invent the "peak X" snowclone, is thinking about why it caught the imagination.

From The Guardian

Among linguists, Zimmer says, We are all is considered a subcategory of what’s known as a “snowclone,” a language template that gets riffed-on and repurposed over and over again.

From Time

In another promo, Hewitt, behind the rhetorical wheel of an Oldsmobile Snowclone, declares, “This is not your mother's Lifetime.”

From Slate