bowling for " x "

[brokendave]

What does the saying "bowling for _______" refer to? For example, Bowling for Columbine or Bowling for Soup. Where did it originate? What does it mean?

[WaldoMcFroog]

Not quite. On the morning they carried out the attack, some reported that the Trenchcoat Mafia had turned up to a bowling alley for a school sports lesson. Moore makes the satirical point that you might as well blame the fact they went bowling for their actions as you might the music of Marilyn Manson (who was genuinely blamed by a good many idiots).

[brokendave]

No, no, no! I know why Michael Moore used it sillies! There is also a band called "Bowling for Soup" which was a band way before the movie was made (2002). Now I once heard an old man ask me if I were "Bowling for the girl"... The reason I am confused is because it seems arbitrary. Kind of like, "Hey, are you going to PLAY A GAME OF HORSE for a date with that girl?"

[Kingaroo]

I never heard of Bowling for Soup, but the "XX-ing for XX" construction is very familiar. There was a very popular television show in the US in maybe the sixties called Bowling for Dollars. I think it must have been one of the first shows that had cash prizes or something. I've also heard the phrase Dialing for Dollars - some kind of fundraising ploy. Isn't bowling something different in the UK? Something to do with cricket?

[Greedyfly]

Bowling for soup is a band KINGAROO

[Ouisch]

I'm tempted to say that all the "bowling for....." phrases eminate from an old TV game show called "Bowling for Dollars."

[Kingaroo]

And you all already get Michael Moore's reference in Farenheit 9-1-1, right? The Ray Bradbury novel and subsequent movie Farenheit 451, which is about a bookburning fascist state? (451 is the burning temperature of paper) MM likes naming things after already familiar titles, I guess.