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First came John Guare's play Six Degrees of Separation, which was later turned into a film. It was about the web of interconnections that binds all of humanity together.

Later came the well known trivia game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, which does for actors what Guare's creation did for the rest of us. But lately more people understand the idea behind "Six Degrees of Separation" through the Kevin Bacon game. The game has supplanted the inspiration for it.

Now, it seems obvious to me (though I could be wrong), that Kevin Bacon was chosen at least in part because his name metrically and phonetically rhymes with "Separation" (at least the vowels do). "Six Degrees of Jack Nicholson" or "Six Degrees of Lord Laurence Olivier" wouldn't have scanned as well (or at all).

So here's my question: Is there a term that succinctly represents the transformation of a word or phrase through assonance or rhyme into another word or phrase of similar meaning, but in which the latter version becomes more well known than the original? Failing that, perhaps this falls under a larger category of word or phrase substitution. I've been trying to think of more examples, but I can't at the moment, though I am sure they exist.

N.B. I am not asking about any "real" reason Kevin Bacon was chosen, about the origin of the game, its history or rules or any of that. That information is covered extensively elsewhere. I'm only interested in the term for such a transformation, if one exists.

Edit: I am starting a bounty on this question(Couldn't resist it, it had Bacon in it!), and i would like an answer with a single-word or phrase to describe this. Explanation included. Thanks.

                                                                      ~ Ham and Bacon

First came John Guare's play Six Degrees of Separation, which was later turned into a film. It was about the web of interconnections that binds all of humanity together.

Later came the well known trivia game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, which does for actors what Guare's creation did for the rest of us. But lately more people understand the idea behind "Six Degrees of Separation" through the Kevin Bacon game. The game has supplanted the inspiration for it.

Now, it seems obvious to me (though I could be wrong), that Kevin Bacon was chosen at least in part because his name metrically and phonetically rhymes with "Separation" (at least the vowels do). "Six Degrees of Jack Nicholson" or "Six Degrees of Lord Laurence Olivier" wouldn't have scanned as well (or at all).

So here's my question: Is there a term that succinctly represents the transformation of a word or phrase through assonance or rhyme into another word or phrase of similar meaning, but in which the latter version becomes more well known than the original? Failing that, perhaps this falls under a larger category of word or phrase substitution. I've been trying to think of more examples, but I can't at the moment, though I am sure they exist.

N.B. I am not asking about any "real" reason Kevin Bacon was chosen, about the origin of the game, its history or rules or any of that. That information is covered extensively elsewhere. I'm only interested in the term for such a transformation, if one exists.

First came John Guare's play Six Degrees of Separation, which was later turned into a film. It was about the web of interconnections that binds all of humanity together.

Later came the well known trivia game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, which does for actors what Guare's creation did for the rest of us. But lately more people understand the idea behind "Six Degrees of Separation" through the Kevin Bacon game. The game has supplanted the inspiration for it.

Now, it seems obvious to me (though I could be wrong), that Kevin Bacon was chosen at least in part because his name metrically and phonetically rhymes with "Separation" (at least the vowels do). "Six Degrees of Jack Nicholson" or "Six Degrees of Lord Laurence Olivier" wouldn't have scanned as well (or at all).

So here's my question: Is there a term that succinctly represents the transformation of a word or phrase through assonance or rhyme into another word or phrase of similar meaning, but in which the latter version becomes more well known than the original? Failing that, perhaps this falls under a larger category of word or phrase substitution. I've been trying to think of more examples, but I can't at the moment, though I am sure they exist.

N.B. I am not asking about any "real" reason Kevin Bacon was chosen, about the origin of the game, its history or rules or any of that. That information is covered extensively elsewhere. I'm only interested in the term for such a transformation, if one exists.

First came John Guare's play Six Degrees of Separation, which was later turned into a film. It was about the web of interconnections that binds all of humanity together.

Later came the well known trivia game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, which does for actors what Guare's creation did for the rest of us. But lately more people understand the idea behind "Six Degrees of Separation" through the Kevin Bacon game. The game has supplanted the inspiration for it.

Now, it seems obvious to me (though I could be wrong), that Kevin Bacon was chosen at least in part because his name metrically and phonetically rhymes with "Separation" (at least the vowels do). "Six Degrees of Jack Nicholson" or "Six Degrees of Lord Laurence Olivier" wouldn't have scanned as well (or at all).

So here's my question: Is there a term that succinctly represents the transformation of a word or phrase through assonance or rhyme into another word or phrase of similar meaning, but in which the latter version becomes more well known than the original? Failing that, perhaps this falls under a larger category of word or phrase substitution. I've been trying to think of more examples, but I can't at the moment, though I am sure they exist.

N.B. I am not asking about any "real" reason Kevin Bacon was chosen, about the origin of the game, its history or rules or any of that. That information is covered extensively elsewhere. I'm only interested in the term for such a transformation, if one exists.

Edit: I am starting a bounty on this question(Couldn't resist it, it had Bacon in it!), and i would like an answer with a single-word or phrase to describe this. Explanation included. Thanks.

                                                                      ~ Ham and Bacon

First came John Guare's play Six Degrees of Separation, which was later turned into a film. It was about the web of interconnections that binds all of humanity together.

Later came the well known trivia game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, which does for actors what Guare's creation did for the rest of us. But lately more people understand the idea behind "Six Degrees of Separation" through the Kevin Bacon game. The game has supplanted the inspiration for it.

Now, it seems obvious to me (though I could be wrong), that Kevin Bacon was chosen at least in part because his name metrically and phonetically rhymes with "Separation" (at least the vowels do). "Six Degrees of Jack Nicholson" or "Six Degrees of Lord Lawrence Olivier" wouldn't have scanned as well (or at all).

So here's my question: Is there a term that succinctly represents the transformation of a word or phrase through assonance or rhyme into another word or phrase of similar meaning, but in which the latter version becomes more well known than the original? Failing that, perhaps this falls under a larger category of word or phrase substitution. I've been trying to think of more examples, but I can't at the moment, though I am sure they exist.

N.B. I am not asking about any "real" reason Kevin Bacon was chosen, about the origin of the game, its history or rules or any of that. That information is covered extensively elsewhere. I'm only interested in the term for such a transformation, if one exists.

First came John Guare's play Six Degrees of Separation, which was later turned into a film. It was about the web of interconnections that binds all of humanity together.

Later came the well known trivia game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, which does for actors what Guare's creation did for the rest of us. But lately more people understand the idea behind "Six Degrees of Separation" through the Kevin Bacon game. The game has supplanted the inspiration for it.

Now, it seems obvious to me (though I could be wrong), that Kevin Bacon was chosen at least in part because his name metrically and phonetically rhymes with "Separation" (at least the vowels do). "Six Degrees of Jack Nicholson" or "Six Degrees of Lord Laurence Olivier" wouldn't have scanned as well (or at all).

So here's my question: Is there a term that succinctly represents the transformation of a word or phrase through assonance or rhyme into another word or phrase of similar meaning, but in which the latter version becomes more well known than the original? Failing that, perhaps this falls under a larger category of word or phrase substitution. I've been trying to think of more examples, but I can't at the moment, though I am sure they exist.

N.B. I am not asking about any "real" reason Kevin Bacon was chosen, about the origin of the game, its history or rules or any of that. That information is covered extensively elsewhere. I'm only interested in the term for such a transformation, if one exists.