I saw the article reporting 2011 Mark Twain Prize giving ceremony held on October 23rd at Kennedy Center, under the title “At Mark Twain shebang, comics clank a cowbell or two for Will Ferrell” in the October 24 issue of Washington Post.
I was arrested with the expression “comics clank a cowbell or two,” and then found another “cowbell” in the subsequent sentence:
“If you are a fan of the SNL sketch “cowbell,” you have got to tell Will,” Andy Samberg told the audience, “since the entire world still beg him for “more cowbell.”
As I wasn’t clear about what “clank a cowbell or two” and “more cowbell” mean, I checked some online dictionaries and found the following definition of “more cowbell” in the Urban Dictionary:
- more cowbell - A quote from a Saturday Night Live skit featuring Blue Oyster Cult members recording "Don't Fear the Reaper" with a producer telling them to add "more cowbell". A funny pun on the cowbell in the song by BOC. Billy: "It needs more cowbell!" Joe: "LOLLERSKATES!"
From this I guess “more cowbell” means “more animation (ginger or substance)" or "sound volume" though I’m not sure. Tell me if I’m wrong. But what does “comics clank a cowbell or two” mean?
Why is “more cowbell” in singular form while "a cowbell or two" is in countable (noun) form? Is it because the former is used as an abstract noun and the latter is a material noun?
Is either “more cowbell” or "clank a cowbell" getting (or has it gotten) currency as an idiom or a buzz word? The “cowbell” is clamoring for me to ask a spell of questions.