- Feb 5, 2002
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Today, the word blockbuster is usually associated with movies, whether you're talking about a film that achieved massive success at the box office or a certain defunct video rental chain. Though its meaning is innocuous now, back in the 1940s, it was used to describe something much darker.
According to TIME, the original blockbusters were large, highly destructive bombs used during World War II. The magazine first printed the word in a November 29, 1942, article about an Allied bombing in Italy; the nickname came from the weapon's ability to decimate entire city blocks. As the British Royal Air Force continued to drop the bombs throughout the war, the name caught on, and it was soon used to refer to anything particularly explosive or extravagant.
Continued below.
Why Do We Call Hit Movies <em>Blockbusters</em>?
According to TIME, the original blockbusters were large, highly destructive bombs used during World War II. The magazine first printed the word in a November 29, 1942, article about an Allied bombing in Italy; the nickname came from the weapon's ability to decimate entire city blocks. As the British Royal Air Force continued to drop the bombs throughout the war, the name caught on, and it was soon used to refer to anything particularly explosive or extravagant.
Continued below.
Why Do We Call Hit Movies <em>Blockbusters</em>?
