film-at-11

The idiom "film-at-11" originates at MIT, in parody of TV newscasters. One uses "Film at 11" to announce ordinary events, with a sarcastic implication that these events are somehow earth-shattering, such as "ITS crashes; film at 11." "Bug found in scheduler; film at 11." In more general usage, "film at 11" means that more information will follow in the future. There exists a well-known joke based on (the more general usage of) "film at 11", which goes:

"News flash: The American Dental Association announced today that most plaque tends to form on teeth around 4:00 PM in the afternoon. Film at 11:00."

This joke demonstrates the idiomaticity of "film-at-11", using the irony of the separate literal and non-literal interpretations of "Film at 11:00": Someone unfamiliar with this idiom might interpret "Film at 11:00 AM" (in the context of this joke) literally, as an incorrect suggestion that one should film actors in the morning, before the time plaque forms on the actors' teeth. However, someone familiar with this idiom would also recognize the second meaning, that more information will follow in the future.

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