what's up with the title?
Anyone know why it's called "Clay Pigeons?" Am I just really not getting something obvious? I know his name is Clay, but I'm not sure about the pigeon thing. Thanks for any help.
shareIt's a bit of a metaphor...
You see, if you ever played those old Nintendo shooting games (or hell, if you've ever gone shooting) those plate looking things that get flung out into the air as targets are called "clay pigeons" ... hence the fact that poor Clay in the film is the target of all the trouble.
Hope this helps. :)
oh my god! Now I see. Didn't even occur to me. I've never gone shooting or anything but I've heard that term before. Thanks so much.
Nice name by the way. It's cool.
Clay is Lester's pigeon.
from wikipedia
A "pigeon" is an English slang word to refer to an uneducated, naive, or unsophisticated person: one that is easily deceived or cheated by underhanded means. To be referred to as a "pigeon" or a "dupe" suggests unwariness in the person deluded - especially used in the slang language of gambling - Etymology: from Middle French ‘’duppe’’.
I think it is also a reference to the term stool pigeon. Clay is both a target and a decoy depending on whose persective you look at him from.
stool pigeon
n.
Slang. A person acting as a decoy or as an informer, especially one who is a spy for the police.
A pigeon used as a decoy.