Talk:lay pipe

Possible missing senses

There are two senses related to TV (and radio?), found in jargon lists etc. but difficult to locate in actual usage:

• To pass on a series etc. being pitched, saying that it is not currently a good fit, rather than outright rejecting it. (See e.g. 2012, Lynne Gross, ‎Brian Gross, ‎Philippe Perebinossoff, Programming for TV, Radio & The Internet, page 77.)
• To provide characters with a backstory by way of exposition for the audience. (See e.g. 2008, W. James Potter, Arguing for a General Framework for Mass Media Scholarship: "For example, they refer to the quick introduction of characters' backgrounds at the beginning of shows as “laying pipe.”" Also mentioned in Jonathon Green's jargon book Newspeak (1984).)

Equinox ◑ 19:59, 3 January 2020 (UTC)