MacGuffin

== English == === Alternative forms === McGuffin === Etymology === Used by Alfred Hitchcock, as an arbitrary Scottish surname. The actual name comes from Ulster: Mc- (“son of”) +‎ Irish dubh (“black”) +‎ Irish Fionn (literally “fairheaded”). See also Wikipedia's MacGuffin § History and use. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA(key): /məˈɡʌf.ɪn/ === Noun === MacGuffin (plural MacGuffins) (narratology) A plot element or other device used to catch the audience's attention and maintain suspense, but whose exact nature has fairly little influence over the storyline. ==== See also ==== red herring Chekhov's gun MacGuffinite === Proper noun === MacGuffin (plural MacGuffins) A surname. ==== Statistics ==== According to data collected by Forebears in 2014, MacGuffin is the 736,413st most common surname in the United States, belonging to 13 individuals. Less common than the form McGuffin. === References === === Further reading === MacGuffin on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Forebears