linguisticsgirl.com: ... In my mind, grammatical *form**(what a word looks like) is clearly separate from grammatical function (what a word does). From ODO: 2.1. Any of the ways in which a word may be spelled, pronounced, or inflected 4.2. [count noun] A set order of words; a formula:
When Michael J. Fox played 'Johnny B. Goode' as Marty McFly in 'Back to the Future' in 1985, he was just aping Chuck Berry's classic fretwork for the camera. (Along with some Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Pete Townsend guitar moves thrown in for good measure.) Today, Fox can really play the song.
10 Interesting Facts About Marty McFly's Shoes From Back to the Future 2. The geek community exploded last week with the announcement and release of the Nike Air Mags, exact replicas of the Nikes that Marty McFly wore in Back to the Future 2. With all the excitement, we thought we'd take a look at some interesting facts about those classic sneakers.