The film titled “Bubble Boy”, produced in 2001, is the story of a boy named Jimmy Livingston born with no immune system and is forced to live inside a sterilized plastic bubble in his bedroom. He is called the Bubble Boy (BB) by his neighbours. His neighbour, a beautiful girl named Chloe, befriends him and soon Jimmy falls in love with her. One day, Chloe says that she is leaving for Niagara Falls to marry a guy called Mark. The story is about how Jimmy builds a mobile bubble suit and ventures into the outside world to stop the marriage and win her heart.
A part of the plot is based on the real story of David Vetter born in 1971 with a hereditary disease called severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Vetter was known as “The Bubble Boy” after he was placed in a germ-free plastic bubble in which he lived for 12 years and died after an unsuccessful bone marrow surgery.
What does the term ‘bubble boy’ mean? It has two different meanings. The primary meaning of the word refers to the genetic disorder called SCID, also known as ‘bubble boy disease’. Interestingly, the other meaning of the word is ‘a male with an overprotective mother’. Some parents are so overprotective that they hinder their children’s emotional development and do not allow the children to realize their full potential. Here are examples of sentences using the term ‘bubble boy’:
-Gene therapy can be used to treat children born with ‘bubble boy disease’.
-He can’t decide on his own. He is a bubble boy.
-I don’t want to marry a bubble boy.
We know who a ‘bubble boy’ is. Have you ever come across the term ‘bubble girl’? What does it mean? According to urbandictionary.com, a ‘bubble girl’ is a girl who is aware of her sheltered world and wants to get out and have some fun. It also refers to a girl who feels trapped in a situation. Look at these examples:
-The bubble girl is waiting for an opportunity to get our of her house and have some fun.
-You don’t know what freedom is. You’re a bubble girl.
What is the meaning of the expression ‘burst someone’s bubble’? This idiomatic expression means to shatter one’s dreams, diminish their enthusiasm or optimism or destroy their sense of well-being. When we say someone is in a bubble, we mean that the person is well protected or insulated.
-I don’t encourage you to meet him. He will burst your bubble of excitement.
-I am sorry to burst your bubble of joy but I must tell you the truth. I am going to be transferred by the end of this month.
The expression ‘the bubble bursts’ means that a very successful or happy time ends.
-We all thought that our local team would enter the finals and win the championship. Their terrible defeat in yesterday’s match burst our bubble.
-I won’t allow anyone to burst your bubble.
What does the expression ‘on the bubble’ mean? It refers to a situation in which the outcome is uncertain. The idiomatic expression is mainly used in reference to a sportsperson or team. A player or a team is liable to be replaced by another player or team.
-The selectors have not released the list of players. Some players fear that they are on the bubble.
If you are bubbling with a good feeling, you are full of it.
-I am bubbling with joy.
“You never know you're in a bubble until it pops.” - Andrew Revkin
