Of or relating to the sound effects.[After Jack Donovan Foley (1891-1967) who pioneered the techniques of adding sound effects during his three decades at Universal Pictures.]
Why wouldn't they use the actual sounds in a movie? They could, but often very little is real on a studio set. Clanging of plastic swords isn't going to help the scene appear realistic. Also, ambient noise often precludes use of the actual sounds. That's where foley artists come in; they can recreate almost any sound in their studio, from footsteps to creaking of the floor and breaking of bones. Some tips on how you can create these sounds yourself: http://www.marblehead.net/foley/specifics.html
"When Helga throws a pie at a cafeteria bully, the foley team adds the noise you hear in the final cartoon."
Eric Unmacht; Here's How They Make a Cartoon; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Nov 9, 1999."Stephen Hodges worked with his percussion like a foley artist, making sound effects more than rhythms."
Neil Strauss; Tom Waits's Night on Earth; The New York Times; Mar 24, 1999.
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