History Main / CartoonBugSprayer

* Appears briefly in a cutscene in ''VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage''. A [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots robotic farmer]] uses one of these to clear a swarm of bugs. A larger bug then shows up and uses its own cartoon bug sprayer on the farmer. And that's the last the player sees of the farmer, [[SmolderingShoes except for his hat]].

Flit guns were in common use from about the late 1920s until the mid-1950s, which coincides almost exactly with TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. While Golden Age cartoons with flit guns are just reflecting contemporary technology, it's their use of such devices which established flit guns as the Universal Cartoon Symbol for Bug Sprayer and they've remained so long after the technology became obsolete in the real world.

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* Willy Wonka uses one in ''Literature/CharlieAndTheGreatGlassElevator''. Roald Dahl explicitly lampshades it as the kind you'd see "before Aerosol."

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* The 2002 remake of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' requires you to use one on the massive hornet's nest before grabbing the key beneath it.

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* Used by Don Corleone's grandson in the first [[Film/TheGodfather Godfather]]

* Willy Wonka uses one in ''CharlieAndTheGreatGlassElevator''. Roald Dahl explicitly lampshades it as the kind you'd see "before Aerosol."

* The 2002 remake of VideoGame/ResidentEvil requires you to use one on the massive hornet's nest before grabbing the key beneath it.

* The 2002 remake of [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil]] requires you to use one on the massive hornet's nest before grabbing the key beneath it.

* Buggs Zapper carries one of these in ''WhereInTimeIsCarmenSandiego''.

* Mr. Game and Watch uses this sort of bug sprayer for one of his attacks in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series.

* In ''AnimalCrackers'', Harpo uses one at the end of the movie. It knocks everyone out, including himself.

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'': Mr Game and Watch uses a bug sprayer as one of his attacks.

* MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic: Applejack has one during the defense of Sweet Apple Acres in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E10SwarmOfTheCentury Swarm of the Century]]".

Examples:

Flit guns were in common use from about the late 1920s until the mid 1950s, which coincides almost exactly with TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. While Golden Age cartoons with flit guns are just reflecting contemporary technology, it's their use of them which established flit guns as the Universal Cartoon Symbol For Bug Sprayer and they've remained so long after the technology became obsolete in the real world.

* The name "flit gun" is a BrandNameTakeover, referring to the insecticide company Flit. Flit rose to prominence in the early twentieth century due to a highly successfully marketing campaign. The campaign used humorous cartoons, drawn by none other than a pre-fame Creator/DrSeuss, and spawned a popular CatchPhrase, "Quick, Henry, the Flit!" So successful was the campaign that, at one time, crop dusters were nicknamed "flying flit guns".

* In ''AnimalCrackers'', Harpo uses one at the end of the movie which knocks everyone out, including himself.
* In ''{{Film/Labyrinth}}'', Hoggle uses one of these against flying fairies.

* This is what your character uses in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong 3'', and also the GameAndWatch game ''Greenhouse''.
* Lots of time management games that involve either farming or flower growing will invoke this trope when fighting off bugs. There are a bunch of them on www.bigfishgames.com.
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'': Mr Game and Watch uses a buy sprayer as one of his attacks.
* In ''[[VideoGame/NancyDrew Legend of the Crystal Skull]]'', Nancy must use one of these against wasps to gain access to a tree's fruit.

* That ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' episode with the Mouse Exterminator cat.
* MickeyMouse uses one in "Mickey's Garden". In "The Worm Turns" he uses one to dispense Super Serum.

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* Countless episodes of ''TheNewAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh''
* That ''TomAndJerry'' episode with the Mouse Exterminator cat.