History Main / OneWordVocabulary

-->--'''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Big McIntosh]]''', ''[[WebAnimation/MyLittlePonyMeets Godzilla meets My Little Pony]]''

* ''TheBadNewsBears in Breaking Training'': the Bears use the mentally challenged groundskeeper as a [[TheBeard beard]] so they can go on a road trip without any supervision. All he can say is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyeEgj96fDg Hello! How are you?"]] Except at the end when he says "Goodbye."

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' gives us 627, who has been designed by Jumba to be even more powerful than Stitch himself. Not only that, but he also cannot be turned good and the only word that he can say is "Evil".

* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': After Doty [[spoiler:is left in the Nine Hells]], Taryon [[spoiler:creats a new Doty,]] and gives him the ability to speak one word: "Tary".

* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'': Steve the bandit only has one word in his entire vocabulary: "Hey-o!"

** Quoth the raven from {{Discworld}} subverts this by refusing to say "[[TheRaven the N word]]" (and was thus named by a previous owner, a wizard with a deplorable sense of humor).

* The dwarf Sandal in the ''VideoGame/DragonAge'' franchise is an IdiotSavant who has a gift for enchanting weapons and armor - rare for his species. "Enchantment" is also the only word he can say.

* In ''Film/TradingPlaces'', the two ''very''[[ScaryBlackMan big jailbirds]] call bullshit on Billy Ray's bragging; one of them only ever says "Yeah!" to what the other one has just said.

* In ''Film/TradingPlaces'', the two [[ScaryBlackMan ''very'' big jailbirds]] call bullshit on Billy Ray's bragging; one of them only ever says "Yeah!" to what the other one has just said.

* When ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussyCats'' were RecycledInSpace, they appended the alien creature Bleep, who speaks only in bleeps. Fortunately, GeniusDitz Melody is SuddenlyFluentInGibberish and can easily translate Bleep-speak into English. Curiously, no reverse translation is needed for Bleep, who can understand English just fine.

* When ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussyCats'' were RecycledInSpace, they appended the alien creature Bleep, who speaks only in bleeps. Fortunately, GeniusDitz Melody is SuddenlyFluentInGibberish and can easily translate Bleep-speak into English. Curiously, no reverse translation is needed for Bleep, who can understand English just fine.

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''. In the episode ''Timechasers'', 1980-something Mike Nelson's coworker at the cheese factory only ever says, "Dude." He actually manages to convey quite a bit just by varying his tone.

->''What, I can't say a full sentence every once in a while?''

A SubTrope is PokemonSpeak, where the only thing they can say is their name. See also WelcomeToCorneria where NPCs in a video game only ever talk like this.

* Kimmy's boyfriend Dwayne from ''Series/FullHouse'' only ever says "Whatever".

* Uh-Huh from ''Film/TheLittleRascals'' (1994); to the point it's a VerbalTicName. At the end of the film, he reveals he has a very big vocabulary for a 5-year old boy; he just never had to say anything beyond "Uh-huh."
* Throughout ''Film/HotFuzz'' [[DumbMuscle Lurch]] only says "Yarp", as an affirmative answer to any question, leading to a gag in which Nicholas, impersonating Lurch via walkie talkie, has to guess that "Narp" is a negative answer.

->\'\'What, I can\'t say a full sentence every once in a while?\'\'
-->--\'\'\'[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Big McIntosh]]\'\'\', \'\'[[WebAnimation/MyLittlePonyMeets Godzilla meets My Little Pony]]\'\'

The LogicalExtreme of CatchPhrase. Not only is this word or phrase something that a person habitually says and identifies that person, but that person \'\'never says anything else\'\' (and may well be unable to).

In short, someone with an \'\'extremely\'\' limited vocabulary.

This does not mean they can\'t say the phrase with many different tones and intensities, but the words seldom (if ever) vary.

* In the Little Caesars\' commercials, the eponymous character only says \"Pizza, pizza!\"

* Nyu, Lucy\'s innocent alternate persona in \'\'Manga/ElfenLied\'\', only ever says the word she was named by others after. Real Lucy, on the other hand, is a lot more eloquent.

* \'\'Comicbook/XMen\'\' has Rover the Sentinel, who can only say \"Destroy!\"
* In \'\'Adventures In The Rifle Brigade\'\', only the officers of the title group have actual dialogue. The enlisted men are this trope: Sergeant Crumb (\"\'ey oop\"), Corporal Geezer (\"Yer aht of ordah!\"), and Private Hank the Yank (\"Gawd Dammit!\"). The Piper, the final member of the squad, is TheVoiceless.

* In \'\'ComicStrip/{{BC}}\'\', the character Grog only says his name, usually quite loudly.

* \'\'Film/BillAndTedsBogusJourney\'\': The alien Station can only say \"station\".
* The invading Martians in Creator/TimBurton\'s \'\'Film/MarsAttacks\'\' can speak only one syllable, changing its timing to change the meaning. Somehow, Doctor Kessler is able to translate this monosyllable language into English.
* \'\'TheBadNewsBears in Breaking Training\'\': the Bears use the mentally challenged groundskeeper as a [[TheBeard beard]] so they can go on a road trip without any supervision. All he can say is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyeEgj96fDg Hello! How are you?\"]] Except at the end when he says \"Goodbye.\"
* Throughout \'\'Film/HotFuzz\'\' [[DumbMuscle Lurch]] only says \"Yarp\", as an affirmative answer to any question, leading to a gag in which Nicholas, impersonating Lurch via walkie talkie, has to guess that \"Narp\" is a negative answer.
* Groot from \'\'Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy\'\' only ever says \"I am Groot\"
* In \'\'Film/TheDeerHunter\'\', Axel\'s only line, repeated several times, is \"Fuckin\' A.\"
* Uh-Huh from \'\'Film/TheLittleRascals\'\' (1994); to the point it\'s a VerbalTicName. At the end of the film, he reveals he has a very big vocabulary for a 5-year old boy; he just never had to say anything beyond \"Uh-huh.\"
* Throughout \'\'Film/HotFuzz\'\' [[DumbMuscle Lurch]] only says \"Yarp\", as an affirmative answer to any question, leading to a gag in which Nicholas, impersonating Lurch via walkie talkie, has to guess that \"Narp\" is a negative answer.

* In \'\'Literature/TheBelgariad\'\', the boy known as \"Errand\" only says the word \"Errand\" for the first part, mainly because the only thing Zedar ever told him was \"I have an errand for you\". He eventually learns to talk normally.
* \'\'Literature/{{Discworld}}\'\'
** The Librarian only says \"ook\", \"eep\" and \"ooo\".
** In a dream sequence in one of the Tiffany Aching books, Tiffany meets the \"Jolly Sailor\" who appears on her grandmother\'s tobacco packets. He can only say \"A Good Smoke in Any Weather!\" because that\'s what\'s written in his speechbubble on the packet.
** In \'\'Discworld/TheWeeFreeMen\'\' there\'s a man in fairyland who only says \"sneebs\". Slight twist in that his actual meaning (normal words) appears in the hearer\'s brain.
** Quoth the raven from {{Discworld}} subverts this by refusing to say \"[[TheRaven the N word]]\" (and was thus named by a previous owner, a wizard with a deplorable sense of humor).
** Another animal character with a vocabulary like this is the Death of Rats, whose dialogue consists entirely of \"SQUEAK\" (always in all capitals).
* In Creator/EdgarAllanPoe\'s \"Literature/TheRaven\", the only thing the titular bird ever says is \"Nevermore\".
* Hodor from \'\'Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire\'\' can only say \"Hodor\". Interestingly, Hodor\'s actual name is Walder, but since the only thing he ever says is Hodor [[VerbalTicName people started to call him that.]]

* \'\'Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000\'\'. In the episode \'\'Timechasers\'\', 1980-something Mike Nelson\'s coworker at the cheese factory only ever says, \"Dude.\" He actually manages to convey quite a bit just by varying his tone.
* Kimmy\'s boyfriend Dwayne from \'\'Series/FullHouse\'\' only ever says \"Whatever\".
* Magnitude from \'\'Series/{{Community}}\'\' only ever says his CatchPhrase, \"Pop pop!\" In an episode where he is told he can no longer use the phrase, he becomes extremely distraught.
* The Korean boy adopted by the Bluths in \'\'Series/ArrestedDevelopment\'\' only says \"Annyong\", which the others assume is his name. It\'s actually \"Hello\" in Korean. In the finale of the regular series it is revealed that [[spoiler:not only can he speak English, but he\'s actually a spy getting revenge on the Bluths for stealing his father\'s frozen banana business. And his real name is Hel-loh.]]
* In \'\'Series/FatherTed\'\', the elderly Father Jack Hackett\'s minimalist vocabulary is something of a recurring gag.

* There was a RecurringCharacter on \'\'Radio/TheJackBennyProgram\'\' (played by Creator/MelBlanc) who was a Mexican who mostly said \"Si\", and the rest of his vocabulary was made up of similar words (his name was Sy and his sister\'s name was Sue).

* In Monica Bauer\'s play \'\'The Maternal Instinct\'\', there is a homeless woman who can only say the word \"Ouch\".
* In the \'\'Theatre/TheAddamsFamily\'\' musical, zombie butler Lurch communicates in a low growl. Naturally, the Beinekes can\'t understand him at all. [[spoiler:Also subverted: at the end of the show, Lurch starts the song \"Move Toward the Darkness\".]]
* Kimmy\'s boyfriend Dwayne from \'\'Series/FullHouse\'\' only ever says \"Whatever\".

* Vault 108 in \'\'VideoGames/{{Fallout 3}}\'\' featured a cloning experiment GoneHorriblyWrong, and the clones were only able to utter the name of their original template called \"Gary\".
* \'\'VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}\'\': Steve the bandit only has one word in his entire vocabulary: \"Hey-o!\"
* In \'\'VideoGame/ResidentEvil3\'\', Nemesis can only say \"S.T.A.R.S\" because he\'s a LivingWeapon engineered to fight members of our hero\'s organization S.T.A.R.S.
* The dwarf Sandal in the \'\'VideoGame/DragonAge\'\' franchise is an IdiotSavant who has a gift for enchanting weapons and armor - rare for his species. \"Enchantment\" is also the only word he can say.

* \'\'WebAnimation/BattleForDreamIsland\'\': David is only able to say \"Aw, seriously?\".

* There was much amusement in 2014 at the release of a phone app called Yo, which did nothing but send out the word \"Yo\" to whoever the user wanted to contact. Naturally, it proved wildly popular.

* The Turk from \'\'Webcomic/ClockworkGame\'\', could only say one word: \"Echec\", meaning \"Check\". {{Justified}} in that it was a machine, and its vocal apparatus (designed in the 19th-century) could only say that one word. [[SuddenlyVoiced Previously, it was unable to speak at all]].
* In \'\'Webcomic/{{Hoofstuck}}\'\', Cloud Kicker\'s only dialogue is \"Cloud!\" It\'s apparently a proper language, as a few characters actually understand her. It even shows up as a PaintingTheMedium gag: when you play as Cloud Kicker in the interactive flash walkaround, the text on all her prompt buttons is replaced with \"Cloud!\"
* Early on in \'\'Webcomic/ScandinaviaAndTheWorld\'\', Finland only ever says \"Perkele.\" [[SirSwearsALot It\'s an obscenity.]] Averted later, though.
* \'\'{{Webcomics/Housepets}}\'\' : Daisy has only said \"Hi! I\'m Daisy!\" during the course of the strip.

* Seen in the Newgrounds flash series \"Larry the Littlest Freakin Knight\", with a minion who can literally only say \"yes\". The big bad thinks it\'s hysterical, and makes him say yes to increasingly absurd and embarrassing questions.

* \'\'WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries\'\' gives us 627, who has been designed by Jumba to be even more powerful than Stitch himself. Not only that, but he also cannot be turned good and the only word that he can say is \"Evil\".
* The vocabulary of Big Macintosh from \'\'WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic\'\' mostly consists of two words: \"Eeyup\" and \"Nope\". He\'s a victim of {{Flanderization}}, though, as he did have actual dialogue in earlier episodes. He still will have other lines on occasion, but usually only in the context of OOCIsSeriousBusiness.
* Al from \'\'WesternAnimation/ReBoot\'\' is never seen, he is only ever heard shouting \"[[BigWhat WHAT?]]\" from offscreen.
* When \'\'WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussyCats\'\' were RecycledInSpace, they appended the alien creature Bleep, who speaks only in bleeps. Fortunately, GeniusDitz Melody is SuddenlyFluentInGibberish and can easily translate Bleep-speak into English. Curiously, no reverse translation is needed for Bleep, who can understand English just fine.
* The anchovies in \'\'WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants\'\' only ever say \"meep\", over and over again. Although this is (sometimes) [[SuddenlyVoiced averted]] in later episodes.
* In \'\'WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons\'\' episode \"Who Shot Mr. Burns\", Mr. Burns awakens from a coma, with only the words \"Homer Simpson\" in his vocabulary.
* One episode of \'\'WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo\'\' had Cyborg and Beast Boy apparently only be able to say the word \"waffles\".
* The only thing \'\'WesternAnimation/RoadRunner\'\' ever said was \"Beep Beep\".
* When \'\'WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussyCats\'\' were RecycledInSpace, they appended the alien creature Bleep, who speaks only in bleeps. Fortunately, GeniusDitz Melody is SuddenlyFluentInGibberish and can easily translate Bleep-speak into English. Curiously, no reverse translation is needed for Bleep, who can understand English just fine.
* \'\'WesternAnimation/GravityFalls\'\': All of the forest gnomes are articulate and speak English, except for Shmebulock who can say his own name and nothing else. He tends to communicate with body language to compensate for the lack of verbal diversity.
* An episode of \'\'WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory\'\' had Dexter screw up trying to learn French in his sleep and wake up the next morning only able to say \"omelette du fromage\" (roughly \"omelette with cheese\".) Curiously, though, he finds that saying that actually works in normal conversation, to the point that he\'s able to answer class questions, order lunch, and even \'\'bring about world peace\'\' just by saying that single phrase. But the only thing he can\'t do? Speak the password to his laboratory.

* Neurologist Paul Broca identified a brain region important for speech after learning that it was damaged in a patient only able to say the word \"Tan.\"