History Main / TheScottishTrope

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' uses the actual Scottish Trope in "[[OutDamnedSpot Out Darned Spotlight]]". Whenever someone said "Macbeth", something bad would happen, like lead actor Nick falling off his skateboard and breaking his leg the day of the recital of ''Macbeth [[RecycledINSPACE in Space]]''!

* In ''TabletopGame/{{BattleTech}}'', one of the original twenty Clans was subject to a Trial of Annihilation ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin exactly what it sounds like]]) and all mention of it was removed from official records. Bringing up the Clan in any way (even to ask if it ever existed) is a BerserkButton for other Clanners. The most notable example is Clan Wolverine, which the Clans refer to as the Not-named-Clan. The exact reason for their annihilation are scarce (ilKhan Kerensky needed a scapegoat to cement his rule), the Clans removed all traces of their existences from Clan Space. When the invading Clans discovered a man who's DNA matches that to a member of Clan Wolverine, they killed him, and hunted rest of his family to eliminate their trace from existence.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}}'': Bruno Madrigal is regarded as a social outcast, and his entire family, even the rest of the townspeople, make it a point that they "don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no!"

* Tío Bruno from ''WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}}'' is a very taboo subject among the rest of his family. A few members even sing an entire elaborate song about how "We Don't Talk About Bruno".[[note]]"[[EarWorm no, no, no.]]"[[/note]]

* Tio Bruno from WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}} is a very taboo subject among the rest of his family. A few members even sing an entire elaborate song about how "We Don't Talk About Bruno".

* In ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', no Mazoku ever speaks the name of the Lord of Nightmares, always referring to it as "that being". In the light novels, the only time that [[DissonantSerenity dissonantly serene]] Xelloss ''ever'' shows visible anger is when Lina speaks the name in his presence.

* {{Parodied|Trope}} in ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'': the titular protagonist and his party encounters a "Giant Eye" monster in the sewers beneath Water Town. For all intent and purposes, the Giant Eye looks just like a "beholder"; however, Creator/WizardsOfTheCoast owns the latter term. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d when a party member states the Giant Eye is a monster "whose name you're not supposed to speak", a reference to Wizards' strict product identity as they have not released the term for open TabletopGame license.

** In one episode, Tom tricks Mike into saying "Series/LostInSpace", which he and Crow use as ''carte blanche'' to dress up as the robot and Dr. Smith and goof around. At the end of the episode, Tom tries to trick him into saying "Series/GilligansIsland", but Mike has gotten wise to the whole thing.
** An earlier episode started with Tom and Crow asking Joel, "What was that word that Mr. Moose tried to get Series/CaptainKangaroo to say all the time?" Joel answered, "Oh yeah, I remember, it was 'ping-pong balls'." Joel then gets pelted with a shower of ping-pong balls. This was an homage to a RunningGag from ''Captain Kangaroo''.

** Ever since she began vocally opposing the trans community, Creator/JKRowling and her works have become subject to this as well--with ''VideoGame/HogwartsLegacy'' commonly referred to as just the "wizard game" on Website/{{Tumblr}}, for example. Amusingly, people have even called her "She Who Must Not Be Named" in reference to Lord Voldemort, the BigBad of her ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books, who's a particularly iconic example of this trope (indeed, see the image at the top of this page).

** Ever since she began vocally opposing the trans community, Creator/JKRowling and her works have become subject to this as well--with ''VideoGame/HogwartsLegacy'' becoming known as solely as the "wizard game" on Website/{{Tumblr}}, for example. Amusingly, people have even called her "She Who Must Not Be Named" in reference to Lord Voldemort, the BigBad of her ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books, who's a particularly iconic example of this trope (indeed, see the image at the top of this page).

** Ever since she began vocally opposing the trans community, Creator/JKRowling and her works have become subject to this as well. Amusingly, people have even called her "She Who Must Not Be Named" in reference to Lord Voldemort, the BigBad of her ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books, who's a particularly iconic example of this trope (indeed, see the image at the top of this page).

* There's a similar taboo in theater regarding the phrase "good luck" (because it's considered TemptingFate). Saying "good luck" to an actor supposedly curses their performance, causing dropped lines or unfortunate accidents. Instead, actors tell each other to "break a leg", under the assumption that if wishing someone good luck brings them harm, wishing someone harm will certainly bring good luck.
** Though the origin of the term "break a leg" actually comes from wishing the actor performs so well, the audience will rush the stage in admiration and in the ruckus the actor's leg would get broken. It apparently made sense when they came up with the idea.
** The leg is also the name of the rope that opens and shuts the stage-front curtains. If the performance is good enough to merit multiple curtain calls, the leg might break from all the opening and shutting.
** Dancers follow the same taboo, but you don't want to tell a dancer to break a leg (it happens to them too often); instead you say "merde", which is French for "shit".
*** "merde" works in just about any context, and better yet, especially in the context of taking an exam, is "merde puissant treize" ("shit to the 13th power").

** In German the actor's version of "good luck" is "Hals- und Beinbruch" (meaning neck and leg breaking) which may or may not come from [[YiddishAsASecondLanguage Yiddish]] "hatslokhe u brokhe" which actually means luck and blessings.
*** Both of those words came into Yiddish from Hebrew, and what the first really means is "success". There is a similar taboo on the Hebrew/Yiddish term for "good luck" ("mazal tov"/"mazel tov"). One can freely use it ironically, but if meant seriously it can only be used after the hoped-for event has happened, in order not to tempt the evil eye.

** Another nasty SCP that you can't talk about is [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-2521 ●●|●●●●●|●●|●]].[[labelnote:note]]SCP-2521[[/note]]. The document that describes it is written entirely in pictograms because it kidnaps anyone who talks about it and steals any text written about it.

** Another nasty SCP that you can't talk about is [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-2521 ●●|●●●●●|●●|●]]. The document that describes it is written entirely in pictograms because it kidnaps anyone who talks about it and steals any text written about it.

** Another nasty SCP that you can't talk about is [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-2521 SCP-2521]]. The document that describes it is written entirely in pictograms because it kidnaps anyone who talks about it and steals any text written about it.

* One episode of ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' 2005 anime series have anime-only gadget named "'''Blacklisted Words Highlighter Pen'''" which covers an word and if someone said it, he/she would get struck by lighting.

** UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump became an example as soon as he was elected (if not earlier), especially on the left, whether to avoid the attention of pro-Trump {{troll}}s or out of mere dislike. As with Bolsonaro mentioned below, a number of epithets have sprung up to refer to him, ranging from simply "45" (his ordinal number), to "Drumpf" (thanks to [[Series/LastWeekTonightWithJohnOliver John Oliver]]) to the more fanciful appellations "Cheeto," "The Orange One," or the various BigStupidDoodooHead insults that [[EmbarrassingLastName happen to rhyme with his surname]]. ''Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert'' eventually started collecting viewer suggestions to use on the show with the EngineeredHashtag [=#HeWhoShallBeNamed=]. After Trump's election loss, "The Former Guy" gained some currency, abbreviated to "[=TFG=]". Even Trump's successor UsefulNotes/JoeBiden refused to directly refer to him, as an account of Biden's first days in the White House revealed.

** UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump became an example ''right out of the gate'', especially on the left, whether to avoid the attention of pro-Trump {{troll}}s or out of mere dislike. As with Bolsonaro mentioned below, a number of epithets have sprung up to refer to him, ranging from simply "45" (his ordinal number), to "Drumpf" (thanks to [[Series/LastWeekTonightWithJohnOliver John Oliver]]) to the more fanciful appellations "Cheeto," "The Orange One," or the various BigStupidDoodooHead insults that [[EmbarrassingLastName happen to rhyme with his surname]]. ''Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert'' eventually started collecting viewer suggestions to use on the show with the EngineeredHashtag [=#HeWhoShallBeNamed=]. After Trump's election loss, "The Former Guy" gained some currency, abbreviated to "[=TFG=]". Even Trump's successor UsefulNotes/JoeBiden refused to directly refer to him, as an account of Biden's first days in the White House revealed.

** Similar to Bolsonaro mentioned below, UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump also became subject to this trope, especially among the left, whether as a means to avoid pro-Trump {{troll}}s or out of mere dislike. A number of epithets have sprung up to refer to him, ranging from simply "45" (his ordinal number), to "Drumpf" (thanks to [[Series/LastWeekTonightWithJohnOliver John Oliver]]) to the more fanciful appellations "Cheeto," "The Orange One," or the various BigStupidDoodooHead insults that [[EmbarrassingLastName happen to rhyme with his surname]]. ''Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert'' eventually started collecting viewer suggestions to use on the show with the EngineeredHashtag [=#HeWhoShallBeNamed=]. After Trump's election loss, "The Former Guy" gained some currency, abbreviated to "[=TFG=]". Even Trump's successor UsefulNotes/JoeBiden refused to directly refer to him, as an account of Biden's first days in the White House revealed.

* After [[UsefulNotes/ThePresidentsOfTheUnitedStates U.S. President]] UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush's approval rating dropped to an abysmal 19% near the end of his final term (and as the economy began to collapse), the Republican party started to distance themselves from Bush and his administration. The unwritten policy of refusing to mention Him or His Time As President has continued since then, though by the 2012 U.S. Presidential race it became ludicrous: traditionally, the most recent U.S. President from each party is made a major guest and gives some sort of speech at their respective presidential conventions. While Bush was technically invited, he was heavily pressured by the party bosses to ''not'' show up at the 2012 convention, which he ultimately didn't. Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney gave a speech in St. Petersburg, Florida where he made many references to Bush, but was evidently so afraid of saying his name outright that he just referred to Bush as "predecessor", in what ended up being one of the most awkward speeches in the history of U.S. politics. In the 2016 campaign, Jeb Bush averted this a bit by praising The Former Republican President's accomplishments, likely at least in part because it would be impossible to avoid mentioning his own brother. Notably, though, his campaign slogans were all along the lines of "Vote for ''Jeb''!" rather than the more obvious "Vote for ''Bush''!"

* Similarly to Bolsonaro, UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump himself has become subject to this trope, especially among the left, whether as a means to avoid pro-Trump {{troll}}s or out of mere dislike. A number of epithets have sprung up to refer to him, ranging from simply "45" (his ordinal number), to "Drumpf" (thanks to [[Series/LastWeekTonightWithJohnOliver John Oliver]]) to the more fanciful appellations "Cheeto," "The Orange One," or the various BigStupidDoodooHead insults that [[EmbarrassingLastName happen to rhyme with his surname]]. ''Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert'' eventually started collecting viewer suggestions to use on the show with the EngineeredHashtag [=#HeWhoShallBeNamed=]. After Trump's election loss, "The Former Guy" gained some currency, abbreviated to "[=TFG=]". Even Trump's successor UsefulNotes/JoeBiden refused to directly refer to him, as an account of Biden's first days in the White House revealed.

** Infamously transphobic Maryland lawyer Cathy Brennan also gained a reputation for harassing people online and thus became another example of this trope.

** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Farms One site in particular]] tends to be subject to this, given its nature as a trolling and doxxing hub where trans people are often the preferred marks, or "lolcows" (so termed because they're seen as weird and fun to "milk" for laughs).

* On TheInternet, the UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} community can be prone to this, sometimes out of necessity to avoid drawing the attention of {{troll}}s who like to target trans people.

** Cathy Brennan, an infamously transphobic Maryland lawyer, also gained a reputation for harassing people online and thus became another example of this trope.

** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Farms One site in particular]] tends to be subject to this trope, given its nature as a troll hub where trans people are often the preferred marks, or "lolcows" (so termed because they're seen as weird and fun to "milk" for laughs), to dox and harass.

* On TheInternet, the UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} community can be prone to this, sometimes out of necessity due to the sheer number of {{troll}}s who like to target trans people.

** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Farms one site in particular]] tends to be subject to this trope, given its nature as a troll hub where trans people are often the preferred marks, or "lolcows" (so termed because they're seen as weird and fun to "milk" for laughs), to dox and harass.

** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Farms one site in particular]] tends to be subject to this trope, given its nature as a troll hub prone to doxxing and stalking trans people as "lolcows"--that is, people they perceive as weird and supposedly fun to "milk" for laughs.

* In some trans-positive circles, Creator/JKRowling and her works have become subject to this ever since she began vocally opposing the UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} community. Amusingly, people have even called her "She Who Must Not Be Named" in reference to Lord Voldemort, the BigBad of her ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books, who's a particularly iconic example of this trope (indeed, see the image at the top of this page).

** Robert W. Chambers' ''Literature/TheKingInYellow'', a major inspiration for Creator/HPLovecraft that was eventually absorbed into his mythos, was all about this. There's a reason the King's name, is rarely used, and [[BrownNote a reason]] that the play about him has never been produced.