History Main / TwoWordsObviousTrope

* From a ''Series/WhitestKidsUKnow sketch:

** When Wesley sees Cordelia for the first time, someone tells him "First word Jail, second word Bait."

* One of the best known examples comes courtesy of President CalvinCoolidge. When a reporter told him he had made a bet he could get more than two words out of "Silent Cal", the president replied, "You lose."

* Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis) uses them often in ''{{Armageddon}}''. One in particular ("AJ, I got just five words for you: Damn glad to see you boy!") had WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick baffled and starting to count.
* The miscounted words variant is used in ''DudeWheresMyCar'' after Jesse and Chester get thrown out of the twins' house:

* ''SheDevil''. "Pay...off?"

* ''Main/StarWarsDownunder''. "Two words: one-pot...''(frowns)'' ...screamer."

* The internet reviewer Benzaie does this for amusement value, where he will sum up a game in two words, at least one of the words being four or five words all squished together; For example, he sums up the SegaGenesis adaptation of ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'' as "Two words: VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}ripoff withagaymusic!" For additional comical effect, he can still mangle his description somehow even if it '''is''' just two words: "Two words: Abo Nus!"

* DenisLeary appeared in a number of MTV ads in the early 90s where he regularly invoked this trope, including [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D3N4COZ4LE this public service ad]] promoting tolerance and condemning racism:

* DenisLeary's early standup routine (as well as some MTV promotional spots) was full of this trope.

* Rudy Coby invokes the "two words" thing with this exchange:

* Played with in WeirdAlYankovic's "This Song's Just Six Words Long". The song itself has a lot more words than that. The ''title'' is exactly six words; however, [[BeamMeUpScotty many people assume]] he's singing "This song is just six words long", which would make it this trope.

* ''SisterAct''.

* {{Shrek}} tells Donkey at one point: "Two words: Shut up!"

* "'''Two Words!''' ...Ok." In ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' from Phil, that poor satyr.

[[folder:Literature]]
* From ''Discworld/MovingPictures'' by Creator/TerryPratchett: "In a word -- im-possible!" "That's two words," said Dibbler (as a reference to legendary Hollywood producer Samuel Goldwyn, {{malaproper}} and simile-mangler extraordinaire).
[[/folder]]

* From a WhitestKidsUKnow sketch:

''[beat]''

** When Wesley sees Cordelia for the first time, someone, I believe it was Faith, told him "First word Jail, second word Bait."

-->Phil: Two words: You ain't heroes!
-->Sora: That's not right!
-->Goofy: Yeah, he said three words.

--> Phil: Now remember, the best way to become a hero comes down to two words.\\
Goofy: *Starts counting on his fingers, Sora and Donald watch*\\
Phil: Eat. Bathe. Sleep.\\
Sora/Donald/Goofy: *Start laughing*

--> Phil: Two Words: Student. Teacher. Ratio.\\
Ven: *Counting on his fingers* One. Two. Huh?

* Phil from Disney's ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' (the movie, the TV series, ''and'' the Hercules-themed world in ''KingdomHearts'') [[RunningGag was always getting this wrong as well.]]

-->"I got two words for you...Brush your teeth!"

* Joey in ''{{Friends}}'' does this in "The One With The List": "I got two words for you. Threesome."

* TheKingOfQueens

* GilbertAndSullivan's ''ThePiratesOfPenzance'' has pirate Samuel say the line:
--> Permit me, I'll explain in two words: we propose to marry your daughters.

* In VideoGame/PokemonBlack2andWhite2, Call Hugh on the Xtransceiver before going to reversal mountain to ask where he is:

* In ''ReservoirDogs'', Mr. Pink says the line, "Two words: learn to fucking type."

* This one is OlderThanRadio: GilbertAndSullivan's ''ThePiratesOfPenzance'' has pirate Samuel say the line: "Permit me, I'll explain in two words: we propose to marry your daughters."
** This being G&S, the director often has fun with it. One production has it rendered as "We propose-to-marry-your-daughters" (with the pirate counting the words on his fingers, and being surprised when he reaches six) while another has three separate pirates deliver two words each. Others have a pirate deliver the first two, "We propose," and have the Major-General be confused or offended that he's being proposed to before the sentence continues.
* [[ZerothLawOfTropeExamples Romeo and Juliet]] Act 2, Scene 2

* Kara [=DioGuardi=], the new judge on ''AmericanIdol'', critiqued a contestant with "six words: one of the best performances of the night." Ryan Seacrest mocked her on the next episode by introducing her as "three words: Kara [=DioGuardi=]."

[[folder:Webcomic]]
* In [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-01-31 this]] ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' strip, Captain Tagon is telling the woman who is technically his boss, to move. "Why are you issuing orders to me, Tagon?" "Two words: Bomb on Board."

'''Using this as a PotHole in examples in lieu of actually explaining the example is on par with Administrivia/ZeroContextExample, and therefore discouraged''', unless the word itself is already [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin self-description]]. [[FanMyopia It may be obvious to you]], but it's [[PopCulturalOsmosisFailure not obvious to everyone]]. Two words: Really Obnoxious. Besides, 600 examples cannot be that obvious!

* The movie ''TankGirl'', after the villain screams in her face:

** This being G&S, the director often has fun with it. One production has it rendered as "We propose-to-marry-your-daughters" (with the pirate counting the words on his fingers, and being surprised when he reaches six) while another has three separate pirates deliver two words each.