Line #69 Literature/MakingMoney


1	[[quoteright:274:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/makingmoneycover.jpg]]
2	-> '''Moist:''' Why will anyone want to kill me?\
3	'''Vetinari:''' I couldn't say, Mister Lipwig. But there was at least one attempt on your life when you were innocently delivering letters, so I expect your career in banking will be an exciting one.
4
5	The 36th book in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series, ''Making Money'' returns us to Moist von Lipwig, who has taken to breaking into his own building and stealing his own possessions to alleviate the boredom of living a more virtuous life. Since ''Literature/GoingPostal'', he has become a major figure in the city and is tipped to become the next chairman of the Merchant's Guild. Vetinari, realizing that Moist would be much more useful if he redirected this bored energy towards a new project, offers him the chance to revamp the Royal Mint in much the same fashion as he revived the Post Office.
6
7	Topsy Lavish, the current majority shareholder of the Royal Bank of Ankh Morpork, spies Moist for what he is immediately -- a dirty, scheming crook who she can certainly trust. Naturally, when she dies not long after meeting him, she leaves all of her shares to her pet dog... and leaves her pet dog to Moist. Her family, objecting to the bank falling into the hands of a non-relative, go to great lengths to bribe, torment and even attempt to kill Moist.
8
9	Meanwhile, Moist's fiancee Adora Belle Dearheart has been away on a dig, and Moist has been fighting off the advances of Gladys the golem. While both of these seem relatively innocent, they will eventually evolve into much bigger problems, which could cause Moist even bigger issues should things go wrong...
10
11	Preceded by ''Literature/{{Thud}}'', followed by ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals''. Preceded in the Moist series by ''Literature/GoingPostal'', followed by ''Literature/RaisingSteam''.
12	----
13	!!''Making Money'' provides examples of:
14
15	* AbnormalAllergy: Aimsbury the chef is allergic to garlic -- not the aromatic root vegetable, the ''word''. Whenever anyone mentions it in his presence, it causes him to freeze for fifteen seconds, throw the knife he's typically holding straight ahead of himself, then yell in Quirmian (i.e. [[FantasyCounterpartCulture French]]) for four seconds. Due to this, he's employed to cook for a dog, whose meals seldom include any mention of ga-- er, that stuff.
16	* AboveGoodAndEvil: Justifying necromancy... Er, [[InsistentTerminology Post-Mortem Communications]].
17	* ActuallyNotAVampire: [[spoiler: Mr. Bent.]] Vetinari, too. Probably.
18	* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Moist's wisecrack about not wanting to make a habit of being hanged manages to get even Vetinari to smile a little.
19	* ActualPacifist: Moist is more comfortable being threatened with a sword than he is holding one.
20	* AllergicToRoutine: After making the Post Office feasible again and outwitting the bad guy of the last book, Moist quickly realizes that VictoryIsBoring. If he isn't doing something insanely risky - such as flirting with [[{{Tsundere}} Adora]] - he can't cope.
21	* AllOfThem: This is Moist's response when asked to guess Mr. Fusspot's breed, even though he thought he knew a lot about dogs before he met this one.
22	* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Cosmo is actually an intelligent and competent Chessmaster outside of his obsession with Vetinari, but Vetinari still makes him look like an idiot child. Compare and contrast their ways of subtly threatening someone. Cosmo makes a few oblique references to the past, making it clear he remembers what this person did and what they would not like to come out. Vetinari, on the other hand, chats about genuinely completely unrelated topics, well aware that the person he's talking to knows ''exactly'' what he has over them without having to say a word about it.
23	* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Vetinari asks [[spoiler:Mr. Bent, currently in his clown getup, a difficult math question]] to see if he is still him. With some discomfort, reverting back to a more middle ground from [[spoiler: the super-uptight old Bent was and the super-silly clown Bent]], he is able to answer the question.
24	* ArmyOfLawyers: There's one surrounding the Lavish family, and each time one or all of them interject, there's a little footnote noting how much money they earned in doing so.
25	* ArrowCatch: Gladys catches one of the Assassin's Guild "warning shots", stopping it so suddenly that it catches fire.
26	* {{Arrowgram}}: Moist von Lipwig receives a message by black arrow with impeccable italic enamelling in white down the side: ''The Guild of Assassins. Where style counts.''
27	* ArtisticLicenseEconomics: Averted, Pratchett did quite a bit of research into economic theory before writing the book, and it shows (the British gold hullabaloo notwithstanding). The book goes over a number of flaws of the gold standard, though it doesn't mention any flaws of a floating currency such as manipulation of the supply. [[spoiler:This is largely excused from the move to a golem standard only happening at the end of the book.]]
28	* BagOfHolding: The Cabinet of Curiosity is an unusually large and complex version. While its "resting" state is a perfectly ordinary cabinet, within it is a seemingly-infinite number of drawers containing anything that could possibly exist in eleven dimensions that ''isn't'' currently alive, isn't pink, and can fit in a cubical drawer 14.14 inches on a side. "Unfolded", it looks like a skyscraper-sized tree built of shelves.
29	* BattleOfWits: Moist battles several.
30	** When testing out the idea of paper currency, Moist engages the most shrewd business minded men in the city: the poorer vendors who could spot a wooden nickel a mile away, and are slower to come around to certain new ideas because upsetting the status quo could cause them to lose a substantial amount of money and suffer greatly for the loss. So, Moist knows if he wants to win over people with this new paper money currency, these are the men to convince.
31	** Later, [[spoiler:in the courtroom, Moist is up against the blackmailing Cosmo and Cribbins on one side and the law with Mr. Slant on the other. He fears trying to fight both so he can stay out of jail and deal with his blackmailers as it is a tricky situation. One {{Courtroom Antic\|s}} later, and Moist sees the only truly smart move to play is to come clean and confess to his past crimes. Cosmo, Cribbins, and Slant act like he sucker punched them in different ways]].
32	* BavarianFireDrill: Moist loves doing this, but most notably, [[spoiler:busting an expert stamp forger out of prison to design his paper money for him]].
33	* BerserkButton:
34	** While [[TranquilFury he doesn't actually go berserk]], Vetinari is not happy that Moist thinks he's the kind of man who would poison harmless old ladies in order to further his schemes.
35	** In an involuntary variant, Aimsbury the dog-food chef has an "allergy" that makes him throw knives and [[ForeignLanguageTirade scream in Quirmish]] if he hears the word "garlic".
36	** Mr. Slant hates it when a simple legal trial ends up getting him confused and flustered [[spoiler:especially in front of all those who are attending Moist's trial]]. He ends up giving such a DeathGlare that this makes plenty of people agree to not do anything.
37	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Lady Deidre Waggon, the author of an old fashioned book on etiquette and household management, has a section in said book on disposing of dead bodies "so as to avoid Scandal".
38	* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Lavishes hate each other only slightly less than they do the lower classes.
39	* BilingualBonus:
40	** Mr. Bent's absence of a sense of humor is called "Nichtlachen-Keinwortz" syndrome, literally "not laughing --not a word."
41	** At one point, Lord Vetinari, who normally prefers {{crossword puzzle}}s, is seen playing the Discworld's version of [[GridPuzzle Sudoku]], here called ''Jikan no Muda''. In Japanese, this means "a waste of time".
42	* BloodIron: There's a rumor that Lord Vetinari's cane contains a [[SwordCane sword]] made from the blood of a thousand men, given Vetinari's the pragmatic sort it's unlikely on both counts, but that doesn't stop Cosmo from commissioning a "duplicate". The smith knows the impracticality as well and just makes a regular SwordCane with some rust stains.
43	* BodyHorror:
44	** As a part of Cosmo's attempts to mimic Lord Vetinari, he wears a copy of the Patrician's ring that is much too small for his hand. [[spoiler: The blood supply to his finger is so severely compromised that the finger eventually becomes gangrenous, only being unnoticed because of the gloves Cosmo wore. We [[TakeOurWordForIt don't get a proper description]] of the result, but it has "green mushrooms" and Moist notes the "colors" and the "wriggling things", and the stench causes a bystander to throw up. Moist tricks Cosmo into exposing the ring to direct sunlight, and the special properties of the metal it's made of cause the ring to get super-hot and burn his finger clean off (saving his life from further gangrene and resulting septicaemia).]]
45	** And then there's [[spoiler:Cribbins' exploding dentures, which finally give up the ghost and violently shatter while inside his mouth.]] "He made a noise like someone trying to scream, except that even screaming was too painful".
46	* BookshelfOfAuthority: The 351-year-old zombie lawyer Mr. Slant cows his opposition with a milky DeathGlare that makes them horribly aware that he himself wrote half of the large leather volumes they all keep in their offices to impress clients.
47	* BoxedCrook: Moist, of course. He tries to set this up with Owlswick, only to realize that Vetinari would have given him the same offer Moist got anyway.
48	* BreadEggsMilkSquick: ''Lady Waggon's Book on Household management'' has many tips for the aspiring lady, including "Any bodies found during a week-end party should be disposed of discreetly, in case of scandal."
49	* BrickJoke: Right at the end, Moist takes a faceful of custard pie. Vetinari tastes a dollop and announces it is pineapple flavour. The joke goes at least back to the start of the previous book, ''Literature/GoingPostal'' -- Vetinari and Moist have both just got past the pineapple. [[note]]Indeed, it could go ''right'' back to ''Literature/TheLightFantastic'' -- where a byproduct of the magical accident that turns the Librarian into an orangutan is a disregarded puddle of pineapple dessert...[[/note]]
50	* BringThemAround: Moist needs to convince the highly traditional Mint to print paper money, Mr. Bent off the gold standard, and the public to accept paper money as worth its printed value.
51	* BroughtHomeTheWrongKid: Moist's nondescript appearance, a great asset as a con artist, was such that his mother sometimes brought the wrong child home from school.
52	* BucketBoobyTrap: The Fools' Guild entrance has one. Fortunately, Vetinari knows it's there and pushes it over before going through the door.
53	-->'''Vetinari:''' I don't know why they persist in this, I really don't. It's not funny and it could hurt someone.
54	* ButterflyOfTransformation: Cosmo invokes this as he's psychologically breaking down.
55	* CallBack: ''Going Postal'' had ended with Vetinari trying to entrap Reacher Gilt into running the Mint, which ended with [[spoiler: Gilt choosing to die]] instead. That's why Moist is approached to do the same job.
56	* CanisLatinicus: Lord Vetinari justifies his appointment of Moist with the ancient and venerable legal precedent of ''Quia ego sic dico'', literally translated as "Because I said so".
57	* Catch22Dilemma: At least two of these are amongst the problems bedeviling the bank and its accompanying mint, which is why Moist is called in. The first is that, despite years of adulterating the metal to try and counter this specific problem, the ''cost'' of the raw metal and labor needed to make the money is worth more than the ''value'' of the coins produced! Secondly, because all coins have to be handmade, employees at the mint have to create their own wages... as well as the currency for general use by the population. The result is that they literally ''earn'' money faster than they can physically make it!
58	* CircularReasoning: The Department of Post Mortem Communications can't be called necromancy:
59	--> '''Moist''': So what you are saying is that necromancy is a very bad form of magic performed only by evil wizards, and since you are ''not'' evil wizards, what you are doing cannot possibly be called necromancy?\
60	'''Dr. Hicks''': Yes.\
61	'''Moist''': And what defines an evil wizard?\
62	'''Dr. Hicks''': Well, for a start, doing necromancy.\
63	'''Moist''': And because you're not evil wizards, what you're doing can't be called necromancy.\
64	'''Dr. Hicks''': ''Exactly!''
65	* ComicallySmallBribe: Cosmo offers Moist $10,000 for Mr. Fusspot, even though he'll get twice that every year for watching him plus a lot of other perks. He later explains to the other Lavishes that this was ''meant'' to be insultingly small; Moist would worry about their inevitable attempt at a takeover if they did nothing, but now [[ObfuscatingStupidity he thinks they're just idiots.]]
66	* ConsequenceCombo: Topsy delivers an awesome one of these. "The sum of $20,000 annually will be paid for performing this duty, which I beg you to accept. If you do not... [[SophisticatedAsHell your arse will belong to the Guild of Assassins]]."[[note]] Vetinari later reveals that this was actually a rather cunning method to protect him. A standing contract on Moist contingent on Mr Fusspot's wellbeing means that nobody else can hire the Assassins to just inhume Moist.[[/note]]
67	* ConspicuousGloves: Cosmo Lavish wears gloves to hide the ring he wears, both because it's stolen property and because it's made of stygium, a metal that glows white-hot in sunlight.
68	* ConsultingMisterPuppet: Moist is obligated to do this with Mr Fusspot, since he's the actual chairman (chairdog?) of the bank.
69	* ContinuityNod:
70	** Stanley's favorite Pin Emporium, mentioned in ''Literature/GoingPostal'', is briefly mentioned as becoming a Pin and Stamp Emporium.
71	** One of the subplots is Vetinari's use of [[spoiler:the Device]] from ''Literature/{{Thud}}''.
72	** Moist wonders why [[Literature/FeetOfClay an axe is stuck in the table in the Rats Chamber...]]
73	** The jobs Moist gets at the start of this book are the exact same jobs that were offered to his EvilCounterpart at the end of ''Literature/GoingPostal'', which he... refused.
74	** Mrs. Cake from ''Literature/ReaperMan'' makes an appearance, as does her daughter.
75	** Owlswick Jenkins, startled by something Moist says, asks if there are people who commit suicide professionally. In ''Literature/TheTruth'', William de Worde interviewed and was rescued by a former steeplejack who ''threatens'' to commit suicide professionally.
76	** At one point, the numbers-obsessed Mr. Bent thinks to himself that he'll get pi to even out eventually. In Moist's first adventure, a large part of the Post Office's problems were caused by an invention which contained a small, alternate universe where pi was exactly three.
77	** One of the problems that the mint is facing is that it costs more money to make the physical money than its actual monetary value is worth. Moist invoked the need to avoid this same problem back in ''Literature/GoingPostal'' when he invented stamps, bringing up in passing that a penny-value stamp shouldn't actually cost the post office a penny to ''make''.
78	** When Pucci makes her futile attempt to discredit Moist's new paper currency, everyone immediately cottons onto the idea by likening it to the stamps that Moist invented. Stamps had, in fact, been established as having become an informal paper currency within Ankh-Morpork since their invention.
79	** One of Moist's many alternate identities was a "wool salesman" who regularly sojourned at the same men's lodging house that William de Worde lived at in ''Literature/TheTruth''.
80	* CoolOldLady: Topsy Lavish is pegged by Moist as "a Mark I Feisty Old Lady". His internal monologue offers [[LampshadeHanging a fairly in-depth description of the type]].
81	* CounterfeitCash: Moist decides to pre-empt the problem of counterfeit paper bills by recruiting the best counterfeiter in Ankh-Morpork to design the bills. Even if it means springing him out of jail where he is awaiting the death penalty for counterfeiting stamps.
82	* CourtroomAntics: [[spoiler:During Moist's trial, Mr. Fusspot is propelled across the courtroom floor by a vibrating dildo he's using as a chew toy. Moist quickly decides that a world where something like that can actually happen can handle someone like him being in charge of a bank, and [[HonestyIsTheBestPolicy confesses to everything]].]]
83	* CrazyPrepared: If Moist ever needs to leave town under a different name (again) he has a ''wide'' range of options.
84	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: None happen (unless you count [[AssassinOutclassin an Assassin being taken down with balloon animals]], which is at least unusual) but Vetinari discusses one. "One of my predecessors used to have men pulled apart by wild tortoises. [[DeadpanSnarker It was not a quick death.]]"
85	* CypherLanguage: Adora Belle's use of "golem language" is phonetic English rendered in [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enochian Enochian]] characters.
86	* DeadlyEnvironmentPrison: Subverted. When placed in the same scene and offered the same choice as in ''Going Postal'', Moist theatrically goes to test the depth of the "alternative"...only to find that now it's an ordinary exit door, because this time Vetinari really is giving him the option to refuse.
87	* DidntSeeThatComing: By the end of the book, [[spoiler:Cosmo and Cribbins plan on blackmailing Moist with his dirty past if he survives the trial. So, after seeing Mr. Fusspot's antics with his new "toy", Moist decides to just confess to his previous crimes, robbing those two of any ammunition.]]
88	* DirtyOldMan:
89	** Topsy's late husband, who had whole ''closets'' of unusual sex toys that amuse Adora Belle and trouble Moist. [[spoiler:And provide Mr. Fusspot with a chew toy.]]
90	--> '''Moist:''' Did he often "work" late?\
91	'''Vetinari:''' With astonishing regularity for his age, I understand.
92	** Also Professor Flead, former head of the Necromancy Department at Unseen University. Shamelessly perverted and incapable of being much older for the same reason he's the ''former'' head -- he's dead. [[spoiler:At the end of the book Moist makes a deal with him that sees him bound to the Pink Pussycat Club for the rest of time, which is like paradise for him -- when he was alive, he thought seeing a woman's ''ankles'' was saucy.]]
93	* EitherWorldDominationOrSomethingAboutBananas: According to Professor Flead, in the language of ancient Um a single word can mean dozens of things depending on its context. This leads to the reveal that [[spoiler: a passage thought to refer to "four ''golden'' golems" actually means "four ''thousand'' golems".]]
94	* EntertaininglyWrong: Vetinari asks Moist to run the Royal Bank and the Mint. After surveying the place, Moist declines. Vetinari asks him to sign a statement to that effect and assures him that the matter won't be raised again. That night, Mrs Lavish, the current chairwoman of the bank, dies and leaves her share in the bank to her dog and the dog to Moist. Moist understandably thinks that Vetinari may have had a hand in Mrs Lavish's death, a belief that makes Vetinari quite angry. Her death was entirely natural- she was an old lady who'd been quite ill for some time- but given the timing, you can't really blame Moist for thinking it.
95	* EvenEvilHasStandards:
96	** Mr. Fusspot is safe from guild Assassins, because killing a little lap-dog looks really bad on one's resumé.
97	** The Assassins also won't accept a contract on someone who already has one, so by hiring them to kill Moist if he fails to protect Mr. Fusspot, Topsy [[ThanatosGambit was actually protecting him]] from her murderous in-laws. Although this case is less "standards" than [[ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules "rules"]].
98	** Vetinari does a lot of morally ambiguous things for the good of the city, but killing old ladies isn't among them. To imply that he would commit such an act is a very dangerous move indeed.
99	** Moist will [[spoiler: admit to his crimes in a courtroom]], but takes umbrage at being compared to the Lavishes, who have committed far worse atrocities than he ever did.
100	** Moist notes he learned a lot from his old partner-in-crime Cribbins, and then spent a good many years trying to unlearn it.
101	* EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench: Moist gets rather excited about the sound of Adora Belle speaking the language of the golems.
102	* ExactWords:
103	** Adora Belle sees nothing wrong with [[spoiler:the golden golems leaving the dig site without her telling the dwarfs who are supposed to check everything she is taking with her because, technically, she isn't ''taking'' them. They just happen to be following her golems out of the site, underground.]]
104	** Cosmo hires Heretofore to be his Drumknott when he learns that he used to be a secretary at the palace - but that's not what Heretofore actually said at the interview. He'd actually said that he'd once worked at the palace, and once been a secretary. They were separate positions - the job he'd held at the palace was ''gardener''.
105	** Pucci Lavish doesn't exactly confess to her family's crimes, because a confession suggests ''guilt''. What Pucci does is more bragging.
106	* FateWorseThanDeath: For Topsy Lavish, having to stay with the Lavishes after her death. She instead gets buried at Small Gods.
107	* FantasticNuke:
108	** It's mentioned that "if you don't think of building [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever fifty-foot high killer golems]] first, someone else will", and later Moist points out that "if you don't think of ''not'' using fifty-foot high killer golems first, someone else ''will''."
109	** A ShoutOut to Creator/MaryGentle's ''Literature/AshASecretHistory'', where very large imposing golems ''are'' used as devastating weapons of war that allow an invading army to conquer a continent.
110	** Adora's find of [[spoiler: 4,000 mindless golems, each 15-20 foot tall and capable of multi-ton feats of strength]] is considered tantamount to a declaration of war just by existing. Dealing with this is a major feat of act 3.
111	* FantasticalSocialServices: Each of the Moist books focuses on a different one; in this case, modernising the Ankh-Morpork bank and mint involves determining what money means in a world that runs on narrativium and popular belief.
112	* FantasyMetals: Stygium, a rare jet-black magic metal favored by rich Assassins for signature rings. While stable in small quantities, such as those needed for a ring, larger shards (even enough to make a small blade) build up to an unstable critical mass. The Assassins' predilection for the metal stems from its main quality: it absorbs virtually all light that touches its surface, rapidly heating it unless it's kept in darkness, fitting their preferred style. Even a few moments of sunlight are enough to turn the ring white-hot.
113	* FascinatingEyebrow: Cosmo attempts to train himself to emulate Vetinari's use of this, complete with a special device. The results are less than ideal. [[spoiler: Members of the "Vetinari ward" regularly hold eyebrow-raising competitions.]]
114	* FieryRedhead: Topsy Lavish was apparently one in her youth. In her old age, she tries to shoot Death with crossbows.
115	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
116	** "Joshua liked to be in control. Oh yes, didn't he just." Moist later discovers [[spoiler: a closet full of S&M equipment in Joshua Lavish's room.]]
117	** When trying to find out about Mr Bent's mysterious past, Moist discovers a diary entry saying that some 'funny looking men' appeared at the bank asking about him. [[spoiler: Probably meant to be taken quite literally, as Bent used to be a clown.]]
118	** Likewise, Harry King tells Moist that there's something 'funny' about Bent. Then there's his strange manner of walking. And his unnaturally large feet.
119	** As Professor Flead explains how the Umnians worshipped gold, he offhandedly mentions that [[spoiler: they clothed their priests in it.]] This is the key factor in how Moist deals with [[spoiler: the four thousand golems.]]
120	* FormallyNamedPet: Topsy Lavish's dog [[spoiler: and eventual chairman of the bank]] is named Mr Fusspot.
121	* GoneHorriblyRight: This turned out to have happened in the backstory of [[spoiler:Mr Bent- his clown father came back for him, taking him away from his conservative, humourless mother. As anyone could see that Bent had natural clown talent, rather than send him to the Clown Guild to be taught, his father dressed him up like one and put him out in front of the circus audience where, to Bent's horror, they laughed at him.]]
122	* GonkyFemme: Gladys, the "female" golem from ''Going Postal'', returns. This time, she catches the attention of Adora, who gets quite miffed with a golem adopting the submissive, quiet role advised by Lady Deirdre Waggon (especially when Gladys forms a romantic attraction to Moist). So she gives Gladys a copy of Releventia Flout's feminism treatise to read, turning her into a burgeoning feminist.
123	* GoodWithNumbers: Mr Bent is a genius in matters of finance and numbers. It's mentioned that he's [[MouthfulOfPi working on Pi]] in his spare time and is confident that it will give in before he does. It's such a major part of his character that when he actually makes a mistake (due to being distracted by Moist) his assistant has a FreakOut and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere the rest of his staff makes a run for it]].
124	* GratuitousJapanese: Vetinari does a sudoku-equivalent in the ''Times'' which is called ''Jikan no Muda'' -- rough Japanese for "waste of time".
125	* GratuitousLatin: Vetinari's claim that his actions in appointing Moist to government positions are justified under the legal grounds of "''Quia ego sic dico''". [[note]] roughly, "Because I say so."[[/note]]
126	* GroinAttack: Owlswick kicks Moist in the crotch and does a runner, not realizing Moist is just ''disguised'' as a watchman and is trying to help him break out of prison.
127	* HatOfAuthority: Moist gets a top hat upon being made bank manager. He promptly covers it with glitter and gold leaf.
128	* HiddenHeartOfGold: Mr. Bent is very rigid about his beliefs and so strict about accuracy to the point that the cashier staff is absolutely terrified of making a mistake in front of him. However, when he disappears Moist learns that not only did he keep the bank running, he was beloved by the same staff because his attention to detail and high standards meant that he demanded the best from his staff and fought for them to be paid accordingly (no small feat considering the greedy owners of the bank). It also meant that any former employee of his could land pretty much any job in the plains just because of the prestige. All in all, it becomes evident that he cared about the workers as much as he cared about the work.
129	* HollywoodRestrainingOrder: After Pucci has pushed into Cosmo's study:
130	--> '''Cosmo:''' ... and you are forbidden to come within fifteen yards of me. I have an injunction.\
131	'''Pucci:''' And you're not allowed to be within twenty yards of ''me'', so you broke it first.
132	* HonestyIsTheBestPolicy: [[spoiler: Moist gets out of being blackmailed by Cosmo Lavish and Cribbins by shamelessly admitting that he's a former con-artist.]]
133	* HoneyTrap: [[{{Gonk}} Pucci]] tries to be one; Moist sees her and takes off in the other direction at top speed. Turns into a BrainBleach moment, as his appalled memory cells try to die.
134	* HowManyFingers: Igor - with an actual jar full of them.
135	* {{Hypocrite}}: Mr Bent hates anything and everything he deems silly, worships the cold logic of numbers, loves the bank, and hates Moist for manipulating the people through sheer charisma and making people believe with “smoke and mirrors”. However his view of all things silly is skewed, Moist’s changes are actually benefiting the bank, [[spoiler: he’s manipulating numbers to hide how the Lavish family have wasted the gold, and he’s a clown by birth.]]
136	* IdiotBall: Moist calls himself on holding it because [[spoiler:he did not check out the vault on day one with a lawyer, an (al)chemist and a guard to check on the status of the gold.]] Also for getting into the first cab he saw without thinking. A year ago he [[GenreSavvy never would have made that mistake]].
137	* IfItBleedsItLeads: Moist is rather annoyed that his career of inventive and non-violent crime only got two paragraphs in the Tanty Bugle. Vetinari notes that the editor doesn't seem to consider a crime newsworthy unless the victim is found in three alleyways at once.
138	* IJustWantToBeYou: Cosmo towards Vetinari (see below).
139	* IKnowKungFaux: There's a reference to ''sloshi,'' the art of Martial Arts Clowning.
140	* TheIllegible: Many people writing mail in Ankh-Morpork manage to bungle addressing it so badly that it lands in the Blind Letter Office; even if it's literally legible it still says things like "Duzbuns hopsit pharmerrc"[[note]] "Does buns, opposite pharmacy": A baker notable for his rather good curly buns, opposite a pharmacy.[[/note]] or "My brofer John, tall, by the brij" that have to be deciphered.
141	* ImprobableHairstyle: Hubert's hair extends straight up five inches to a perfect flattop. Moist wonders in passing if he uses glue to keep it upright.
142	* ImprobableWeaponUser: [[spoiler: Bent uses a pink balloon animal to strangle a would-be assassin.]]
143	* InfractionDistraction: In the opening, Moist breaks into the Post Office. He conceals the evidence by broadly implying that he's not alone in bed.
144	* InsistentTerminology: The Department of Postmortem Communications are ''not'' necromancers. (Technically true, since necromancy officially means consulting the dead to learn about the ''future.'' Contacting them to figure out what's going on in the past or present doesn't count.)
145	* IrritationIsTheSincerestFormOfFlattery: Cosmo Lavish is plotting to overthrow Lord Vetinari by ''becoming'' Lord Vetinari. His plans to achieve this by going as far as to steal the Patrician's boots and jewelry, and copying his manner of dress and facial hair at all times. Later, we find there is [[spoiler:an entire ward of a hospital devoted to [[NapoleonDelusion people who think they're Vetinari]].]]
146	* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne: Moist, when the Lavishes denounce him for stealing the bank's gold, accuse him of being a fraud, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking insult his fashion sense]].
147	* ItsAllAboutMe: [[spoiler:Pucci, whose ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney remarks incriminate her entire family.]]
148	* JustTestingYou: When [[spoiler: Mr. Bent has a paper corrected by one of his younger employees and suffers a breakdown]], Moist initially wonders why he simply didn't claim he was testing them.
149	-->"Even school teachers know that one!"
150	* KidsHateVegetables: The ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel inverts the stereotype. Protagonist Moist von Lipwig recalls how, as a boy, he used to hide his meat under the vegetables rather than eat the former. Justified, as Moist's grandfather ran a dog kennel and, apparently, had saved all the tastier bits of pigs or chickens for his dogs.
151	* KillMeNowOrForeverStayYourHand: A mild form: [[spoiler:Vetinari hands Moist a sword while questioning him, so he can confirm that Moist is more afraid when he's holding a sword than he is when Vetinari is.]] A subtle but brilliant ContinuityNod back to ''Literature/GuardsGuards!'', in which the maddened Lupin Wonse screamed at Vetinari "You think you're in control just because I've got a sword and you haven't!"
152	** Could be considered as a ContinuityNod for Moist, to the scene in ''Literature/GoingPostal'' where [[spoiler: Moist kills a banshee and pukes right after he does so, showing to the reader that he hates violence, even when it is done in order to save his own life]].
153	* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Pucci Lavish has an incredibly inflated ego, and repeatedly shows that she is nowhere near as intelligent, socially adept or attractive as she believes herself to be. Most prominently is the scene where she tries to denounce Moist's new paper currency, with Moist observing to himself that she is completely failing to exploit the attention she has as well as having no clue how to steer public opinion, especially because she's angry that they're all disagreeing with her by proclaiming the paper currency to be a good idea.
154	* LaserGuidedKarma: Cribbins [[spoiler: tries to take Adora hostage after Moist foils his blackmail scheme, only for Cribbin's stolen dentures to give up the ghost at that moment and break apart in his mouth, nearly killing him.]]
155	* LastDisrespects: Topsy Lavish's funeral is attended by her in-laws; a family of rich, selfish, squabbling assholes who do nothing but glare at each other throughout the ceremony, waiting for each other to start something so they can sue each others' pants off. Nonetheless, Cosmo considered it a "decently dignified occasion" spoiled only by Hubert, Topsy's actual relative, who was the only one actually ''mourning'' and blubbering all over the place.
156	* LaughingMad: [[spoiler: Mr. Bent [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness starts laughing]], mirthlessly at first and then maniacally, as he cracks up and embraces his clown heritage.]]
157	* MadArtist: Owlswick Jenkins, who is a genius at recreating images he observes, but is wracked with emotional problems and doesn't seem to understand the consequences of his actions. [[spoiler:When Igor tries to solve his mental health by swapping it with that of a root vegetable, his artistic talents similarly deteriorate.]]
158	* MadMathematician: Mavolio Bent, who can see the answer to an equation just by looking at it and considers a mistake to be the worst of all sins one could commit, is noted by Moist to be a little unstable, especially in regards to his obsession with the gold standard. [[spoiler: After making a mistake himself, Bent [[SanitySlippage briefly goes completely over the edge]].]]
159	* MadScientist: Topsy's nephew Hubert Turvy, a Mad Economist, who built a hydraulic computer to calculate the flow of money. Although, in the same style as many of Discworld's da Quirm inventions, the computer is based on a real-world device -- the MONIAC, devised in 1949.
160	* MarsAndVenusGenderContrast: Semi-jokingly invoked by Moist and Adora Belle as part of their regular SnarkToSnarkCombat. When Moist asks if she's found giant war golems, Adora Belle claims that "only a man would think of that" (Moist retorts that that's their job - [[ARealManIsAKiller if they don't think of giant war golems, someone else will do it first!]]). Later, Moist claims that only a woman would assume (as Adora Belle is currently doing) that just because she's got what she considers an ironclad explanation for why what she wants to do is the correct thing to do, everyone else is just going to go along with it.
161	* MartialArtsAndCrafts: Some of the fundamentals of martial clowning, such as lethal balloon animals and "[[PlankGag battle-planking]]".
162	* MassOhCrap: The counting room clerks, realizing that Mr Bent is about to discover his own mistake, all bolt for the exits at once.
163	* MasterForger: As part of his efforts to move the economy out of gold standard, Moist finds the forger who'd been making his own perfect versions of Ankh-Morpork stamps and recruits him to design paper money.
164	* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Those dentures... cursed, or just malfunctioning? [[spoiler:Anoia, goddess of Things Stuck in Drawers, is in great debt to Moist for the increase in publicity he's given her, and he also did offer a prayer to her before the trial. A badly-fitting pair of dentures, stuck in Cribbins' "drawers" for years, may very well be within her domain. Moist decides to make an offering just in case.]]
165	* MeaningfulName:
166	** Mild, in-universe case; Moist reflects that you never see a tall, slim Hubert, and Hubert Turvy is no exception.
167	** Also a meta-version for the Lavishes: the adjective of 'lavish' means 'sumptuously rich, elaborate or luxurious', and the Lavish family are definitely that. Also, the Lavishes mentioned by name are all named after luxury items: i.e. Cosmo = Cosmopolitan, a cocktail that is generally regarded as sophisticated; for added [=PTerry=] trademark wordplay, cosmopolitan is also a term meaning worldly-wise and experienced in the world at large. Pucci = fashion house that came to prominence during the 1950's; fans include Marilyn Monroe, and Madonna. Cosmo's name also nods towards Cosimo de Medici, a banker who sought political power rather more successfully, and who had an ally named Puccio Pucci (ancestor of the fashion house founder).
168	** Mavolio Bent's name references the teasing that he has a dark secret. "Mavolio" is a play on the name of Shakespearean stuffed shirt Malvolio from ''Theatre/TwelfthNight'', whose name means "ill will." His surname Bent can be used colloquially to mean "dishonest" or "corrupt."
169	* MemeticMutation: One occurs InUniverse: Vetinari's "I do believe it is pineapple". Barely a chapter later, a political cartoon references the line, with Vetinari saying "THIS does NOT taste of pineapple!"
170	* MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial: Lampshaded with Gladys. It's noted that classifying one golem as female has, somehow, made the generic golems male.
171	* MiniatureSeniorCitizens: Topsy can barely see over the top of her desk, and when she swings at Moist with her cane she [[KneeCapping hits his knee]].
172	* TheMistress: Topsy was the mistress, became the wife, and was aware that newer models were coming along. She explained that keeping this all open made it very convenient for everyone's schedules.
173	* MuggingTheMonster: Well, in fairness, who would have imagined that [[spoiler:Mr. Bent]] would represent any kind of physical threat, let alone to ProfessionalKiller Cranberry and his hired thug? [[spoiler:The former ends up garrotted with [[ImprobableWeaponUser a balloon animal]], while the latter is apparently kicked to death]].
174	* MultilayerFacade: Topsy discusses [[ILoveYouBecauseICantControlYou Moist's relationship with Adora]] in these terms.
175	-->"I suspect you like her because she can see your inner self. Or at least an inner self you've left inside just in case."
176	* MundaneMadeAwesome: ''Sloshi'', the clown martial-arts, as demonstrated by [[spoiler: the maddened Mr. Bent.]]
177	* NapoleonDelusion: [[spoiler: In the end, Cosmo is taken to a lunatic asylum which has a whole ward full of people who also think they're Vetinari.]]
178	* NeedleInAStackOfNeedles: What [[spoiler:Cosmo]] ''thinks'' is happening when he's locked in the Vetinari Ward. Where better to hide Lord Vetinari from his enemies while he's recovering from an injury than in a hospital ward full of madmen who all believe that they are Lord Vetinari? In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if some of the other inmates at the asylum are under the same delusion...
179	* NerdsAreNaive: Hubert Turvy, who spends all his time in a cellar tinkering with the financial modelling system he invented, is a genius in economics and engineering, but is completely clueless when it comes to the cutthroat politics of his in-laws, despite this being a large part of what he's modelling. He's also uncomfortable talking to women. Moist von Lipwig describes him as "not used to things that don't come with a manual."
180	* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Cosmo's attempt to bribe Moist with a bank certificate is exactly what gives Moist the idea of paper money.
181	* NoodleIncident:
182	** We never get any details on the pastime of Extreme Sneezing, except that Ventinari considers it insanely dangerous.
183	** During the epilogue, mention is made of a seat in the front row of the Pink Pussycat Club being unusable (mainly because Professor Flead is now haunting it). The managers decide that they can live with it due to an undescribed incident that occurred ''when they tried to take the damn thing away...''
184	* NoSenseOfHumor: Mr Bent is quite proud of having no sense of humor whatsoever, claiming it's a formally-diagnosed condition. [[spoiler: It's more likely him overcompensating for his upbringing.]]
185	* NothingButSkulls: The Department of Post-Mortem Communications is full of these. They're fake, though. Except for old [[OracularHead Charlie]], who will remind you, [[TomSwifty a shade proudly]], that he's [[{{Pun}} the backbone of the department]].
186	* NotMyDriver: Moist has two nasty run-ins with a Lavish due to getting in the first black coach he sees. [[GreekChorus Nobby and Colon]] are there to point out how GenreBlind he's getting the second time.
187	* NotWhatItLooksLike: Mr. Fusspot is missing and Gladys is stirring the large pot. (Mr. Fusspot got lost in the bank and Aimsbury later finds him in the cool room. Gladys was just cooking the sheep's head.)
188	* NotWithTheSafetyOnYouWont: Moist prevents Owlswick Jenkins from committing suicide by eating a tube of highly toxic paint because he made the same mistake as a lot of amateurs and left the cap on.
189	* ObliviousToLove: Mr Bent is unaware of Ms Drapes' feelings for him [[spoiler: until she flat-out tells him at some point near the end.]] Moist, by contrast, sees the way she looks at him and knows exactly what's going on then and there.
190	* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Played with, given ''last time'' Vetinari had Moist in his office it was legitimately an offer he couldn't refuse, Moist thinks the same applies this time, and double-checks the hallway replaced by the giant pit, only to find nothing there. This time he has an actual choice to refuse... of course, refusal means going back to being dangerously bored out of his mind, but that'll be his choice and Vetinari won't stand in his way. Mrs. Lavish, meanwhile, thinks quite differently.
191	* OhCrap:
192	** After breaking the forger out of prison to make bills for him, Moist realizes that it had already been Vetinari's plan and he'd just mucked it up.
193	** A rare one from Vetinari towards the end, when Drumknott relates that the political cartoon in the Times includes a likeness of Mr. Fusspot - whose last significant appearance had been [[spoiler:with a vibrating dildo in his mouth]]. Fortunately, because the editor of the newspaper is one of the rare sensible people in Ankh Morpork, the cartoon is perfectly G-rated.
194	* OldTimeyAnkleTaboo: Professor Flead has been dead for several centuries but is still as randy as he was when alive. So when Moist makes a deal with him to let him haunt a strip club, he asks if it's "smutty" and if the women show their ankles.
195	* OnlyCaresAboutInheritance: Standard procedure among the Lavishes. [[CoolOldLady Topsy Lavish]] wills her controlling interest in the Royal Bank to an outsider, making for a [[LastDisrespects very frosty funeral]] as the others plot to get it back.
196	-->But now the funeral was over and the Lavishes were doing what they always did after funerals, which was talk about The Money.
197	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: [[spoiler:Mr. Bent's clerical mistake is treated akin to a genuinely pious man unintentionally blaspheming. It takes all the senior clerks working together, double-checking and triple-checking the work, before they come to the frightening conclusion that it has actually happened.]]
198	* OutWithABang: Topsy Lavish's husband. Topsy was not actually present at the time.
199	* PawprintStamping: Mr Fusspot is a mongrel, but his late owner loved him very much, and leaves him 50% of the shares in the Ankh Morpork bank -- giving him a total of 51% and making him the bank's chairman. Ownership of Mr Fusspot, meanwhile, is given to Moist von Lipwig. When Moist launches his new paper money idea, he stamps Mr Fusspot's paw-prints on the notes to make them official.
200	* ThePerryMasonMethod: Used ''accidentally''. When [[spoiler:Mr. Bent and Miss Drapes reveal how the gold was really stolen, the arrogant Pucci Lavish goes on an epic tangent that not only confirms it but confesses to several other crimes her family has committed. The Watch present at the trial can't get a word in edgewise to tell her she has the right to remain silent, and end up writing it down and waving it at her.]]
201	* PetHeir: Mr. Fusspot, done by Topsy out of good-humored spite towards the Lavishes. [[spoiler:This turns out to actually be a very clever way of screwing them over in the long run, and it works like a charm]].
202	* PinkMeansFeminine: When told the Cabinet of Curiosities won't hold anything pink in it, Adora Belle Dearheart declares that it's obviously not made for a young girl.
203	* PlankGag: [[spoiler:Mr. Bent]] uses this with a ladder when he barges in on Moist's hearing.
204	* PointyHairedBoss: The (unseen) [[InhumanResources Human Resources]] manager at Pipeworth's Bank, who, according to the Royal Bank employees, treats her staff as less than human, to the point of timing their privy breaks. This is just one of the many reasons they vastly prefer Mr. Bent.
205	* PostClimaxConfrontation[=/=]DragonTheirFeet: Cribbins, who shows up after the trial to try wringing money out of Moist in some way.
206	* PrayerIsALastResort: Moist actually resorts to prayer at one point. [[spoiler:He prays to Anoia, one of the gods he claimed gave him inspiration to locating the funds in ''Going Postal''. She rules over things getting stuck in drawers. If one considers a "mouth" a "drawer", then it could be she answered by the end of the book.]]
207	* PrettyInMink: Pucci shows up wearing furs at one point. Whether it's FurAndLoathing isn't clear though.
208	* PunBasedTitle: Both the literal (minting/printing currency) and figurative (earning money/getting rich) senses of "making money" apply.
209	* ARareSentence: When trying to stop Vetinari from being humiliated by a rogue clown with the SquirtingFlowerGag, Moist shouts "[[HesGotAWeapon Look out, he's got a daisy!]]", then does a mental double-take when he realizes what he just said.
210	* RealityChangingMiniature: The Glooper becomes this, much to the distress of its creator. [[spoiler:He reluctantly takes advantage of this when he discovers the vault empty by refilling the flask representing the vault, causing gold to materialise in the actual vault.]]
211	* RedHerring: We are repeatedly told that everyone suspects Mr. Bent of being a vampire. So often that the GenreSavvy reader knows he ''must'' be something else, and is perhaps thinking of other unusual Discworld races like Mr. Gryle [[spoiler:the banshee]] from ''Literature/GoingPostal''. In the end, Mr. Bent turns out to be [[spoiler:a clown]].
212	* RefugeInAudacity: The whole concept of paper money is RefugeInAudacity itself, since it has no inherent value, and its worth is only established by consensus. Which makes Moist von Lipwig the perfect man to run a bank.
213	* RememberTheNewGuy:
214	** The Lavish family is an influential and prolific family but they never made an appearance before this book. For the most part it's justified since not a lot of Discworld characters operate on the same level of society as them, but even in later Watch books when Vimes is rubbing elbows (or butting heads as the case may be) with Ankh Morpork's elite they never receive a single mention.
215	** Knowing the Lavish family, this could be a) because no one wants to be sued by their travelling army of lawyers for mentioning them or simply b) they're so damn petty and mean that no one wants to acknowledge them unless it's required. They didn't do anything important in the previous books, so everyone's narrative ignored them!
216	* ReplacedWithReplica: Cosmo pays a lot of money to get his hands on Vetinari's stuff, including clothing. When he wants Vetinari's SwordCane (supposedly made from the iron contained in the blood of a thousand men), his assistant makes one instead, as getting the real is too hard and because the one he makes is closer to Cosmo's idea of the sword Vetinari would have.
217	* RevengePornBlackmail: Pucci Lavish tries to {{invoke\|dTrope}} this on her business rival Moist von Lipwig by arranging herself in a cab in her negligee, cameraman at the ready, and waiting for him to hop in. She drastically overestimated her charms -- he takes one look and dives straight out the far window.
218	* RoomFullOfCrazy: Cosmo's journal full of attempted signatures looks a lot like one: [[spoiler:"Vetinari Vetinari Vetinari Vetinari Vetinari Vetinari Vetinari Vetinari Vetinari Vetinari Vetinari"]].
219	* RunningGag:
220	** Moist stealing Drumknott's pencil.
221	** When the Lavishes' lawyers do something, a note of how much it costs their employer pops up.
222	* SanitySlippage: [[spoiler:Cosmo Lavish]] begins the story as a somewhat sane, if not very efficient, ManipulativeBastard. Over the course of the story, his obsession with [[spoiler:Lord Vetinari]], coupled with [[spoiler:his rotting finger slowly poisoning him]], makes him increasingly more unhinged, to the point that he ends the story [[spoiler:in an asylum for people who think they are Vetinari]].
223	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere:
224	** At the beginning, Moist says this almost verbatim after seeing the state of the Mint and the Royal Bank. Vetinari lets him off the hook, only for Topsy Lavish to die and basically drag him into the position via weaponized inheritance.
225	** Heretofore, when Cosmo's madness reaches critical mass.
226	* SequelHook: Vetinari outlines his plan to move Moist into the business of taxation once he's gotten the bank and mint running properly. Which is actually averted, because the next time Moist appears he's dealing with steam trains, not taxes.
227	* SerialAdulterer: Topsy's husband was a serial cheater. Topsy herself started as one of his mistress before marrying him, and was well aware her husband would cheat on her in turn. Keeping everything open made it more convenient to schedule everything.
228	* SeriesContinuityError: A slight one: students of the Department of Necro- ahem, [[InsistentTerminology Postmortem Communications]] call the black robes and skull rings "Babe Magnets". However, Literature/LordsAndLadies makes it clear that magnetism is an obscure force in Discworld, almost wholly unknown to the Wizard community, and the word "magnetism" doesn't exist at all; the only ones with any sort of familiarity with it are Blacksmiths, who refer to it as "The Love of Iron". Although Ponder Stibbons seems curious about it at the end of that book, it seems unlikely to have been studied beyond the High Energy Magic department, certainly not to the point of being given a name and being used as an idiom by students of a different department.
229	* ShameIfSomethingHappened: Cosmo waits until the very end of his first meeting with Moist to drop this one. Just as Moist gets out of the coach, Cosmo pointedly adds "My regards to your young lady," then drives off. Moist is not very impressed by the statement.
230	-->'''Moist:''' ''[shouting after him]'' Why didn't you add "We know where your children will go to school"?
231	* ShootTheBuilder: As part of his obsession with Vetinari, Cosmo Lavish hires craftsmen to make a signet ring like Vetinari's and a device that tugs at his eyebrow so that he will start reflexively raising his eyebrow like the patrician does. He has his enforcer kill both men once they finish their work to keep his obsession secret (the jeweler who makes the ring doesn't help his case by engaging in a bit of blackmail). This backfires on Cosmo since the ring is far too tight (although he's too enthralled with it to notice) and the eyebrow device is faulty and gives him a black eye. The dead craftsmen are in no position to fix them.
232	* ShoutOut:
233	** We've got Moist making ''paper money'' that is noted to be worth only what we think it is. We've got a man who's obsessing over a pair of ''boots''. We've got a little ''dog''. We've got Moist revitalizing his ''top hat''. We've got a lady golem that does the ''ironing''. Mr. Jenkins considers a ''battleship'' as a motif for the bills he's designing. Adora Belle gives Moist a golem ''horse'', which he rides. Dibbler asks for enough money for a ''barrow''. All of these are pieces in ''TabletopGame/{{Monopoly}}'', a finance-based boardgame.
234	** And guess what: in the next book, ''Literature/RaisingSteam'', Moist acquires a set of railway stations as a necessary incidental detail. A possible ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' book mentioned by Pterry was ''Running Water'' [[note]] an idea which evolved into Raising Steam [[/note]], which could have dealt with piped water supplies and sewage works. Adora's clacks line is the local version of the telephone company. All of these reflect the public utilities on a Monopoly board.
235	** The scene where Moist and Adora briefly believe Gladys the Golem has killed Mr. Fusspot is based on the "bunny boiler" scene from ''Film/FatalAttraction''.
236	** [[spoiler:Mr Bent's]] {{backstory}} may be inspired by UsefulNotes/JohnMajor, who was said to be the only person who ran away from the circus to become an accountant.
237	*** His clown persona, meanwhile, appears to be largely based on the famous late 18th to early 19th century clown Joseph Grimaldi, particularly his catchphrase "Here we are, again!"
238	** Moist's notion that "food will get you through times of no gold better than gold will get you through times of no food" is a ShoutOut to ComicBook/TheFabulousFurryFreakBrothers' philosophy that "dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope."
239	** Vetinari uses the line "I couldn't possibly comment," which could be a reference to ''Series/HouseOfCardsUK''. (Which was also referenced in the Sky TV adaptation of ''[[Literature/{{Hogfather}} Hogfather]]'' - Ian Richardson, who played Urquhart in ''House of Cards'', voices Death and the adaptation has Death say it.)
240	** Gladys, after reading a feminist treatise, declares "[[Music/{{Eurythmics}} The sisters are doing it for themselves.]]" Moist wonders what "it" is, exactly.
241	** The Glooper is a pastiche of RealLife's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MONIAC MONIAC]], aka the Phillips Hydraulic Computer, which really did simulate the economy by using the flow of liquid to represent the flow of money.
242	%%* ShroudedInMyth
243	* SoUnfunnyItsFunny: The actual ''purpose'' of clowns, at least in Vetinari's opinion. "They are tragic, and we laugh at their tragedy as we laugh at our own. Life is but a banana peel propelling us toward the open manhole cover of doom, and all we can do is sing as we go."
244	* StockYuck: Invoked and discussed with Aimsbury's menu largely consisting of organ and offal-based foods, since he primarily cooks for Mr. Fusspot, the bank manager who is also coincidentally a little dog. Moist finds the dishes revolting, having grown up on such fare and wanting to never experience it again, but chokes it down because there's no alternative. For added hilarity, Adora ironically ''[[TrademarkFavoriteFood loves]]'' those same dishes, because they remind her of a particularly beloved grandmother.
245	* TheStoic: Vetinari reacts to everything in a restrained and dignified manner. When forced to enter a clown college, he gravely warns his companions to "expect... fun."
246	* SoulJar: Not for a soul, but Igor moves Owlswick Jenkins's bad memories and anxieties into a turnip, which becomes rotten and partly alive, rolling around its glass enclosure.
247	* StrawFeminist: Gladys becomes one of these after reading books written by other straw feminists. This is actually something of a step-up, as she had previously obtained her advice on how women should act from an outdated etiquette handbook for "proper young ladies".
248	* SummonBiggerFish: When Moist explains to Vetinari why there are mongooses in the letter boxes. They were introduced to keep down the snakes, which they put there to get rid of the toads, which they encouraged because of the snails, which got there themselves to eat the stamp glue. Vetinari then notes brightly that they were saved the trouble of introducing the snails. (This is presumably a reference to the "The Old Woman Who Swallowed A Fly" song, itself a use of the trope.)
249	* SummoningRitual: The Professor of Necromancy... Er, Post-Mortem Communications makes great use of dribbling candles, and pentagrams, because he knows the spirits they are trying to summon won't come if it doesn't ''look'' right.
250	* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: One of Moist's tricks is to invoke this trope as a BaitAndSwitch -- covering up the fact there's a woman in his bed ''just subtly enough'' that the hearer will assume that there is one and that they've seen through him... when in fact there isn't one at all, he just wants to keep them out of his room.
251	* SwordCane: Vetinari's walking stick is widely considered to be one (specifically, one forged from the iron in the blood of his enemies) but it's fairly ambiguous as to whether it actually ''is'' (fairly unlikely, since he favors stilettos as personal weapons). Although it's almost certainly not made out of the blood of his enemies even if it is one.
252	* TakeFive: Vetinari tells the employees of the Blind Letter Office that it's time for them to take their tea break, so he can talk to Moist. He actually has to add "Somewhere else" because they try to take their tea break ''in'' the Blind Letter Office at first.
253	* TakingTheBullet: Moist saves Vetinari from [[spoiler:public humiliation by taking a ''PieInTheFace'' for him.]] Of course, this being Vetinari, the chances of him getting hit were near non-existent in the first place. [[spoiler:Because he knew Moist would jump in front of it.]]
254	* TastesLikePurple: As a side effect of Igor transferring all of Owlswick's neuroses into a turnip: "It sounded like the smell of raspberries tastes."
255	* ThanatosGambit: Mrs. Lavish's will hands her money to Mr. Fusspot, makes Moist his guardian... and sets up a contingency contract on him with the Guild of Assassins if the dog doesn't live out its natural life. Which, the book notes, prevents ''anyone else'' from simply taking out a contract on Moist.
256	* ThatMakesMeFeelAngry: Justified by Vetinari's unflappable nature -- if he didn't say it out loud, there'd be no way for anyone else to tell.
257	-->'''Vetinari:''' But now the city works, Mr Lipwig. We progress. We would not do so if the ruler was the kind of man who would kill elderly ladies, do you understand?\
258	'''Moist:''' [[OhCrap I never said -]]\
259	'''Vetinari:''' I know exactly what you never said. You refrained from saying it very loudly. [[TranquilFury I am extremely angry, Mr Lipwig.]]
260	* TheyCalledMeMad: Igor has to ask Hubert to say this.
261	* TomSwifty: Charlie is used to delivering a double-barrelled pun (admittedly, the same one, but still). "I'm the backbone of the department," said [[DemBones Charlie]], a shade proudly.
262	* TooDumbToLive: The craftsman who makes the replica of Vetinari's signet ring for Heretofore attempts to blackmail him for more money in exchange for his silence by pointing out that even if making the replica isn't technically illegal, anyone who wants an exact replica of Vetinari's signet ring and is willing to pay that much can't be up to anything good. What he didn't realise is that anyone who wants the replica and was willing to pay that much would almost certainly be willing to kill him to get what they want, ''and he'd already made the ring.''
263	* TranquilFury: Moist's clumsy insinuation that Vetinari had Topsy assassinated to get his hands on the bank makes the Patrician possibly angrier than we've ever seen him in the entire series. [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry If he hadn't said so out loud]], there may have been no way of knowing.
264	* TreasureIsBiggerInFiction: Provides the page quote. Moist is slightly disappointed with how little space ten tons of gold actually occupy.
265	* TurnOutLikeHisFather: [[spoiler:Mr. Bent, probably to his mother's disappointment.]]
266	* UnderNewManagement: Moist Von Lipwig as the new management of the Mint.
267	* UnfortunateNames: Apparently, Topsy Lavish's maiden name was ''Turvy''. As it is implied that she used to be either an exotic dancer or music-hall girl, Topsy could quite probably be a stage name (or pole name as the case may be). On the other hand, this is Ankh-Morpork, where people are regularly given names such as Legitimate First. It's entirely possible that was her real name.
268	* VomitingCop: An unnamed guardsman on the removal of Cosmo's glove.
269	* WalkOnTheWildSideEpisode: In a ShoutOut to ''Theatre/TwelfthNight'', the austere and humourless bank clerk ''Mavolio'' Bent, [[spoiler:a man who ran away from the circus to join a bank, suddenly re-asserts his destiny and heritage as a circus clown.]]
270	* WealthsInAName: The ''Lavish'' family are majority shareholders in the Bank of Ankh-Morpork.
271	* WhamLine: "There are more than one hundred and twenty things it can mean, but in this case, taken in conjunction with the rest of the paragraph, it means '[[spoiler:a thousand'. Four ''thousand'' golems, I think you'll find.]]"
272	* WhosOnFirst: Because the Glooper leaks and visitors are given raincoats, Hubert replies to Moist's introduction, "I am Moist", with "Perhaps we should put the raincoats nearer the door."
273	* TheWindowOrTheStairs: Moist is given the same choice as he was at the start of ''Literature/GoingPostal'', only to discover that the "bottomless pit" room is now perfectly normal. When he asks what happened to it, Vetinari claims to have no idea what he's talking about.
274	* WorryingForTheWrongReason: The drink Splot, a sort of KlatchianCoffee up to eleven. People are often reassured when they hear Splot is nonalcoholic...until they're told it's because "alcohol wouldn't survive."
275	* WorthlessCurrency: Moist's biggest challenge when introducing paper money is convincing people used to coins that it ''isn't'' worthless, even though Ankh-Morpork coinage already has a precious metal content lower than seawater and the Post Office's stamps've served as a de-facto paper currency for a while already. [[spoiler: After the bank's gold reserve turns out to be missing, he gets them to accept paper backed by the buried golems, but not fiat currency like he wanted.]]
276	* WroteTheBook: Mr. Slant wrote half of the impressive-looking books in any lawyer's office.
277	* YouDoNotWantToKnow: Dr. Hicks mentions a [[NoodleIncident squid in the corridor]]. When Moist asks him about it, he says "You would ''not'' want to know about the squid."
278	** In a minor variation, the mint employee asks Moist not to ask about a certain coin. When Moist absently does so, he replies he's glad Moist asked.
279	* YouFool: [[spoiler:Bent is having some trouble with his clown inner self and it calls him YouFool, doubly troublesome to him because he doesn't want to be an idiot ''or'' a literal Fool]].
280	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Anyone involved in Cosmo's obsession with Vetinari, once they've delivered whatever Cosmo paid them to procure.
281

Context Literature / MakingMoney