Line #1 Main/ThingOMatic


1	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/capture_0997.PNG]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Take a wild guess at what it does.]]
3
4	->'''JJ:''' Can you two make a device capable of tracking time trails?\
5	'''Andy:''' How?\
6	'''Casey:''' You make no sense.\
7	'''JJ:''' OK, then can you make a "time-trail-track-O-mat"?\
8	'''Andy:''' Totally!\
9	'''Casey:''' We'll be done by lunch!
10	-->-- ''Webcomic/CaseyAndAndy''
11
12	A common way for {{mad scientist}}s to name machines, devices, and gadgets: take the thing's function and add ''-O-Matic'' or ''inator'' to the end. These tend to do [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin exactly what they sound like]] they do. Usually, they won't give any explanation at all ''how'' they do what they do, and no matter how outlandish the science, or specific the purpose, they won't be able to do anything else.
13
14	See also ExpoLabel, NameTron, AdvancedTech2000, ThingOMeter.
15
16	Related to {{iProduct}} and all those others by way of {{Zeerust}} (and also, of all things, Radio Flyer toy wagons which came along in the '20s); in the golden age of the BMovie in TheFifties one of the latest gee-whiz technologies was automatic transmissions in cars, hence naming related to that.
17
18	%% Please don't remove this link. It's part of the compromise on the TropeCo/TropeCo issue
19	''[[TropeCo/ThingOMatic This item]] is available in the TropeCo/TropeCo catalog.''
20	----
21	!!Examples:
22
23	[[foldercontrol]]
24
25	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
26	* The Dobie-o-Matic from the ''Comicstrip/TheFarSide''
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Fanfiction]]
30	* Examples from [[Fanfic/Swing123AndGarfieldodiesCalvinverse the Calvinverse]]:
31	** The Forget-O-Ray from ''Fanfic/CanYouImagineThat''.
32	** BunglingInventor [[MadScientist Dr.]] [[StupidEvil Brainstorm]] invents the "Defeat-O-Matic" in ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries''.
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Literature]]
36	* Need someone not just dead, but really really dead? Don't want to bother with another {{AKA47}}? Then just visit the world of ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1'' for a handy Kill-O-Zap gun! Not to be confused with a kilozap gun, I hope.
37	** There's also the Nutrimatic Drinks Despenser and that invaluable hitching device the Sub-Etha Sens-O-Matic (or "Electronic Thumb").
38	** Also the Bistromathic ''(sic!)'' Drive.
39	*** The spelling of the Bistromathic Drive is due to the fact that it works by the mathematical logic of Bistros.
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
43	* The [[http://www.hulu.com/watch/19046/saturday-night-live-bassomatic Super Bass-O-Matic 76]] from a ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' skit.
44	* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' Xander wonders why the inventor of the Du Lac Cross gave it such a weak name, and suggests 'The Cross-O-Matic' instead.
45	* In ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' almost every MonsterOfTheWeek from before Lord Zedd's debut came from a machine named "Monster-O-Matic".
46	* Then there's the (in)famous prop comedian Gallagher, fond of ending his shows with a fake ad for SLEDGE! O! MATIC! Slight parody, since it's not really a complex device...
47	* The gadgets in ''Series/OddSquad'' usually have names that end in "-inator".
48	* Creator/MontyPython occasionally parodied the trope with mentions of "Rotiss-O-Mats" and other gadgets.
49	* Creator/JonStewart coined the term "Conflict-inator"[[note]]full name "24-hour, Political Pundit Perpetual Panic Conflictinator"[[/note]] to refer to the 24-hour cycle and its tendency to exaggerate, exacerbate, or create petty conflicts in order to justify its own existance. He said in an interview that the "-inator" phrasing was inspired by watching ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' with his kids.
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
53	* The card game ''TabletopGame/{{Munchkin}}'' has an actual "O-Matic" card that improves whatever it's applied to. This can lead to devices like the Magnificent Hat-o-Matic, the Eleven Foot Pole-O-Matic, the [[CompanionCube Familiar-O-Matic]], and the ''[[ChainsawGood Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment-O-Matic]]''.
54	** Also in the game the original "Stab-O-Matic" which allows one to backstab other players. You can technically make a "Stab-O-Matic-O-Matic" because of this.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Video Games]]
58	* Dr. Fred's Sludge-O-Matic in ''VideoGame/DayOfTheTentacle'', which had no purpose except to pump out a sufficiently impressive stream of toxic sludge. (No mad scientist's lab is respectable without one).
59	* Creator/DouglasAdams' ''VideoGame/StarshipTitanic'' had the "Succ-U-Bus" system, which was essentially an [[TubeTravel air-tube-capsule-delivery-thing]] with robots on the ends.
60	* Gruntilda has a Big-O-Blaster (nicknamed B.O.B.) in ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'', which can remove and store life force.
61	* ''VideoGame/SpaceStationSiliconValley'' has the Rat-O-Matic and the Doomsday-O-Matic Shrinkray.
62	* There are two kinds of weapons in the ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' games named the [[https://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/Splash-o-matic Splash-o-matic]] and [[https://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/Sploosh-o-matic Sploosh-o-matic]].
63	%%zce * Punk-O-Matic 1 & 2.
64	* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':
65	** Dr. Eggman/Robotnik's Eggmobile is also known as the Egg-O-Matic.
66	** In ''VideoGame/SonicSpinball'', he turned Mt. Mobius into the "Veg-O-Fortress" (an odd play on the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veg-O-Matic Veg-O-Matic]]), and his Roboticizer was called the "Veg-O-Machine".
67	* ''VideoGame/TomodachiLife'' has the Age-o-matic, a spray that instantly turns a kid into an adult, and the Kid-o-matic, which turns an adult into a kid.
68	* ''VideoGame/{{Glider}} 4.0'' has the Fed-O-Matic paper shredders.
69	* [[VideoGame/SpaceQuestVIRogerWilcoInTheSpinalFrontier Space Quest VI]] has the Crap-O-Matic adjustable bed, which [[BigBad Sharpei]] rests in.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Webcomics]]
73	* ''Webcomic/CaseyAndAndy'' have gadgets like: the [[http://www.galactanet.com/comic/view.php?strip=628 Time-Trail-Track-O-Mat]], the [[{{BFG}} Casey Vaporiso-Annihilatomat]], and their "ultimate" project, the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt End-Of-The-World-O-Mat]]!
74	* In what is probably a reference to ''Webcomic/CaseyAndAndy'', [[http://www.mezzacotta.net/owls/?comic=139 this]] [[Webcomic/{{Mezzacotta}} Lightning Made Of Owls]] strip. (And it mentions this page!)
75	* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has the [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070928 Dropinator™ escape pod]] and the [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080102 Voodoo-matic]] (patent denied).
76	* In ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}'', Khrima immobilizes Karn by sneakily deploying the [[http://adventurers.keenspot.com/d/0201.html Bindomatic Mark VII]].
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Western Animation]]
80	* Most every product offered by the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' [[http://home.nc.rr.com/tuco/looney/acme/acme.html ACME Corporation]].
81	* On ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', all of Dr. Doofenshmirtz's evil inventions end in the suffix '-inator' (to the point where they do a LampshadeHanging on it by Doofenshmirtz giving his weapon a name not ending in -inator, giving Agent P the reason for his not doing so by saying that he has worn out the -inator name too much). His first ever invention was just The Inator and his second was the Even-Bigger-Inator.
82	** He believed his second attempt to revert Earth's rotation would have a different result from the first one just because he added the suffix '-inator' to the invention's name.
83	** When wanting to be able to move them all more easily, he created the Move-A-Bunch-Of-Inators-Inator.
84	** In the ClipShow episode, Doof believed the suffix was the reason of his failures so he gave an invention a name that ended with "''non''-inator".
85	** The other evil scientists of the show follow similar naming conventions. Aloyse von Roddenstein uses -inizors (-izors for short), Dr. Diminutive uses -erators, and Professor Poofenplotz uses -ificators. But the generally accepted catch-all term is -inator.
86	* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' had the Suck-o-Matic vacuum cleaner. The word-O-word device was used commonly. It's not called O-Town for nothing, after all.
87	* ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'' had the Forgive-O-Matic.
88	* The Sphere-O-Boom from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''.
89	* Clyde Cosgrove's "Meal-O-Matic" from ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers''.
90	* In an episode of ''[[WesternAnimation/ReBoot ReBoot]]'' where Bob had to lead a team piloting a HumongousMecha against a giant rampaging creature, Phong called for them to "Use the Matic!" The team was confused, however, leading Phong to explain that he created a Disrupt-O-Matic to disperse the Nulls making up the creature, only to realize it had been left behind in the hangar. Fortunately, [=AndrAIa=] was available to pilot it out to them.
91	* In one episode of ''[[WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures]]'', Lemon Meringue orders a Salon-o-matic. Blueberry Muffin orders a Clean-o-matic from the same catalog.
92	* In ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcakeBerryInTheBigCity'', antagonist duo Lime Tart and Lemon Tort unveil an invention called the “Bake-O-Matic” as their entry for an inventing competition.
93	* In a non-canon episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Abraham Simpson's spirit enters Moe's love tester machine and he becomes the Love-Matic Grampa.
94	** One of the comics also makes reference to the Baked Bean-O-Matic 3000 Electro-Flatulator.
95	* One of Edd's failed inventions in ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' was the Opera-Matic.
96	* Many of the inventions in the ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit'' films, such as the Knit-O-Matic from ''WesternAnimation/ACloseShave''.
97	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax2012'', Ted's family has an Oak-a-matic, the only tree with its own remote control. It has four settings: Summer, Fall, Winter, and [[GratuitousDiscoSequence Disco]]!
98	* Combined with AdvancedTech2000 in ''WesternAnimation/TheFlaminThongs'' where all of Holden's inventions are named "the <something>-o-matic 2000".
99	* Handy created a central heating unit for the Smurf Village called the Heatomatic in ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' episode "It's A Smurfy Life".
100	* ''WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines'': in "Ceiling Zero Zero," as Klunk is finishing an invention:
101	-->'''Dastardly:''' Don't tell me, let me guess. It's an atomic-powered, synchro-mesh, hydromatic popcorn popper.\
102	'''Klunk:''' Nope. It's a (''locomotive sounds'') weather machine.\
103	'''Dastardly:''' A weather machine?? Well, I was close.
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder:Real Life]]
107	* Ronco is the TropeNamer, known for their infomercials for products like the Veg-O-Matic.
108	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ThingOMatic