''"But then, [[SelfDeprecation my stupidity is probably legendary at this point]]..." ''
->'''[=Scooter007=]''', posting a reply on the ''[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/ykttw.php?interval=1 You Know That Thing Where...]]'' boards

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[[quoteright:151:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unique_avatar_med.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:151:Yes, this really is an [[InkSuitActor accurate depiction of me.]]]]
What to say about myself? I'm a middle-aged male, living in the Mid-Western United States. But enough about me!

Like many other contributors here, I fancy myself a writer. In fact, for me the biggest appeal of this site is the familiarity of so many tropes -- not because I've seen them, but because I've used them myself (see below).

Ever since my first appearance here in late June 2007 I have spent much time poking around, familiarizing myself, sticking my two cents into discussion threads where it's not wanted, and occasionally launching actual tropes -- although these days I'm mostly content to add Works/Creators pages and an ocassional Recap.

The background I bring to my contributions is that of a SpeculativeFiction geek (ScienceFiction or Sci-Fi for those less "hardcore", [[FanDumb like me]]), big [[TheSeventies 70s]]/[[TheEighties 80s]] music lover, BMovie nut and classic television fan. Newer TV/music, not so much, but still there. Oh, and a '''huge''' fan of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

Comedy? Awesome! Drama? Meh. {{Incredibly Lame Pun}}s? [[PungeonMaster Whoo-HOOO!]]

Generally a [[Administrivia/LumperVsSplitter Splitter, but I've drifted toward Lumper]] during my time here; something of a GrammarNazi, and very much a SerialTweaker. A firm believer in JustForFun/BizarreAndImprobableGiraffeHerdingTechniques and the Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment; and I do tend to be somewhat [[AccentuateTheNegative snarky and cynical]] most of the time. I [[JustForFun/TropersDoItWithoutNotability do it for the bragging rights]] and a sense of [[JustForFun personal satisfaction]].

!!I launched the following tropes:
* AllOrNothing
** mad props to the Tropers for great examples
* AspectRatio
** {{Letterbox}}
** VisualCompression
* AssKickingPose
* BladeLock
** name by Tropers/{{Arivne}}
* BonusSpace
* CataclysmClimax
* ConfessionCam
* ConsolationPrize
* ContrivedCoincidence
** with much much MUCH help from the Tropers!
** name derived from a suggestion by an Unknown Troper
* ConveyorBeltVideo
** name by Tropers/SciVo
* DressRehearsalVideo
** name by (again) Tropers/SciVo
* FeeFiFauxPas
* FollowTheLeader
** name by Tropers/HeartBurnKid
* GameShowHost
** name may seem obvious, but nonetheless was suggested by Tropers/{{Idledandy}}
* GreatBallsOfFire (the trope, not the [[Film/GreatBallsOfFire movie]])
** idea sparked from a comment by Tropers/MatthewTheRaven
* HairMetal
* HallOfMirrors
** [[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: the science bit ]]
was submitted by Tropers/{{Andrusi}}
* HintDropping
** name by Tropers/LordTNK
* HitchhikerHeroes
** name by Tropers/OpMegs
* HollywoodWebCam
** with thanx to the Tropers who helped me keep my facts straight.
* IdentityImpersonator
** name by Tropers/{{Ununnilium}}
* IMeantToDoThat
* {{Immortality}}
* KidCom
* KooshBomb
** Tropers/FreezairForALimitedTime provided the [[SpellingNazi correct spelling]]
* TropeCo/LawEnforcementInc
* LyricsVideoMismatch (originally '''Narrative Non-Sequitur''')
* MementoMacGuffin
** after much re-writing; name, lots of key wording and all initial examples provided by Tropers/FantiSci, to the point that I believe ''she'' should take credit for the entry
* MonsterMisogyny
** name derived from a suggestion by Tropers/DarkSasami
* MultiTakeCut
* MyNaymeIs
* NailsOnABlackboard
* NoGearLevel
** originally '''Warring Without Weapons''', derived from a suggestion by Tropers/AndrewLeprich
* NoSidepathsNoExplorationNoFreedom
* OtherCommonMusicVideoConcepts
** with helpful advice from Tropers/SciVo
* PitchMob
** name by Tropers/{{Attilargh}}
* PlayingAgainstType
** name by Tropers/AlexandraErin
* PlugNPlayTechnology
** '''[[/folder]]

[[folder: Credit Where It's Due: ]]
''' The body text was excellently rewritten by Tropers/{{Stratadrake}}, and now flows much more smoothly than my original contribution while still conveying the trope exactly as I had proposed.
*** ([[Administrivia/ConversationInTheMainPage Really?]] I considered it more of a half-witted attempt at merging [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/discussion.php?id=mj4oyr6gzmjok2x4fg3pzv6m&trope=DiscardedYKTTW one of my YKTTWs]] that people thought was [[Administrivia/TheSameButMoreSpecific too closely related]]. ''--{{Tropers/Stratadrake}}'')
* PorkyPigPronunciation
** name by Tropers/{{twelfth}}
* ProgressiveRock
* RhymesOnADime
** name by Tropers/{{Zinfandel}}
* RightInFrontOfMe
** name by Tropers/{{Tangent128}}
* RightOnQueue
* ScapegoatAd
* ScrewTheElectricBill
** name by Tropers/{{adam850}}
* ScyllaAndCharybdis
** The very first trope I ever wrote for this wiki... and boy, does it show!
* ShrugTake
* SitcomCharacterArchetypes
** Special thanx to Tropers/{{maxmordon}}, who provided the comparison to Commedia Dell'arte
* SlidingScaleOfVideogameObjectives
* SpaceAmish
** name by Tropers/{{Ununnilium}}
* StopOrIWillShoot
* StuntCasting
* SwordDrag
* SwordLimbo
** idea by Tropers/SilentHunter
** name by an Unknown Troper
* TrainEscape
** Type 2 suggested by Tropers/JonnyD
** Type 3 added by Tropers/MerlynLeRoy
* TruthSerums
** idea (and much of the wording) by an Unknown Troper
* TheVanna
** Which has since been expanded and evolved into The LovelyAssistant.
* VillainCorner
** Again, thanks to the Tropers for helping me get my act together with some great examples!
* VocalTagTeam
* WalkInChimeIn
** name derived from a suggestion by an Unknown Troper
* WhoWillTakeTheKids
* YouJustToldMe
** name by Tropers/{{Puck}}
** originally called '''Rumplestiltskin Ploy''', derived from a suggestion by Tropers/{{Branfish}}

!!I also fired off the following Works/Creators pages:
* ''Radio/AmericanTop40''
* ''Series/ArkII''
* Music/JohnBarry
* ''Comicbook/BatmanDigitalJustice''
* ''Music/BeethovensLastNight''
* ''The Blob'' ([[Film/TheBlob1958 all]] [[Film/BewareTheBlob three]] [[Film/TheBlob1988 versions]] originally in one package)
* ''WebVideo/{{Bored}}''
* ''TabletopGame/DCHeroes''
* Creator/DannyElfman
* ''Film/HardwareWars''
* ''[[Film/TheHindenburg1975 The Hindenburg]]'' (1975 DisasterMovie)
* ''Film/KingKong'' ([[Film/KingKong1933 all]] [[Film/KingKong1976 variants]], again [[Film/KingKong2005 formerly one]] page)
* ''Film/TheLegendOfBillieJean''
* ''Film/TheMaskOfZorro''
** Excluding the summary for ''The Legend Of Zorro'', which was provided by Tropers/{{dotchan}}
* Music/MichaelKamen
* Music/{{Queensryche}}
** ''[[Music/OperationMindcrime Operation: mindcrime]]''
* ''WesternAnimation/RobinHoodDaffy''
* ''[[Series/RockyJonesSpaceRanger Rocky Jones, Space Ranger]]''
* ''Film/RyanVsDorkman''
* ''Series/{{Scrabble}}'' (The GameShow)
* ''[[Series/Shazam1974 Shazam!]]'' (The Creator/{{Filmation}} Live-Action adaptation)
** ''Series/TheSecretsOfIsis''
* ''The Shape Of Things To Come'' ([[RunningGag Once again]], [[Literature/TheShapeOfThingsToCome all]] [[Film/ThingsToCome three]] [[Film/TheShapeOfThingsToCome versions]])
* ''Series/SpaceAcademy''
* ''VideoGame/StarTrekEliteForce''
* ''Film/StarWarsRevelations''
* ''Film/{{Tron}}''
* ''Series/{{V 1983}}''
* ''Film/WeirdScience'' (TheMovie)
* ''Film/TheWildWomenOfWongo''
* ''Series/WinBenSteinsMoney''
* ''[[Film/ZeroHour1957 Zero Hour!]]'' (1957 DisasterMovie)

!!Created bare-bones starter kits for:
* ''Series/{{Automan}}''
* ''Series/GeminiMan''
* ProgressiveMetal

!!Fleshed out the descriptions for:
* Literature/TheCallistaTrilogy (added the summary for ''Darksaber'')
* GameShow (added the [[/folder]]

[[folder: index of tropes ]]
, which has since expanded and [[GameShowTropes become its own page]])
* ''Film/IsThisLove''
* JackTheRipoff (launched by Tropers/DragonQuestZ)
* ''Film/UntamedYouth'' (originally cut for chronic terminal stub-ness)
* VillainByDefault (added the sub-section [[/folder]]

[[folder: demonization ]]
)
* ''Series/WeirdScience'' (The Series; launched by Tropers/SatanicHamster)

!!Provided pages for these [=MST3K=] films:
* ''Film/AttackOfTheGiantLeeches''
* ''Film/AttackOfTheEyeCreatures''
* ''Film/TheBeatniks''
* ''Film/BeginningOfTheEnd''
* ''Film/TheBrainThatWouldntDie''
* ''Film/TheCrawlingHand''
* ''Film/DangerDiabolik''
* ''Film/FireMaidensOfOuterSpace'' (and its [[Recap/FireMaidensOfOuterSpace recap]])
* ''Film/FirstSpaceshipOnVenus''
* ''[[Film/GameraVsGuiron Gamera Vs. Guiron]]''
* ''Film/TheGreenSlime''
* ''Film/Hercules1958''
** ''Film/HerculesAndTheCaptiveWomen''
* ''[[Film/TheIncrediblyStrangeCreatures The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Mixed-Up Zombies]]''
* ''Film/JohnnyAtTheFair''
* ''Film/JungleGoddess''
* ''Film/TheKillerShrews''
* ''Film/LostContinent''
* ''[[Film/{{Sadko}} The Magic Voyage Of Sinbad]]''
* ''Film/TheRebelSet''
* ''Film/RingOfTerror''
* ''Film/SecretAgentSuperDragon''
* ''Film/TheSidehackers''
* ''Film/TheStarfighters''
* ''Film/SwampDiamonds''
* ''Film/TheTimeTravelers''
* ''Film/Tormented1960''
* ''Film/WarriorOfTheLostWorld''
* ''Film/XMarksTheSpot''

!!Submitted these Recaps:
* For ''[[Recap/RockyJonesSpaceRanger Rocky Jones, Space Ranger]]'':
** [[Recap/RockyJonesCrashOfTheMoons "Crash Of The Moons"]]
** [[Recap/RockyJonesKipsPrivateWar "Kip's Private War"]]
** [[Recap/RockyJonesManhuntInSpace "Manhunt In Space"]]
** [[Recap/RockyJonesMenaceFromOuterSpace "Menace From Outer Space"]]
* For ''Recap/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'':
** [[Recap/StarTrekS1E18Arena "Arena"]]
* For ''Recap/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
** [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E18CauseAndEffect "Cause And Effect"]]
** [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E20CostOfLiving "Cost Of Living"]]
** [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E6TheGame "The Game"]]
** [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E22HalfALife "Half A Life"]]
** [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E23IBorg "I, Borg"]]
** ''[[Recap/StarTrekFirstContact Star Trek: First Contact]]''
* For ''Recap/KnightRider'':
** [[Recap/KnightriderS1E2DeadlyManeuvers "Deadly Maneuvers"]]
** [[Recap/KnightriderS1E5JustMyBill "Just My Bill"]]
** [[Recap/KnightriderS3E5KITTVsKARR "K.I.T.T. vs K.A.R.R."]]
** [[Recap/KnightriderS1E1KnightOfThePhoenix "Knight Of The Phoenix"]]
** [[Recap/KnightriderS2E20LetItBeMe "Let It Be Me"]]
** [[Recap/KnightriderS1E18WhiteBird "White Bird"]]
* For ''Recap/TheAdventuresOfSuperman'':
** [[Recap/TheAdventuresOfSupermanStampDayForSuperman "Stamp Day For Superman"]]

!!JustForFun: Tropes I Use:
As stated, I am an amateur writer, having co-written a collection of [[HilarityEnsues not-entirely-serious]] adventure stories centered around a team of super-powered/high-tech government agents. The no-doubt innumerable tropes which we have employed in these stories include (but are likely not limited to):

* {{Action Girl}}s: The guys don't get to have all the fun.
* AlternateUniverse: Forms the basis for one story, ''Series/{{Sliders}}''-style. [[note]]Believe it or not, we came up with the idea long before the show aired, but they beat us to publication.[[/note]]
* AsYouKnow: In the very first story, one character reminisces in such a way to allow him to {{Infodump}} a good pile of back story.
-->"[[LampshadeHanging Why are you ranting on like that?]] I was there the whole time!"\\
"I wasn't talking to you; I was [[MediumAwareness talking to the readers]]."
* AuthorAvatar: The two lead characters are [[MartyStu 100% shameless]] in this respect.
* BattleButler: a [[SixthRanger recent add-in]].
* BattleCouple: Most of the team is split off into married couples.
* BetterThanABareBulb: With several stories under our belts and sporting a good firm grasp on ActionAdventureTropes, LampshadeHanging has become a common tool.
* BigEater: Ivan has proven capable of eating an entire doughnut shop out of business '''in one sitting'''. Much to the consternation of [[DonutMessWithACop the local police force]].
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: One guy is drugged by a terrorist group and forced to do their bidding; he eventually pulls a HeelFaceTurn when he meets his twin on the team (see SeparatedAtBirth, below).
** It's happened to other team members at various points as well.
** Also, in the back story, a race of aliens uses [[{{Magitech}} electronic hypnosis]] to kidnap humans and use them in an interstellar war; these humans form the core of the cast.
* CastingAShadow: One of our {{Big Bad}}s.
* CoolCar: Four of them, to be exact. Three Lamborghinis, one [[Film/BackToTheFuture DeLorean]]. These provide examples of:
** FlyingCar / FlyingBrick: The cars are NighInvulnerable due to AppliedPhlebotinum.
** HubcapHovercraft
** {{Instant AI Just Add Water}}: In one particular case, a computer came to "life" by being '''left out in the cold'''. We've tried to go back and HandWave this, but it's still pretty improbable.
** TalkingApplianceSidekick
* CoolPlane: ''Redhawk''. It's as long as a football field, has a cargo bay big enough for all the {{Cool Car}}s, and can even go underwater or into outer space.
* CoolStarship: Eventually, the team acquires (read: steals) a spaceship from an alien colony and brings it back to Earth. The aforementioned ''Redhawk'' and {{Flying Car}}s would also qualify.
* CreatorProvincialism: Reversed; although we've written one story that takes place in our own hometown, most of them are set in places we've never been and likely will never visit. Thank goodness for Google Earth!
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass / LetsGetDangerous: Our characters are generally silly; but when shake comes to shimmy, they're highly -- maybe even ridiculously -- competent.
* CuteBruiser: One member is nominally the Team Mom; but she was a wrestler in high school and occasionally [[BewareTheNiceOnes gets to cut loose]].
* DiscussedTrope:
-->"Oh please! Like that plot wasn't done to death on ''Series/TheATeam'' or ''Series/KnightRider''! We're starting to sound like some cheezy 80s action-TV show!"\\
"This is not a television show. This is, for us at least, reality."
** Also:
--->"This [mission] is [[TemptingFate so easy]]."\\
"Turn us around! ...We're gonna die! There's going to be an explosion!"\\
"What are you talking about?"\\
"You heard him; [[GenreSavvy it's too easy]]!"
* DonutMessWithACop: Well, they're not cops per se, but the group did operate a small pastry shop early on. See also BigEater, above.
* EnemyMime: And yes, it's just an IncrediblyLamePun on a land mine. By this point, [[AWorldwidePunomenon what more could you expect?]]
* FunnyAneurysmMoment: Our very first story -- written some 20 years ago in high school -- featured a TakeThat-ish LawyerFriendlyCameo by Corey Feldman, and we even managed to throw Corey Haim in there as well ("We always do everything together," Haim said good-naturedly). Haim's death in 2010 really put the kibosh on that joke.
** We also had to axe a gag about the [[TooSoon recently late]] Music/AmyWinehouse.
* GenreSavvy: Used as a ZigZaggingTrope, depending upon the needs of the story or the joke at hand.
* HintDropping: Subverted: "It was one of those subtle little hints women always give men that they miss like [[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} Lucy in the outfield]]. However, he had been trained by his wife to catch all such hints. He had the bruises to prove it."
* HistoricalInJoke: See NoodleIncident, below.
* HiveMind: Not literally, but the so-called "Wife Patrol" is played like this.
* HumanAliens: A couple of our characters are this, so that they can [[AlienAmongUs walk amongst humans]].
** RubberForeheadAliens: HumanAliens with reptilian eyes, or HumanAliens with four arms, to name just two.
** HumanoidAliens: These appear mostly in back story; but there is one race that looks like a [[JustForFun/XMeetsY harsh amalgam]] of [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Sylvester and Tweety]]. What's funnier: they consider themselves to be [[HypocriticalHumor the epitome of evolutionary perfection]].
* HypocriticalHumor: See OurLawyersAdvisedThisTrope, below. Also, the above-mentioned "epitome of evolutionary perfection".
* IntangibleMan
* JanitorImpersonationInfiltration: With lots of LampshadeHanging, natch.
-->"Halt! Who are you and [[TheInfiltration what are you doing here]]?"\\
"We're the cleaning crew."\\
"Cleaning crew? I haven't seen the lot of you before."\\
"We're new."\\
"What about [[LittleMissBadass the kid]]?"\\
"What about him? He's my son."\\
"I mean, what's he doing here? Most people don't bring their kids to work with them."\\
"He always comes to work with me. Also, most people don't bring their children with them when breaking into super-secret military installations, do they?"\\
"Uh-huh. So where are your [=IDs=]?"\\
"[[OhCrap Uhhhhh...]]"
* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind / OrpheanRescue
* LadyLand: complete with StrawFeminist ruling class. To be completely fair, the LadyLand was formed in direct response to [[StrawMisogynist a rival's]] NoWomansLand.
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Early stories were notorious for always including at least one celebrity, his/her identity merely hinted at, and usually encountered in a not-so-flattering situation. The most blatant of these was a villain named for a certain former First Lady (I won't name names), or a group of villains who were thinly-veiled caricatures of our high school faculty.
* LightEmUp: One character has total control over light and all forms of radiation. She can [[EnergyAbsorption absorb energy]] as well as shoot [[HandBlast Hand Beams]], EyeBeams or even... well, let's just say she can shoot beams from [[MostCommonSuperpower any body part]]. "Have a dose of my '''high beams'''!"
-->"Milk; it does a body '''good'''."
* [[LittleMissBadass Little Mr. Badass]]: The 13-year-old with the miniature '''rocket launcher'''. [[WhoWritesThisCrap Whose idea was that again???]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: My co-author really really loves [[ComicBook/XMen large teams]]. To that end:
** CharacterMagneticTeam / DebutQueue: We started this thing with seven main characters; then each new story introduced one or two new main characters (not recurring, ''main''), until we now have ''thirteen'' main characters and a good collection of recurring characters as well.
* {{Malaproper}}: One of the [=AIs=] needs its English grammar overhauled.
** The Russian character is kind of like this as well, but he's [[EloquentInMyNativeTongue Eloquent In His Native Tongue]].
* MoodWhiplash: Due to the mix of comedy and action, this is sometimes unavoidable. Lampshaded at least once ("How could such a goofy moment have led directly into a life-or-death situation like this?").
* MoralGuardians: In-universe, via the "Wife Patrol".
* MostCommonSuperpower: Yes, yes we did. In writing.
* NextSundayAD
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: We've described the basic premise as "Franchise/JamesBond meets ''Franchise/StarWars'' meets ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' meets ''Series/KnightRider'' meets ''Series/MyFavoriteMartian'' meets ''Series/EightIsEnough'' meets ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}''!"
* {{Nakama}}: None of them are actually related except by marriage (and a couple of offspring, and one set of twins), but they consider their group a [[BadassFamily big family unit]], and [[MamaBear behave]] [[PapaWolf accordingly]].
* NoodleIncident: "Did we help when Stan sank the ferry in the bay? Did we help when Stan was arrested for voyeurism? Did we help when Stan was indicted in the [[HistoricalInJoke Iran-Contra scandal]]?"
* OmnicidalManiac: If Franchise/JamesBond has taught us [[BondVillainStupidity nothing else]], he showed that these guys make for great supervillains.
* OurLawyersAdvisedThisTrope: The climax of a big FightScene is interrupted for a lengthy interjection railing against violence in the media, concluding with:
-->Violent entertainment. It is wrong. It is bad. We do not condone nor promote it. [[HypocriticalHumor We now return to the bloody violence already in progress.]]
** We've parodied this trope in other ways as well. For instance: "We'd like to take a moment to point out that these people are MORONS! Their logic is quite FLAWED! Please, please, don't ''ever'' stalk someone, brainwash her, lead her to her death, and call it love! We now return you to the same mindless crap you've been reading for the past 300 pages or so."
* PoweredArmor
* QuipToBlack: parodied:
-->'''BigBad:''' See that my cards are the only ones played; everyone else must fold.\\
'''TheDragon:''' Oh, they'll fold all right. [[{{Metaphorgotten}} Little origami birds]].\\
[EvilLaughter]\\
'''BigBad:''' Was that supposed to be funny? What does that even mean?
* RuleOfFunny: A car chase runs through a drive-thru at 90 miles per hour. There's also the LawyerFriendlyCameo mentioned above.
* {{Running Gag}}s a'plenty:
** NoFourthWall / MediumAwareness: The main characters are aware that they are living in a fictional medium and often argue with the narrator/writers, or hijack the story. {{Handwave}}d by the characters calling it "a delusion we all live under".
** There's the bit about always making a sandwich every time someone goes into the kitchen.
** Each story usually has its own unique RunningGag; in fact, the two gags listed above started out this way before being expanded to encompass the whole series.
* SamusIsAGirl: One wife dons her husband's PoweredArmor to come save the day. When her gender is revealed, cue the predictable juvenile humor:
-->"Aren't your boobs squished in that thing?"\\
"YES! Yes they ARE!"
* SeparatedAtBirth: One of the twins (see BrainwashedAndCrazy, above) was adopted and raised in Russia.
* ShareTheMalePain: "[[Series/WheelOfFortune Wheel Of]] [[IncrediblyLamePun Foreskin]]"
-->"Did I say something wrong?"
* SinisterGeometry: Reversed; the "good guy" aliens in the back story flew starships of simple geometric shape and the "bad guy" aliens flew starships that look like enormous daggers stabbing an orange slice.
** But also played straight, as the "good guys"' starfighters were styled somewhat like avians and the bad guys' fighters look like cigars.
* StuffBlowingUp: "Everywhere these people go, something big blows up."
* SuperStrength: Due to [[TechnoBabble bio-cybernetic enhancement]].
* [[{{Swashbuckler}} The Swashbuckler]]
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Yes, we've actually used this one straight, despite my every effort to the contrary.
* TechnicalPacifist: Our team. We don't like to depict killing. But sometimes it happens.
* {{Technopath}}: Via computer chips embedded in the brain, thus allowing for telepathic communication with and control of electronic devices.
* TomatoInTheMirror: One character eventually discovers he's [[CloningBlues not who he thought he was...]]
* TranslationConvention: Just about any time a group is speaking a foreign language; it usually crops up with Russian, since one of our main characters is Russian.
* {{Tsundere}}: Pam likes to throw cherry soda at her husband. And there's the whole "girl wrestler" thing mentioned above.
* {{Tuckerization}}: Quite a few of the main characters are named (indirectly) for schoolmates. See also LawyerFriendlyCameo.
* WaveMotionGun / KillSat: In the back story, an alien race tried to wipe out Earth with one of these.
** HilariousInHindsight (at least, to me): The WaveMotionGun in question is actually '''called''' a "wave gun". And at the time I coined the term, I'd never even heard of ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato''.
* WeirdnessCensor: The government team depicted in this series...
** are, in their secret identities, among the richest socialites in California;
** live on an island in the middle of San Francisco Bay;
** drive highly unique {{Flying Car}}s in their secret identities;
** drive those EXACT SAME {{Flying Car}}s in their guise as government agents;
** frequently get into violent skirmishes on their island home, in the middle of San Francisco Bay.
:: All this, with the local citizenry being none the wiser. {{Handwave}}d in one story as the city-dwelling locals being too consumed with their own day-to-day lives to notice.
* WhoWritesThisCrap?
-->"Why do the writers think we're sappy wimps and always give us these cry-baby scenes?"\\
"I don't know. Maybe they're making up for something. [[SelfDeprecation You can tell these guys have never been married]]."
** There's also:
--->"Your son's conspiracy theory is becoming more plausible by the moment."\\
"Or the writers are taking narcotics."\\
The writers threatened to erase his character out of existence if he didn't shape up.
* WigDressAccent: The team doesn't do a whole lot of this sort of undecover operation, but they still manage to pull it off on occasion.
* WomenAreWiser: [[ZigzaggingTrope Zig-zagged]]; the women on the team have more common sense in one finger than all the men combined, but they are given plenty of "goofy" moments on their own (usually when isolated from the guys).
* WorldOfSnark: Really, no one escapes unscathed. Not even [[MediumAwareness the writers]] (although we [[WhoWritesThisCrap give as good as we get]]).
* YouAndWhatArmy "Oh, '''that''' army, heh heh. [--Eep--]."

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...And yes, I really do go by the name "Scooter".

Comare/contrast Mark Tropers/{{Scooter}}.