[[WMG:[[center:''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' tropes\\
[-[[WhoseLine/TropesAToC Tropes A to C]] | [[WhoseLine/TropesDToI Tropes D to I]] | '''Tropes J to R''' | [[WhoseLine/TropesSToZ Tropes S to Z]]-]]]]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:J & K]]
* JekyllAndHyde: A game of "Let's Make A Date" has Colin as Dr. Jekyll trying to fight his urge to turn into Mr. Hyde.
* JewishMother:
** A game of Party Quirks had Creator/GregProops hosting with Denny Siegel's character being his stereotypical Jewish mother. Greg himself got to be Tony's Jewish mother in the same game of the UK version.
** Invoked during a game of Superheroes when Colin gave Debi Durst the name "Nagging Jewish Mother Woman".
** A game of the 1930s gangsters version of "The Millionaire Show" has Karen Maruyama play Ryan's mom. Her version of a gangster moll causes Ryan to remark that he's not Jewish even though his mother apparently is.
* JobMindsetInertia: A regular improv sketch (usually seen on the "Scenes From A Hat" segment) was to have one or more of the performers pretend to be an employee in one kind of business (example: dry cleaners) that still had the mentality of another job (example: GoodCopBadCop), with the other performers playing the increasingly-disturbed customers. HilarityEnsues.
* JobSong: "Greatest Hits" is a recurring sketch on the show that always has a song about an unorthodox subjects. Some are about jobs, including butcher, flight attendant, accountant, and bus driver.
* JustAStupidAccent:
** The cast often mocked their own difficulty at speaking in believable foreign accents.
** One game of Living Scenery is about "athletes training in the Alps for the Winter Olympics", which for some reason led to Colin and Ryan doing the same indeterminate accent for the whole thing.
* JustJokingJustification: One game of "Hollywood Director" has Colin suggest doing the scene backwards. After he says cut he laughs.
-->'''Colin:''' I didn't think you'd actually do it! Actors are so stupid!
** In the outtake where Drew insulted Greg and insisted he was joking after audience sympathy:
--> '''Greg''': Yeah, well, words can hurt.
* KickTheDog: Wayne's idea of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EOxdca-Z6g "RoboCop turned to a life of crime"]] involves ''literally'' doing this.
* KlatchianCoffee:
** In one "Greatest Hits" about bowling:
--->'''Colin:''' From the time I was born to the time I was died and then I was reincarnated and come back as this, bowling has been a big part of my life. Sure, it's not really a sport, but it's got ''great'' music attached to it!!!\\
'''Ryan:''' You're drinking coffee again, aren't you?\\
'''Colin:''' YES, I am!
** In a "Hollywood Director" where Ryan played a hunky pool boy seducing Kathy Greenwood, one of the styles was that the performers drank too much caffeine. This led to everyone talking at double speed, making spastic gestures, and shouting every line.
** Another Hollywood Director game in the revival series starts with Ryan and Greg as hunters, which when crossed with this trope leads to RecklessGunUsage (Ryan gets so jittery that his gun goes off ''into Greg's head!'')
* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee:
** Noticeably in effect when Creator/DavidHasselhoff appeared on the show.
** Watch Aisha's reaction when they first bring out [[MrFanservice football player Ron Gronkowski.]] And again when they get an actual [=49er=], Vernon Davis.
*** Neither of which quite match the time they get [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGqwBw8QIuA Wanye Morris from Boyz II Men.]]
** From the ep with Creator/RandyCouture:
--->'''Aisha:''' I think this is the first non-female special guest that Wayne was this excited about...\\
'''Wayne:''' Do you know how badass this guy is?!
* KnockKnockJoke: This one, from a "Greatest Hits" playing:
-->'''Ryan:''' Knock knock knock!\\
'''Colin:''' Who's there?\\
'''Ryan:''' Traveling salesman!\\
'''Colin:''' Traveling salesman who?\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[Ryan is thrown for a loop; apparently he wasn't trying to do a knock knock joke]''
* KryptoniteFactor: Wayne's ticklish.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:L]]
* LampshadedDoubleEntendre:
** The game "If You Know What I Mean" involves the players coming up with as many double entendres as they can for the given scenario, and ending ''every one'' with the phrase [[TitleDrop "if you know what I mean."]]
** Also done in a non-"If You Know What I Mean" game: During "Weird Newscasters", Wayne played an Italian stud.
--->'''Wayne:''' Sometimes when I'm out, and I'm running with the bulls, IF you know what I mean...
* LampshadeHanging:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm7QOG-DNQ8 This happens when Ryan does a transition during "Greatest Hits".]] Colin shows him up later.
--->'''Colin:''' Wow. Nice segue.
** During a "Greatest Hits" about sci-fi, Colin played with the formula by appearing alongside Wayne during the songs and pretending it was a music video. After the first song (which featured quite a bit of dancing), Ryan lampshaded how they shot the music video weeks ago and yet Colin still looks tired. He further lampshaded by asking if that's the only shirt Colin owns.
** When Wayne Brady's infamous "HORWARD" song unexpectedly speeds up.
--->'''Wayne:''' ''[singing]'' Howard... can you last? Howard... how'd this song get so damn fast?
** In a playing of Dubbing with audience member Betty, she frequently didn't flap her lips when Brad spoke. At one point, Ryan (who played her jealous jock boyfriend) brought attention to this:
--->'''Ryan:''' Your lips may be... no, actually, they're ''not''.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukJpED-3t8Q This]] game of ''Sound Effects'' led to one underwhelming sound after another.
--->'''Colin:''' This assignment has been fraught with ''almost'' danger!
** At the start of one "Party Quirks", Chip pretended to be on the phone, and referenced the game's format:
--->'''Chip:''' You want to go out afterwards? (...) No, it won't take long. They come over, I guess who they are, they go home.
** In one "Greatest Hits", Colin directly references the fact that their banter is one of the biggest draws of the game.
--->'''Colin:''' I love our banter!
* LampshadedTheObscureReference:
** In episode four of season eight, Drew compares Colin to Bushwack Bill.
--->'''Drew:''' A thousand points to... anyone who knows who Bushwack Bill is.
** In a Newsflash featuring rats in the background, one of the hints Ryan gave was that he and Kathy "need look no more". This was lampshaded by everyone after the game:
--->'''Ryan:''' Yeah, didn't catch onto my "need look no more" clue.\\
'''Colin:''' [[SarcasmMode Isn't that weird?]]\\
'''Drew:''' That would've been a dead give-away!\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[singing; Colin joins in after a couple words]'' [[Music/MichaelJackson We both found what we were looking for!]]\\
'''Drew:''' OH, ''Ben'', the theme from ''Ben''.\\
'''Ryan:''' A little obscure. I didn't want to just go, "Hey, look out for the rats!"\\
'''Drew:''' ''Ben'' was actually the sequel; ''[[Literature/RatmansNotebooks Willard]]'' was the first movie.\\
'''Colin:''' That's right.\\
'''Ryan:''' You remember the character's last name? ''[no response from Drew]'' "Wagner".
** In a Newsflash where Ryan was in front of alligators and tried to reference "Do the Gator".:
--->'''Brad:''' Reminds me of a Gary U.S. Bonds song.\\
'''Ryan:''' Does it indeed?\\
'''Ryan:''' I wish I followed the music scene right now.
** SarcasmMode was in high commodity after the "Party Quirks" where Ryan played all the characters in a gay western:
--->'''Drew:''' We've all seen gay westerns, right?\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[shrugs]'' Who ''hasn't''??
** Inevitably pops up in the revival series, where Ryan's Creator/JohnWayne act is brought back.
--->'''Colin:''' The kids are gonna need Website/{{Google}} for you.
** In one "Scenes From a Hat" game they are given a prompt for hillbilly renditions of Shakespeare. For his bit, Wayne says the line "Yay, the two revenuers from Verona approacheth". [[labelnote: note]] this is a play on the lesser known Shakespeare play Theatre/TheTwoGentlemenOfVerona. A revenuer is technically anyone who works for the IRS, but is primarily associated with those who tried to crack down on bootleggers and moonshiners. And of course hillbillies are stereotypically associated with moonshine [[/labelnote]] Apparently predicting that no one would get this reference, he immediately follows it up with "read a book, people".
* LandMineGoesClick: Invoked when "World's Worst" covers "people to be in the armed forces". How does Ryan solve this little problem? [[BlackComedy Simply pull Colin into his place!]]
* LargeHam:
** [[WorldOfHam Everyone who was on the show, ever.]] Except maybe the musicians.
** Wayne Brady, bless him, [[TheCastShowoff hams it up mercilessly.]] Colin even prodded him for it once in a Party Quirks game.
--->'''Colin:''' Got some cheese to go with the ham?
** Done intentionally in a "Weird Newscasters" by Ryan as a actor trying to give an over the top dramatic performance in the hopes of winning a Oscar.
** A special mention goes to Tony Slattery, who even became the subject of an "in the style of" finale by the three other players.
** The revival series has been off to a hamtastic start - not only from the new players like [[Series/KeyAndPeele Keegan Michael Key]], Nyima Funk and [[WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks Gary Anthony Williams]], but a couple of the guests like [[Series/TheWalkingDead Lauren Cohan]], [[Series/{{Glee}} Kevin McHale and Darren Chris]] have gleefully hammed along with the action.
* LargeHamAnnouncer:
** "Sportscasters" or "Sports Commentators" is a game in which two of the performers act out a mundane activity, such as being competing hot dog vendors, while the other two provide commentary as if it were a sporting event.
** Lampshaded in one ''Scenes From A Hat'' game involving "Phrases that just don't sound right when a cheesy announcer says them".
--->'''Colin:''' '''[[BlackHumor PLEEEEASE ACCEPT MY CONDOOOOLENCEEEEESS!!]]'''
** During "Lines you should not open a sermon with".
--->'''Chip:''' Let's get ready to Gospeeeeeeeeeeel!
** In a "Fim, TV & Theater Styles" where Ryan is a mad scientist, the style switched to "Spanish Soccer Telecast":
--->'''Ryan:''' I slept with your wife, I slept with her two times, and it was gooooooooooood!!!
* LarynxDissonance: During a playing of "Scenes Cut From a Movie", one suggestion was ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'', where Brad ordered his men to take a shower.
-->'''Colin:''' ''[in a high-pitched Scottish voice]'' Eh, I don't want mah freedom.\\
'''Drew:''' 1,000 points to Colin for sounding like the woman from ''WesternAnimation/ChickenRun'', instead of from ''Braveheart''. Do that again, it was pretty funny.\\
'''Colin:''' ''[sounding even MORE feminine]'' I don't want mah freedom!
* LaserGuidedKarma: During a game of "Scenes From a Hat", for the suggestion "Odd places to find advertisements", Ryan and Colin turn away from the audience and mime relieving themselves at urinals, and Ryan looks over at Colin and pretends to be reading something. As they return to their spots, Drew remarks, "Must've been a short ad," to jeers from the audience... and then upon pulling out the next suggestion he immediately apologizes to Colin, saying that he wishes he hadn't said that, because the paper he just drew reads "Little-known but amazing facts about Drew Carey". The performers naturally waste no time in dragging on Drew, starting with Colin: "I have no sense of length!"
* LastKiss:
** In a playing of "Dubbing" that parodied ''Theatre/WestSideStory'', one of the characters asked the participating audience member for a last kiss before dying. Drew buzzed before the audience member had to do so.
*** Or more accurately, [[HoYay another player of same sex]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJBtZhHLQ6A pulled the audience member out of the way and kissed him instead.]]
* LastNameBasis: After a commercial break.
-->'''Drew:''' My name is Drew... "Mr. Carey" if you're nasty.
* LastSecondWordSwap:
** In the UK version's "Greatest Hits Of Airlines", Brad mentions having to go to the bathroom.
--->'''Brad:''' I gotta go in there because it's hit or miss, oh baby, yeah, I've been standing in line and I've really gotta take a tinkle.
** In the UK "Hoedown" about hairdressers.
--->'''Greg:''' Every time I sit in the chair, I just say "Damn my luck", because he always cuts my ear, and then I yell out darn.
** The US "Hoedown" about surgery has Drew singing about having his appendix taken out.
--->'''Drew:''' I hope soon I get out all my stitches, because let me tell you brother, they hurt like sons of guns.
* LaterInstallmentWeirdness:
** U.K. version: The last season took place in L.A., which is strange considering that, outside of the New York episodes, the series was taped in England. It also introduced quite a few brand new performers (Phil [=LaMarr=], Wayne Brady, Patrick Bristow, Debra Wilson, Catherine O'Hara), a departure from seasons 8 and 9 which had settled to a fairly small but stable group of regulars.
** U.S. version: The concept of the show stayed the same throughout the run, but season 8 is odd in a unique sense: All of its episodes are made of old, unused footage from earlier seasons, especially season 1. It's weird to suddenly see Stephen Colbert, Ian Gomez and Patrick Bristow again, Wayne being missing for multiple episodes and seeing younger Ryan and Colin again is jarring to say the least.
* LateToThePunchline:
** A fantastic case during the second revival season. Jeff joined late in the old series and hadn't had much experience with the guessing games[[note]]They had been phased out completely from the revival attempts Jeff were involved in, like ''Series/DrewCareysImprovaganza''.[[/note]], so he took an awfully long time to guess that Ryan was [[spoiler:a sperm cell.]] And it was ''only after the game ended and he'd sat down for a bit'' when he finally realised what everyone had been laughing at when Ryan uttered [[spoiler:"I didn't want to ''come''!"]]
** In the first U.S. version, Drew opened the show by saying the points don't matter, "just like a bicycle-riding fish to a lesbian."[[note]]a spin on an old saying, "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle."[[/note]] The four performers were puzzled at first but got it after a few seconds.
** In the "Newsflash" with Colin footage, after the game.
--->'''Colin:''' Oh, I said the bald thing too![[note]]He's referring to saying the footage started after a "badly-timed bald joke".[[/note]]
* LateToTheRealization: In an unaired "Greatest Hits" with songs of ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'', Ryan just then realized that the "90210" was a zip code.
-->'''Ryan:''' ''Now'' the show makes sense.
* LaymansTerms: A spoof happens in the "Infomercial" about hair removal when Ryan pulls a turkey baster out.
-->'''Ryan:''' What's that look like to you?\\
'''Colin:''' Why it looks like a thing that measures things when you squirt.\\
'''Ryan:''' A baster? Is that what you're thinking of?\\
'''Colin:''' That's exactly - I didn't want to lose anybody with the technical terms.
* LeastRhymableWord:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPGli-pl_uw In the Christmas Tree Irish Drinking Song]], Colin gets passed "Extinguisher."
--->'''Colin:''' Ding-di-ding-di-dingisher.
** In a "Hoedown" about surgery, Drew's first two lines were:
--->'''Drew:''' ''[singing]'' I had an operation, to take out my appendix / The name of my doctor was Dr. Bendix!
** "Fear" isn't exactly a hard word to rhyme but in the "Hoedown" about final exams, Tony rhymed it with "diarrher".
** In a "Duet" to Kim the light bulb saleswoman:
--->'''Brad:''' Oh Kim, you are so effervescent / Your lightbulb is fluorescent, / And I am out of rhymes!
** One unfortunate case involving the song title "Splinters in my Knuckles" in a Halloween-themed ''Greatest Hits'', which led to all the guys substituting "knuckles" for "hands" eventually.
* LeaveTheCameraRunning:
** While this happened in the old show too, an interview with Colin for the 2013 revival has him mentioning this directly as part of the new approach. Sure enough, in #3:
--->'''Colin:''' ''[as a ventriloquist]'' I find you very attractive! ''[beat]'' And if you don't mind a guy with another guy... up his ass... ''[starts {{Corpsing}} and basically gives up on the act]''\\
''[audience goes ''howling mad'' as we cut to a stupefied Wayne and Aisha laughing her head off]''\\
'''Ryan:''' [[WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}} Good night, everyone!]]
** Colin again in #7, in the second game of "What's in the Bag" when he sees something he probably shouldn't have.
--->'''Colin:''' Oh, I'm ready for a date later! ''[closes bag, audience starts ''howling'']''\\
''[later on]''\\
'''Aisha:''' ...and even though this might get cut out later, ''Safe Sex Is Important!''
* LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn:
** One session of ''Sound Effects'' had Colin playing Franchise/{{Tarzan}}; he responded to Ryan's mimicking of tribal drums ''by turning off an imaginary [=iPod=].'' The same gag showed up in an unaired ''Sound Effects'' where Colin acted out a day in the life of {{ComicBook/Superman}}.
** In a "Greatest Hits" about nurses, Ryan asked Colin what the initials "R.N." stand for. While he says this, someone's cell phone jingle briefly plays in the audience. Ryan worked this into the scene by miming that he was turning off his pager.
** In the "Themed Restaurant" about Spielberg movies, the ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' theme is suddenly heard; Colin as a waiter approaches and mimes turning off a radio: "Sorry, that shouldn't be on."
* {{Leitmotif}}: Each playing of "Improbable Mission" always used the same background tune (in the U.S. version, it was "Hit and Run", which was more famous for its use on ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''). The same goes for "Narrate" and "Hey, You Down There!"
* LetsSeeYouDoBetter: In a game of "Let's Make A Date", Colin is supposed to be a bad comedian who gets frustrated with the audience not laughing. Eventually, he pulls out a guy from the front row, says let's see you do it, makes him sit on the stool, while Colin takes his spot in the audience and sarcastically laughs. But then the audience laughs wildly at what's happening, so Colin is mock frustrated by the fact the random guy is a funnier presence.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple:
** Ryan and Colin, but especially during "Greatest Hits" when they occasionally bicker (all an act, of course). It most often comes out when Ryan makes a joke and Colin doesn't laugh as long as Ryan would like, making Ryan feel like an idiot for laughing alone.
** Or if Ryan uses the word blue too much.
** Clive and Greg act like this during the British series.
* LikesOlderMen: In a game of The Millionaire Show, the theme is frisky old people; when Ryan uses his lifeline to make a call, he calls Kathy Greenwood, who is his twentysomething girlfriend. On the phone, Kathy calls Ryan her "Sugar Daddy."
* LipLock: Unavoidable in "Film Dub". One particularly glaring example is from the U.K. series, a Chinese martial arts action flick with the scene being a barber shop. Not only did Stephen Frost repeatedly fill the character's remaining lip flaps with "Now then now then now then now then!", but Colin (playing a woman) underestimated the amount of dialog his character had and said, "Yes, why is that? Why? Why why why why why why why? Why is that?"
* LiteralMinded:
** During a "Greatest Hits".
--->'''Colin:''' Get out of town and take a bus!\\
''[Ryan stands up and starts to leave, before being coaxed back by Colin]''
** Subverted in another "Greatest Hits", when Ryan replied to Colin
--->'''Ryan:''' Tell me about it! ...No, I mean, ''tell'' me about it!
** One "Sound Effects" has Colin saying [[WeInterruptThisProgram there should be a news bulletin]], leading to one of the women hurriedly saying "News bulletin news bulletin!"
* TheLoinsSleepTonight: In the "If You Know What I Mean" set in a hotel:
-->'''Brad:''' ''[to Ryan]'' Looks like your elevator's not goin' up, if you know what I mean.
* LongList:
** One suggestion was "tattoos you don't want to see on your partner".
--->'''Ryan:''' Who's Jake... ''[getting increasingly angry]'' and Phil, and Gary, and Howard, and Jim, and Steve, and Drew, and Carol...
** In the "Remote Control" about chickens, Wayne (playing Cartman from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'') listed all the different types of chickens he enjoys eating.
--->'''Wayne:''' I like chicken fricassee, chicken breast, chicken hambone, a little bit of chicken soup, chicken meal, chicken broth, chicken ice cream, chicken cake, and oh yeah, I like chicken cheesy-poofs sometimes but they really don't make... ''[drowned out by audience laughter]'' at all. I like chicken steak, chicken meal, chicken potpourri, but only on Wednesdays, and sometimes when Kyle comes over, Kyle's mom won't let him eat chicken, 'cause Kyle's mom is a big... she's a big, fat... ''[[CurseCutShort [buzzed out]]]''
%%* LoungeLizard: Shows up in some sketches.
* LoveConfession:
** Played for laughs in one episode so Drew could make fun of Ryan's western-style shirt.
--->'''Drew:'''[[HoYay "I love you, Ryan Stiles."]]\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[disturbed]'' Can we just... talk about this later?\\
'''Drew:''' You know, I hardly say this to anyone, but you know, chaps would really make that outfit.
** Also during an Improbable Mission, where Colin and Ryan are scaling a building.
--->'''Ryan:''' By the way I love you.\\
'''Colin:''' Stop it!
** Before a playing of "Infomercial":
--->'''Drew:''' Britney [Spears], if you're out there with your fine ass, I love you.\\
'''Ryan:''' Ooh! [[SarcasmMode Smooth tongue!]]\\
'''Drew:''' I will not make fun of Britney Spears, while I think I still have a chance. ''I have a dream'', that I will climb the mountaintops!\\
'''Wayne:''' ''[amused but slightly aghast]'' Oh my ''God''!
* LoveTriangle: Seen in many games, notably "Dubbing" with special guest Joanie Laurer and later, Florence Henderson. The games inevitably boiled down to the woman having to decide whether to stay with her spouse or go with her current fling. In Laurer's case, Colin and Ryan decided who would get her with a dance-off, while in Florence's case, it was decided by who was the best kisser.
* LowerDeckEpisode: Downplayed. At different times, Ryan and Wayne were each absent from some episodes of the revival; as a result, other players who normally shared time in the fourth chair got more screen time and a chance to work together.
* LukeIAmYourFather: The TropeNamer was parodied in one playing of Scenes From A Hat, under the category of "First Drafts of Famous Movie Lines."
-->'''Chip''': Luke, I am your second uncle twice-removed.
* LuxuryPrisonSuite: During a game of ''Secret'', two of the suggestions for a hiding place in a prison cell were "toilet" and "curtain", leading to some mockery by Clive. Colin and Ryan, naturally, took it even further.
%%* LyricalDissonance: Any music-based game, but sometimes invoked in ''Scenes From a Hat'' and others.
%%-->"Hey I didn't mean to cook your dog..."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:M]]
* MadScientist: A game of "Let's Make A Date" has Ryan as a mad scientist who drinks potions that turn him into variations on the other two contestants - Wayne and Colin.
* MadeOfExplodium: Averted in one [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCjMpAGimD4 Living Scenery]]:
-->'''Colin:''' ''[about a blender]'' It's gone out of control! It won't stop!\\
'''Ryan:''' ''Run!''\\
'''Colin:''' ...Well, it's not like it's an explosion; it's a milkshake. ''[blender finally stops]''
* TheMafia: A few scenes featured the characters playing members of the mafia. After one such game, Drew stated:
-->'''Drew:''' Just for the record, there is no Mafia. And I would like to give a million points apiece to all our [[DistinctionWithoutADifference Italian-American independent businessman friends.]]
* MagicalDefibrillator: Referenced in a "Greatest Hits" about doctors:
-->'''Colin:''' The great thing about this compilation is you can get... artists, that you wouldn't expec- expect to find on-on-on most CD sets-\\
'''Ryan:''' Are you okay?\\
'''Colin:''' I'm so excited about this next one, I- ooh, ooh, CLEAR! ''[mimes putting a defibrillator to his own chest]''
* MagicMusic: In the Greatest Hits about "Songs of Pregnancy", Colin remarked that after hearing this next music style, you'll be going out and getting someone pregnant right away.
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction:
** Here's how Colin sells being accidentally shot in the side while portraying Davy Crockett:
--->'''Colin:''' ''[passive aggressively]'' Well ''that's'' nice, isn't it?!
** Similarly, in a playing of "Sound Effects" in the style of Franchise/StarWars, Ryan accidentally chops off one of his legs with his lightsaber and barely reacts.
** A variant in the "Helping Hands" about newlywed lovers: At one point, Ryan is about to pour coffee but Colin (who is providing Ryan's hands) accidentally spills some on his hands. You can see Colin wincing behind Ryan, but Ryan himself doesn't react the way his character should. He quickly catches on, though.
--->'''Ryan:''' That actually ''is'' hot, I think. ''[starts screaming]''
** In a game of Narrate, Ryan plays a barber, who goes to give Colin a shave and ends up slicing his throat, ''[[Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet Sweeney Todd]]'' style. Colin then steps forward and calmly says;
--->'''Colin:''' As he cut my artery, I felt something was wrong. [[DeusExMachina Luckily, using my telekinesis]], I was able to make my blood clot until I could finish my job.
* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: In a "Questions Only" set at a supermarket on single's night:
-->'''Wayne:''' Come here often?\\
'''Denny:''' Does it look like I'm a newcomer? ''[does a surf move]''\\
'''Wayne:''' Can you do it right here on the celery? ''[mimes stripping]''
* {{Malaproper}}: Upon getting a question about transvestites in "The Millionaire Show", Ryan remarked that he didn't know anything about vampires.
-->'''Colin:''' Transvestites! Not "Transylvanians", ya moron!
* MarshmallowDream: In the UK version, the worst nightmare Hoedown had Colin claim he dreamed he was eating a lot of cotton candy and woke up to find his pillow gone.
* MassOhCrap: When Hoedown makes a return in 2014, all four panelists react with distress.
* MathematiciansAnswer: During a "Greatest Hits", Colin demonstrated this by answering one of Ryan's questions with a flat "Yeah" instead of elaborating as well:
-->'''Ryan:''' Styles come and styles go, but they're all on this CD set, including a long-gone style, grunge. 'Member grunge?\\
'''Colin:''' Yeah?\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[beat]'' ...Well, it's on this CD set.\\
'''Colin:''' Well I didn't know you wanted me to act-\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[annoyed]'' You could help me out on this a bit, I can't sell the [=CDs=] all by myself.
* MediumAwareness: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfCk3oxiN6M In this Hollywood Director]], the "cast" are supposed to act out a prison scene. When the style switched to porn:
-->'''Ryan:''' I guess you want me against the wall again.\\
'''Chip:''' Well, that's the title of the movie, so you better do it.
* MeritBadgesForEverything: Done in one "Scenes from a Hat".
-->'''Chip:''' Table dancing!\\
'''Colin:''' [[{{Squick}} Animal gynaecology!]]
* {{Metaphorgotten}}:
** During the "Infomercial" about face lifts:
--->'''Colin:''' ...Because a good face... blah blah blah.
** During the "Scenes Cut From a Movie" suggestion of ''Film/ForrestGump'':
--->'''Brad:''' ''[as Forrest]'' Life is kinda like a bag with a bunch of bugs in it... ya open it, and it all just spreads out all over the floor.
** In the 2013 revival, when Wayne takes a crack at Ryan's advanced years before the actual scene even starts:
--->'''Ryan:''' I'm not old... I'm like a fine wine... all the sediment is reaching the bottom...
** A game of "Narrate / Film Noir" set in a burger joint has Colin talk about why Ryan was lying:
--->'''Colin''' He was playing me the way you play a fish. ''[beat]'' I can't possibly make it any clearer then that.
* MetaphorIsMyMiddleName: Played with in a "Let's Make a Date" where Brad played a puritan witch hunter:
-->'''Brad:''' Harlot!\\
'''Wayne:''' Now ''how'd'' you know my middle name?
* MichaelJacksonsThrillerParody:
** Wayne does one "Song Styles" to a bingo-caller lady as that specific song, with the other 3 men as backup dancing zombies.
** A "Scenes From A Hat" suggestion of what could go wrong on a first date leads Wayne to pretend to turn into a werewolf, and then does a little of the "Thriller" dance.
** A "Let's Make A Date" game has Wayne as "Music/MichaelJackson turning into a werewolf", so he acts like the "Thriller" video (but not the singing). Ryan is supposed to be a Dr. Jeckyll who doesn't turn into Mr. Hyde, but becomes the other contestants. Pretending to be Wayne, Ryan starts singing "Thriller".
** When Kathy Griffin plays "Party Quirks", Wayne is supposed to be possessed by a Scottish demon. For some reason, this causes him to do a little of the "Thriller" dance.
* MisspellingOutLoud: Wayne, Greg, Colin, and Ryan sing a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BgMOwzyK0E song]] about audience member Howard to the tune of the Village People's "YMCA". Wayne misspells Howard's name as H-O-R-W-A-R-D, even ''before'' Laura accidentally causes the music to speed up. He didn't realize he'd done it until it was pointed out to him after the song ended.
* MisterSeahorse: One "Irish Drinking Song" was about getting pregnant.
-->'''Wayne:''' I'm a dude, what the hell?!
* MistakenForGay: Possibly because of kissing, licking, and miming sex acts on each other a few times on the show, some fans apparently got the idea that Ryan and Colin were gay.
-->'''Drew:''' And listen, for the thousands of you who have written in: NO, Colin and Ryan are NOT a couple.\\
'''Colin:''' ''[aside to Ryan]'' When did that happen?\\
'''Ryan:''' '''Shut up.'''
* MondegreenGag: Invoked a few times:
** While taking suggestions from the audience, someone shouted out ''Film/DirtyDancing'', and Drew initially thought they said "Dirty Nancy".
** During a "Greatest Hits", Colin remarked that he loved Music/{{Jewel}};
--->'''Ryan:''' "Drool"?
** In the game of "Dubbing" with Heather Morris, Aisha describes Ryan's character as a "Hunky gym coach".
--->'''Ryan:''' Oh, I thought you said honky.\\
'''Aisha:''' Well, that too...
** When Drew is doing a "Foreign Film Dub" game with Whoopi Goldberg and asks for the name for a Chinese movie. He thinks the audience member said "Sew My Noodle For You", but it was "Soba Noodle For You."
** After the "Hollywood Director" where Chip jumped on Ryan's back, Drew thought Ryan was saying "Faster faster, you fool, you fool!" during that moment. Ryan had to correct him: "I was actually saying, "Get the ([[SoundEffectBleep fuck]]) off! Get the (fuck) off!"[[note]]Drew's line was a ShoutOut to the Creator/BillCosby routine ''Ninth Street Bridge.''[[/note]]
* MoneyDearBoy: Invoked in one game of "Scenes from a Hat", where the scene was "rejected names for Whose Line". Wayne suggested "Drew Carey's House Payment".
* MonkeyMoralityPose: A recurring game in the UK version called for three players to act out a scene as [type of animal]; any time the type of animal was a primate, the monkey morality pose would show up sooner or later.
* MonkeysOnATypewriter: Colin started off a game of Weird Newscasters this way:
-->'''Colin:''' Our top story, an infinite number of monkeys came up with [[TakeThat the Fox fall line-up.]]
* MonochromeCasting: Referenced during "Scenes From a Hat": "Difficult questions for mommy to answer".
-->'''Wayne:''' ''[in a little kid voice]'' Mommy, how come no one looks like me on ''Series/{{Friends}}''?
* MoodSwinger:
** Colin is frequently one in "Hollywood Director", berating the cast and then instantly becoming calm when he comes up with a new idea:
--->'''Colin:''' CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT it's too unbelievable! It's unbelievable! It's just too unbelievable! Who's gonna believe it?! No one! ''[calmly]'' I know what we need.
** Or the more common example: [explains idea] [[BigYes YES!!!]]
** In the "Greatest Hits" about songs of the international spy, Ryan pretended to be crying.
--->'''Colin:''' What's the matter?\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[sadly]'' I'm blue. ''[immediately perks up]'' Did I say ''blues''?
** In the "Showstopping Number" set in a veterinarian's office, Wayne enters as a patient with a hurt cockatiel, looking and sounding distraught. When the music starts, Wayne is smiling and upbeat as he sings about Reggie the Cockatiel.
* MoodWhiplash:
** The infamous animal porn Greatest Hits clip is one of the few times even Colin cracks -- what you don't expect is for the very next thing to be one of the most [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic epic songs ever improv'd on the show]].
** There's also the ''Newsflash'' game where the clip behind Colin starts with a woman in a black swimsuit lying down. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzImao7M_uk Suddenly, SNAKES.]]
** Colin does this often as his film director.
--->'''Colin:''' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM6C5P6r54k That was wonderful! You guys were great! That's a wrap! You see what I did? THAT was acting!]] WHAT YOU DID WAS ''[[KickTheDog CRAP]]''!
** One session of ''Greatest Hits'' has Wayne ending one of the "Songs of the Mailman" this way:
--->'''Wayne:''' ''[cheerfully]'' Hey, it's from my girl! ''[opens letter]'' [[DearJohnLetter Dear John]]...
** At the end of a sketch, Drew awards points like normal. And then suddenly Drew turns to the side of his desk and coughs.
--->'''Wayne:''' ''[concernedly]'' Drew, do you...?\\
'''Drew:''' Oh, my God. I almost choked on an Altoid.\\
'''Ryan:''' They are curiously strong.\\
''[audience laughs]''\\
'''Drew:''' Ha ha, he almost died.\\
''[Chip starts dying laughing]''
** Arguably, there is very brief MoodWhiplash in the playing of "Party Quirks" when Ryan's head slams into the neon light on Drew's desk and breaks it. For a moment, the audience reacts with concern that he was badly hurt, but they go back to laughing when Ryan announces he's OK and continues with the scene.
*** Despite the collective gasp from pretty much everybody else in the studio, Colin seems immune to this trope and begins laughing his ass off ''immediately''.
*** Lampshaded twice by Ryan in that episode: once during the same scene where without breaking character (Carol Channing) he asks if he's bleeding, then again during a hoedown at the end.
** In one Infomercial (the "product" being a program to stop drinking), Colin finds a fishing pole-like device, sticks the tube in Ryan's mouth, and starts cranking. Drew hurriedly stops them, telling them that it's a utility lighter. Afterwards, Ryan jokes about it.
--->'''Drew:''' Well, he was putting it right in your mouth and he was about to crank it, and I was like 'Woah!'\\
'''Ryan:''' If I had a nickel for every time ''that's'' happened!
** Another was during the cockroach ''Newsflash'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piihkzvM8fc game]]. Which starts out as anything with cockroaches would but [[spoiler:[[Film/JoesApartment then they start dancing and mugging the camera]]]]. The audience switches from groans and 'yuck's to confused laughter rather quickly.
** In one of the outtakes on the DVD sets, Drew announces "Let's Make a Date" as normal, and said the contestants were hoping to be picked by Greg, but didn't know why that would ever happen in real life. It was meant to be funny, but when he threw to Greg to start the game, Greg said, "But... what's the point, Drew, since nobody would ever pick me?" Then the rest of the cast made Drew feel guilty for hurting Greg's feelings, and Greg had to be held back by Wayne. The producer forced everyone to start the game over, and though Drew claimed he was just kidding around, Greg said, "Yeah, well, words can ''hurt''." Drew apologized, and while the two hugged, Greg and Drew both slid their hands onto each others' butts, sending the quasi-serious moment right back to comedy.
** One "Scenes From a Hat" suggestion was "Bad segues following tragic news stories":
--->'''Chip:''' ...And everyone died. Speaking of dying, I've been dying to see the new Bruce Willis flick.
* MoonwalkDance: A "Scenes From A Hat" suggestion was "If celebrities had been the first people to walk on the moon". Wayne pretends to be Michael Jackson saying "Hooooooo!", and moonwalking.
* MooseAndMapleSyrup: A playing of "Foreign Film Dub" had the language of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgwXvk6LQy4 Canadian]]" used, which featured lots of "eh"s and references to hockey, ice boxes, and other Canadian stereotypes.
* TheMoreYouKnow: Brought up when the ''Doo-Wop'' game, normally about a death from a completely harmless activity, gets the not-all-that-harmless suggestion of "fishing".
-->'''Wayne:''' That ''could'' actually happen!\\
'''Colin:''' But not in the hilarious way ''we're'' about to sing it!
* MotorMouth:
** Clive Anderson, especially in his closing address.
--->'''Clive:''' Andthisisme, Clive Anderson, sayingoodnightgoodnight!
** Wayne can take this in ''either direction''. Lampshaded one time when his ''Party Quirk'' was "[[SomethingElseAlsoRises the more attracted he is to someone, the faster he talks]]," slowing down considerably when he approaches Drew.
** Also seen in "Quiz Show"/"Game Show" when Greg acted as host; he would speak gibberish when describing the rules of the "lightning round", presumably to parody real game show hosts who speed through the rules of a round because [[InfoDump most people watching have seen the show before]].
** One scene of "Hollywood Director" featured the style of "randomly speeding up and slowing down".
** Similarly, another playing of "Hollywood Director" featured the style of the actors being hopped up on caffeine, which of course made them speak much faster than usual.
* MrExposition: In a game of "Film, TV, and Theater Styles", Drew explains the plot has Ryan and Wayne being targeted by a mob hitman played by Colin. Colin enters by saying, "I've finally tracked you down! I'm a mob hitman! They call me Jerry the Exposition."
* MultipleChoiceFormLetter: Sometimes the game suggestions work like this, like "Motown Group" and "Doo Wop". "Motown Group" uses a simple "Do the X" format eg. "Do The Truck Driver", while "Doo Wop" starts with Drew or Aisha asking for a woman's name and then a hobby. Then he/she says the song is about a woman named (blank) who died in a freak (hobby) accident.
* MundaneAfterlife:
** Apparently Hell has a PA system and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm3xNIeSo_4&t=1m00s television]]. And Music/MichaelBolton music, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riQpWxrCOFU&t=4m00s and Drew's desk.]]
--->'''Ryan:''' [[DealWithTheDevil THIS is how you got two shows!]]
** One "Scenes From a Hat" suggestion was "Versions of Hell other than eternal flames"; Ryan thought it would be endless Hoedowns, Colin's contribution was "Let's hear that Yentl soundtrack one more time!", and Greg and Wayne both said, "Mississippi... I'm ''still'' in Mississippi!"
* MundaneMadeAwesome: Several games, but ''Three Headed Broadway Star'' is the biggest offender.
* MundaneSolution:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ7HjzZLpcQ&t=1m07s Wayne solves the problem of failing plastic surgery!]]
** How does one restore the magnificence of the bells of [[Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Notre Dame?]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCnx_IH0cn0 WD-40.]]
* MundaneWish:
** One "Scenes From A Hat" game was "Bad choices to make when your genie grants you three wishes."
--->'''Colin:''' Uh, two Cokes and some chips.
** Ryan had a different idea.
--->'''Ryan:''' [[Film/TheWizardOfOz I'd rather drive the Yellow Brick Road, you wouldn't know of a car rental place around here would you?]]
* MyEyesAreUpHere: In a deleted playing of "Song Styles", Brad sang to a rather buxom blonde and began the song with the line, "Oh I can't stop staring at your breasts..." Later, he tried again with a much older woman, and [[RuleOfFunny sang the same line.]]
* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: Clive had digs against Canada before the US version took off with that idea.
-->'''Clive:''' ''[describing Colin]'' Famous throughout the civilized world and Canada.
* MyLifeFlashedBeforeMyEyes: Done in a "Weird Newscasters" by Ryan, whose character is about to die.
* MythologyGag: There's a couple of references to the UK version in the US episodes:
** After Drew flubs a "Greatest Hits" introduction:
--->'''Drew:''' What's going to happen is, Ryan and Colin are going to pretend to be commercial TV pitch guys, they're going to make up titles of songs, and then you give the title to Brad and Chip here...\\
'''Ryan:''' Did Brad show up?\\
'''Drew:''' What? ''[Wayne looks visibly upset, begins to walk away]''\\
'''Ryan:''' Brad showed up?\\
'''Drew:''' Oh, I'm sorry! ''[Chip starts to follow Wayne, audience begins to boo]''\\
'''Chip:''' No, he meant me, Bradchip.\\
'''Ryan:''' Hey, Clive's allowed to make mistakes!
** Also, in the intro for one show:
--->'''Drew:''' I give 'em points, I don't know why, it's a thing we brought over here from England.
** The revival series has excommunicated certain games like "African Chant", but one recent game of "Song Styles" is done InTheStyleOf Theatre/TheLionKing stage musical, which is African Chant all over again, just a little more elaborate.
** In the second episode of the 2013 series's third season, Jeff and Aisha got into a debate about Adelaide Kane's name.
--->'''Jeff:''' You know, Drew never got angry like this.
** When Chip Esten returned for the revival series in an episode with Jeff Davis in the third seat, they had him involved in "Greatest Hits" and did an 80's pop number, which immediately became a recreation of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5XPebxT8FI one of Chip and Jeff's more memorable numbers]] from ''Series/DrewCareysImprovaganza''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:N]]
* NakedPeopleAreFunny: Not for real, of course, but invoked quite often in ''Scenes from a Hat'' and others. Ryan of course is usually responsible.
* NameAmnesia: In one of the "Showstopping Numbers":
--> '''Colin''': What's-his-name here deserves a raise.
* NarrationEcho: Colin likes to use this for his opening line in games.
-->'''Drew:''' Colin is a mob hit man, who finally tracks them down.\\
'''Colin:''' I've finally tracked you down! I'm a mob hit man!
* NationalAnthem: On the UK version, a game of "Whose Line" has Colin coming to America. Ryan says they should sing the national anthem together, but Ryan sings "America The Beautiful" instead of "The Star Spangled Banner", with Colin clearly confused as to why he picked the wrong song.
* NationalStereotypes:
** Often used for comedic effect, and most prevalent in "Foreign Film Dub". Examples include people in France only taking baths every few months, and people in Australia ending pretty much every sentence with "mate".
--->'''Drew:''' ''[speaks mock Japanese]''\\
'''Ryan:''' I have to eat quick, [[TakeThat I'm due back at the sumo ring.]]
** Speaking of France, in a playing of "Helping Hands" where Ryan played a French teacher, Ryan made an out of nowhere remark: "That Jerry Lewis, he cracks me up."
** In a playing of "Weird Newscasters" where Wayne played an Italian stud and hit on Drew Carey.
--->'''Greg:''' Grazie bene, Wayne. Like ''all'' Italian guys, you have strange tastes in women.
** A "Scenes From a Hat" suggestion was "Opening lines to foreign national anthems".
--->'''Ryan:''' Russia, our women look like men! Russia!
* NauseaFuel:
** Invoked: During "Greatest Hits", the first music style was Series/TheBradyBunch.
--->'''Ryan:''' I had the hots for Alice.\\
'''Colin:''' ''[grossed out]'' Sorry, just working with the visual.
** Part of the appeal of "Helping Hands" is to see the gross foodstuff that Colin's hands will make Ryan eat.
* NetworkRedHeadedStepchild: In 2013, after a six-year hiatus, the series was revived on Creator/TheCW, a network otherwise known for its soapy teen dramas, fantasy series, and, superhero offerings, and certainly not unscripted series, much less improv comedy. People are even more surprised when The CW keeps renewing it year after year.
* NeverASelfmadeWoman: They try out something new in the fifth revival season, with the third-seater instead of Colin as the director for "Hollywood Director". Heather Anne Campbell gets the job.
-->'''Heather:''' My dad was a director so I get to be a director too.
* NeverSayDie: The game "Dead Bodies" actually got renamed into "Fainting Bodies" for a brief while during the UK run. Fortunately it didn't stick.
* NeverSayThatAgain: During a playing of "Narrate", Ryan says to the camera that he knew Colin from years back when the sheriff caught him giving his wife a lube job. He said he wouldn't bring it up because he knew it was a touchy subject.
-->'''Ryan:''' ''[the very next line]'' Haven't seen you since the lube job.\\
'''Colin:''' ''[erupts in anger]'' Never mention that again!
* NighInvulnerability: The "Film Noir" set at a gas station has this.
-->'''Colin:''' Yeah, last time I saw him, he tried to murder me. But when you kill someone by... chopping off their head, rolling them up in a carpet, and burning it, you'd better make sure they're dead.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: "Multiple Personalities" involves the actors with a different personality depending on which prop they held. This would sometimes end with everyone dumping all three items in the hands of one player, usually Ryan, who is forced to act as three different characters at the same time. HilarityEnsues.
* NoblewomansLaugh: In one "Greatest Hits" about UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, Ryan thinks this is how everyone in Hollywood laughs.
-->'''Ryan:''' ''[poking his Botox-injected face]'' [[TakeThat Cos I can't smile!]]
* NoBudget: Invoked several times in "Hollywood Director", like having Wayne play two characters in one revival episode.
* NoDialogueEpisode: "Sound Effects" is a game where one performer provides the sound effects for another if there is no audience participation involved.
* NoEnding: Due to the nature of the show, scenes often end abruptly if Clive or Drew buzzes the performers out, even if the conflict hadn't been resolved yet. Occasionally, they'll ignore it and continue the scene to more buzzing.
* NoFourthWall:
** Ranging from mild ones, like talking into the camera, to just running into the audience and around the studio, as part of the games sometimes, but usually for laughs.
%%** This [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvpo24-Nzl4 skit of Newsflash]] takes the concept of "Meta-Example" to a whole new level.
** The premise of "Film Noir" involves the players doing their own PrivateEyeMonologue, which winds up like this.
* NoIndoorVoice:
** In the "Number of Words" parodying ''Film/{{Rocky}}''.
--->'''Colin:''' I gotta, ADRIAN!!!\\
'''Kathy:''' ''[as an annoyed Adrian]'' I ''heard''.
** The guys' idea of "[[DrillSergeantnasty drill sergeants]] in other professions" was ''nothing'' but this trope.
** Aisha's idea of the "World's Worst" thing to say or do in a cinema. Pretty obvious really.
--->'''Aisha:''' Oh, she gonna go into that house girl... You gonna DIE! YOU GONNA DIE, GIRL! RUN BITCH, RUN!!
* NoMedicationForMe: In the "Greatest Hits" about nurses:
-->'''Ryan:''' What comes to mind when I say Cubs and White Sox?\\
'''Colin:''' Banana splits. They tried introducing them during doubleheaders in the '80's. It just didn't work, because when you threw it, the banana would slip out and you'd be hit with ice cream. At least in the park I was in.\\
'''Ryan:''' We'll get you some more medication after the commercial.
* NoNameGiven:
** Before the "Number of Words" about ''Film/{{Rocky}}''.
--->'''Drew:''' Wayne is Rocky's tough-talking opponent.\\
'''Wayne:''' I don't even get a name?\\
'''Drew:''' Apollo. Call yourself "Apollo" if you want to.
** In a playing of "Action Replay", Wayne started the scene by calling Greg "guide".
* NonAnswer: In one "Press Conference":
-->'''Ryan:''' Why?\\
'''Colin:''' Well, to that, I have to give my standard answer: Why not?
* NonindicativeName: In one Greatest Hits, the music style was Music/BarenakedLadies.
-->''[Ryan barks and pants like a dog]''
-->''[beat]''
-->'''Ryan:''' They're not really ladies, are they?
-->'''Colin:''' No, they're actually fully-dressed men.
* NoodleImplements:
** Played straight in the "Home Shopping" games, where contestants try to make an infomercial out of random props handed to them, and one audience suggested item that they just talk about. For example, one game centered around a broken plastic coat hanger, someone else's holiday photos, and a bucket of onion gravy.
** "Press Conference" sometimes leads to a question about what items were required, leading directly to this.
--->[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJboVplcjQM When I first come to this country with nothing but a hammer and a powerful laxative...]]
%%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2WoRGNeK8Q "Unusual things for a neighbour to ask to borrow" ]] (Starts 9:55)
** A game of "Two-Line Vocabulary" has Colin as a sergeant leading two men into enemy territory armed with nothing but a can opener, some barbed wire, and a very quiet goat.
** One "Party Quirks"
--->'''Jeff:''' Okay, I got the beer, I got the baby oil, let's do this!
** The game of "Dubbing" with Jerry Springer as a stripper has Ryan pretend to pull brass stripper poles out of a closet, apparently just in case there was a stripping contest needed.
* NoodleIncident:
** Parodied whenever the subject of how the players got parts on the show comes up, and sometimes at random moments.
** During a session of "Greatest Hits", Colin mentions he can't go back to Jamaica because of an unfortunate "dreadlocking" accident, which is never elaborated on because he has a hard time talking about it.
** The ''Newsflash'' game involves (usually) Colin reporting on one of these. Then it goes into NoodleImplements when he is asked about how it all started.
--->'''Colin:''' It all started when a Cola taste test went horribly wrong!
** In one game of "Helping Hands", Ryan is a pastry chef. At one point, he mentions The Great Sprinkle Accident of 1982.
** The "Knocked Over the Christmas Tree" Irish Drinking Song has only three verses. It's unclear whether a verse started by Colin got cut or Ryan skipped over him by accident.
* NostrilShot: Done easily and often. One game of ''World's Worst'' involves examples of the world's worst TV show, and Greg Proops and Drew Carey take turns to move too close to the camera, "announcing" the TV shows "You're Sitting Too Close" and "What's Up My Nose?"
* NoSympathy: In the "Weird Newscasters" where Chip played a singing gondolier, Colin merely said "Oh well." after Chip's character sank into the water. Granted, that may be because Chip made a bald joke earlier, but still.
* NotBad: The game of "Hollywood Director" has Colin telling the performers their work is crap in every playing. But after the performance of giving birth in a Italian restaurant in the style of the musical "Les Miserables" has Colin end up admitting it was really good.
* NotBigEnoughForTheTwoOfUs: A variant is said by Ryan in a "Film, TV & Theater Styles" when the style switched to western.
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent:
** Somewhat subverted. Colin is horrible with impressions, so when skits such as Questionable Impressions come up, he often picks celebrities without a particularly unusual voice.
--->'''Colin:''' Do you have anything for Craig T. Nelson?
** In the "Sound Effects" by audience members game about James Bond (Ryan) and Bond girl Tiffany (Colin).
--->'''Ryan:''' Tiffany, I've fallen so in love with you, I'm not even going to bother with my fake accent.
** In the "Living Scenery" game with Ryan as James Bond, he never even gave an excuse as to why Bond sounds so American.
** A game of "World's Worst" has the worst products to sell with Wayne saying he has Colin's book on how to do accents. All the nationalities sound just like American English.
** Happens during a game of Helping Hands in the new season, where Ryan plays a Mexican chef teaching his son (Keegan Michael-Key) how to prepare food:
--->'''Keegan:''' ''[in a Hispanic accent]'' Okay, Papa! I'm ready Papa!\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[in his normal voice]'' I don't know how you ended up Hispanic. We're from Jersey.
* NowHowMuchWouldYouPay:
** Often said in both "Greatest Hits" and "Infomercial" about the CD album or product Ryan and Colin are selling. Always taken in weird directions, such as:
--->'''Colin:''' How much would you pay for a CD set like this?\\
'''Ryan:''' Well I work for the company, so I just grab all the free ones!
** Or:
--->'''Ryan:''' How much would you pay for a 4-CD set like this, Colin?\\
'''Colin:''' Gosh, I'd pay upwards of my life savings.\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[to audience]'' And that's all we expect of ''you''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:O]]
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Seen in a "Scenes From a Hat" suggestion: "What President Bush does in the Oval Office when he's all by himself." Wayne comes on stage as George W. Bush and, speaking in a scholarly tone, says that now that he's alone, he can do all the smart things he enjoys, such as reading Creator/CharlesDickens novels and the encyclopedia.
* ObligatoryJoke: In the episodes where Ryan wore a cowboy shirt, Drew poked fun at it numerous times.
-->'''Drew:''' He's wearing a cowboy shirt, what am I supposed to do?
* OffTheRails:
** Played straight due to the nature of the show, for any number of reasons ranging from forgetting rules, everyone cracking up or even equipment failure.
--->'''Wayne:''' Howard, can you last? Howard, how'd this song get so damn fast?\\\
'''Drew:''' I never even knew the Music/VillagePeople did polkas...\\
'''Greg:''' Watch out for those tempo changes man... when we reach the second bridge this sh*t takes off!
** Colin being the only one to maintain his composure during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13wEuXLk958 this Irish Drinking Song]]. Drew partially mumbles his first line, and Ryan rhymes it in gibberish. Wayne and Drew laugh too hard at this to give their next lines, and Colin says "Meow!" for his. Everyone on stage, even the band, has to take a break due to laughing so hard. They are able to get back together for one final verse which ends with Colin saying "Meow!" again. In doing so, he is the only one to sing the final chorus of the song.
%%*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSDW6Tjpp2U Similarly, this one.]] Everyone who's not Colin gives up the ghost.
%%*** There's another one (Irish Drinking Song about pregnancy) where Colin recites his running gag, but at the end. Wayne breaks down laughing, but everyone else does so only after ten seconds or so.
** Invoked literally at the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLmxKGCVPtc this episode,]] when Colin and Ryan read the credits as "cocky rollercoaster riders who have underestimated the size of this one", and after attempting to swing and lurch in sync, give up entirely and ''go off in different directions''.
* OffTheShelfFX: The early playings of ''Props'' in the UK series would involve some pretty recognizable items, like kitchen utensils or snowshoes.
-->'''Creator/StephenFry:''' ''[with a sheet of bubble wrap]'' Look, either the BBC believes in sci-fi or it doesn't, but how am I going to make 50 [[Series/DoctorWho Daleks]] out of ''this''?
* OhCrap:
** Happens a few times during the guessing games, and literally when Wayne realizes he read his card wrong.
--->'''Wayne:''' ''[after being "on [[Series/TheJerrySpringerShow Jerry Springer]]" for "Party Quirks"]'' ...Well, now that the game's over... mine said ''[reads card]'' "I've got A Secret" Episode of the- awwww crap...[[note]]Considering that [[Series/TheJerrySpringerShow Jerry Springer]] is primarily populated by white rednecks and Wayne was piling on the black stereotypes, he might have misread "South America" as "South Central".[[/note]]
%%** Ryan gets this just once during the skateboarding "Newsflash".
** Drew has this expression every time one of the players creeps towards his desk in a quirk game. Example: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhX0ec_pvKw&t=2m19s Wayne as the greased pig herder in Weird Newscasters.]]
** Anytime someone's rhyme gets stolen in ''Hoedown''. It also applies to the thief, who often gets insulted as a result.
** A more serious one happened during a game of "Infomercial" where Colin put one of the random objects in Ryan's mouth and started turning the crank. Drew hurriedly tried to stop him, and then after the game explained that the device was a grill lighter, which could have seriously hurt Ryan.
* OldSchoolIntroductoryRap: Parodied in a "Scenes From a Hat" skit, when Brad responds to "People who shouldn't rap" by saying "Well I'm [X] and I'm here to say!" for two different people. The first time, it's Newt Gingrich; the second time, it's Creator/StephenHawking, complete with his iconic "synthesized" voice and posture.
* OldShame: The performers never miss an opportunity to recall that Drew starred in Film/{{Geppetto}}, including Drew himself.
* OlderThanTheyLook:
** Not in the traditional sense, since the performers are merely playing characters. But it does make for funny parallels, as Ryan and Colin are frequently joked to be older than they look.
** In "Hollywood Director" when Ryan and Kathy Greenwood had to play a '50s teen couple making out:
--->'''Ryan:''' ''[to Colin]'' It's hard for me to get the reality of the scene; unlike you, I wasn't alive during the fifties! ''[audience laughs and "ooohs"]''\\
'''Colin:''' ...Good one.
** In "Greatest Hits", a RunningGag is how one of the two (either Ryan or Colin) wasn't alive during an older era when a style of music or concept was popular, but the other one told them all about it.
--->'''Ryan:''' Years ago- of course, I'm much too young to remember the days of the traveling salesman, but it must hold a lot of fond memories for ''you''. ''[looks at Colin]''
** In the "Greatest Hits" about pizza, Ryan said that he grew up in the '40s.
** In the "Greatest Hits" about the Marine Corps, Ryan said he was a child of the '20s.
** In the "Let's Make a Date" where Wayne played a buns of steel fitness instructor, he proudly declared that he was 87 years old.
* OlderThanTheyThink: Invoked in the "Greatest Hits" about taxi drivers: After "I Can't Pronounce the Driver's Name" (done in the style of Music/TheBeeGees), Colin dismissed them, "They were just ripping off Johnny Mathis." Ryan agreed.
* TheOldestProfession:
** In "Scenes From a Hat": Odd things to sell door to door:
--->'''Ryan:''' Hi. Uh, I'm a whore. And I was wondering...
** In another "Scenes From a Hat": Bad parental advice:
--->'''Ryan:''' A teacher? A teacher?! Honey, prostitutes make twice that money!
** Alluded to in a "Questions Only" set in a wild west saloon:
--->'''Ryan:''' ''[miming putting on a bra]'' How was that, cowboy?
** Before one "Greatest Hits", Drew asked the audience what they wanted to be when they grew up.
--->'''Woman from audience:''' ''[jokingly]'' Prostitute!\\
'''Drew:''' Hey, call me when you grow up!
** In "Film, TV & Theater Styles" with the theme of the "storm of the century", the style switched to [[Creator/FedericoFellini Fellini]]. Colin said:
--->'''Colin:''' ''[Italian accent]'' I want a fat prostitute.
** Implied in "Scenes From a Hat", where one suggestion was what Drew whispers into his date's ear:
--->'''Ryan:''' ''[whispering]'' Keep the change.
** Related: Wayne acted as a pimp in one playing of "Hats":
--->'''Wayne:''' I'm not necessarily ''looking'' for a date, but I can get ''you'' one.
* OnSecondThought: Before a playing of "Greatest Hits", Drew asked for suggestions of a city. He took the suggestions of Paris and Amsterdam, pondered for a second, and tentatively chose Amsterdam. Ryan made a funny face [[AreYouSureYouWantToDoThat and said "OK..."]] Drew promptly switched it back to Paris based on Ryan's comment and the crowd reaction.
-->'''Drew:''' ''[singing]'' Oh, the whores of Amsterdam...
* OnceAnEpisode:
** Drew would switch out with the "winner" for a game, which would often be Hoedown because he was consistently good at it. Evidently by later episodes, Ryan got tired of Hoedown ''really quickly''.
** Bald jokes. Lampshaded by Ryan in the "Salute to Television" episode:
--->'''Drew:''' ...You're gonna do the sound effects for Colin. Colin's the bald one.\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[looking at watch]'' Aaaaaand, mark.
** The revival series has seen an increase in the use of "things you can say about X" any time Scenes from a Hat comes up.
* OneDialogueTwoConversations: In "Press Conference", one player is a character holding a press conference, but has no clue who he is or what he's done, whereas the rest of the players, being reporters, must try to clue him in on it.
* [[OneShotCharacter One Shot Performer]]: Debbie Durst, Kathie Kinney, and Robin Williams all had only one episode each. This was standard practice on the UK version early on, especially in the first season. They had a few regulars, but on the whole, didn't seem interested in developing a "cast" until about the 5th season. Before that, many players were only one timers, no matter how succesful the appearance was.
* OneSteveLimit:
** Unintentional of course, but makes it remarkably easy to identify everyone on the show by first name basis. Unless you count Kathy Greenwood and guests Kathy ''Griffin'' and Kathy Kinney.
** Also, Steve Frost and Steve Steen from the UK version. They were even on the ''same episode'' once. (Clive introduced Steve F. as Stephen Frost to avoid confusion.) But it's still pretty ironic that a show that almost always (unintentionally) adheres to the OneSteveLimit still manages to have ''four Steves''.
*** In case anyone's wondering, the other two "Steves" were Creator/StephenFry and Creator/StephenColbert.
** Jonathan Pryce and John Sessions appeared in a couple of the same episodes on the UK version as well, meaning Clive had to be careful to refer to them as "John" and "Jonathan", depending on who he was speaking to.
** The original TV pilot had John Sessions and Jon Glover. Lampshade when Clive called the two down to do a scene together, John Sessions commented, "The two Johnnys!"
* OneIPreparedEarlier: In "Film, TV, and Theater Styles", Colin is the wife cheating on husband Ryan with the ski instructor Wayne. Drew switches the style to "cooking show".
-->'''Ryan:''' I find when my wife is cheating, it's best to put her in a oven set at 350 for 2 hours.\\
''[Colin pretends to get into an oven]''\\
'''Wayne:''' Because we couldn't do this on a regular show, we have a prepared wife in the other oven.\\
''[Colin moves over and walks out, while Ryan and Wayne make impressed noises with how well "she" came out]''
* OneWomanWail: Parodied by Wayne in "Three Headed Broadway Star's" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZuaMTkw8Hk "I Lost My Legwarmers"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk2X7zwMX3k&t=3m33s "Attooorniiieeee"]] from ''Greatest Hits'' "Songs of the Attorney".
* OneWordVocabulary: The basis behind [[ExactlyWhatItsaysOnTheTin "Two-Line Vocabulary"]], in which two panelists are each limited to two different lines' worth of dialog.
** Also "Number of Words" often has one person's limit be one word.
* OnlySaneMan: Several games, like "Two Line Vocabulary" with one performer speaking normally while the others can only say one of two lines or "Weird Newscasters", with a sane anchorman and crazy cast members. [[KickTheDog It's usually Colin.]]
* OohMeAccentsSlipping:
** Naturally, this occurs when the cast has to speak in an accent for a scene. One game of Hollywood Director, Ryan [[LampshadeHanging flat out stated this would likely happen during the scene]].
--->'''Ryan:''' Let me just say this Spanish guy has some Italian in him.
** Another game started with Ryan [[ForegoneConclusion declaring that he's]] NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent.
** That same Hollywood Director had Kathy declaring she also had Canadian and Swedish ancestry, Ryan remarking that the three of them (Wayne was the third) all came from different parts of Spain, and then Kathy mentioning that they might actually be in Mexico.
%%*** It also doesn't help that Drew couldn't seem to make up his mind as to whether the scene took place in Spain (Ryan was a fiendish Spanish Colonel) or Mexico (Kathy was a Mexican princess).
** Another time, in "Film, TV & Theater Styles", a scene changed to "Australian soap opera". Wayne, Colin, and Ryan began speaking in Australian accents (bad ones, too), but Colin quickly reverted to his regular accent and even lampshaded this by saying his accent was gone and had to find it.
** A subversion is seen in a playing of "The Millionaire Show" that features [[Series/TheJerrySpringerShow Jerry Springer]] as the theme. Ryan starts the skit talking like he normally does, but when he goes to call Kathy, [[UnexplainedAccent he suddenly has a Southern accent]]. Ryan, upon realizing this, quickly lampshades it:
--->'''Ryan:''' Hey, shh, when I talk to her, I talk with an accent. I don't want her to know where I'm from.
** Another time, during a German Millionaire game, Greg actually mentions this trope:
--->'''Greg:''' Now you know you have two lifelines, you can go to them at any time when asked a question. Or if my accent slips to another country you may call me on that.
** From the same playing, Colin was Ryan's phone-a-friend and Ryan asked him if it was A, B, C, or D in a muddled German accent.
--->'''Colin:''' Are you Swedish?
** In a "Helping Hands" where Ryan was a French man, Ryan's accent was muddled throughout the scene, and finally he lampshaded it:
--->'''Ryan:''' We love-a the wine, and we love-a the bready... ''[beat]'' Am I Italian or Frenchy?
** In a "Let's Make a Date" where Ryan played a Russian spy:
--->'''Ryan:''' Yes, hallo.\\
'''Greg:''' Hello. Oh, you're from another land.\\
'''Ryan:''' [[LampshadeHanging Good luck guessing which one.]]\\
'''Greg:''' All right, I like to eat exotic food. Where would you take me to eat?\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[muddled Russian accent]'' Wherever it was... ''[shakes head]]' No.\\
'''Greg:''' Excuse me, are you from a different country now?\\
'''Ryan:''' Yes, but I'm... [[HandWave speaking in disguise with my voice. I don't want you to know what country I'm from.]]
** In a "Whose Line" in the style of ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'':
--->'''Ryan:''' My mother was the greatest woman that ever lived.\\
'''Colin:''' Aye.\\
'''Ryan:''' She'd wake me up in the morning, she'd say, "wee Charlie..."\\
'''Colin:''' You're Irish now.\\
'''Ryan:''' Yes! [[HandWave We moved a lot when I was a child, my father was a military man.]]
* OrAreYouJustHappyToSeeMe:
** In the game "Superheroes", Brad (Suicide Boy) points out the crisis is tight underwear on everyone.
--->'''Ryan:''' I just thought you were happy to see me!
** The game "Greatest Hits of the Chiropractor" had the song "Is That A Bulging Disc Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?"
* OrSoIHeard:
** Ryan often pretends to act innocent after a scene that involves something sexual. After the sole playing of "Meet the Family" where he played a dominatrix.
--->'''Ryan:''' I don't really know what dominatrices do... if they hook electricity up to people's nipples, I wouldn't know anything about that.
** After a game that involved miming a strip club, Ryan pretended that he didn't know what a strip club was. Drew had to explain that it's a place where women take off their clothes for money.
** After a Newsflash where the clips were of Jerry Springer episodes, Drew asked what was up with the fish guy in one of the clips. Ryan described what occurred on that episode... and quickly followed by saying he didn't watch it but saw a clip for it.
** After a Party Quirks where Ryan was a series of delivery men in porno films, Ryan said he had to imagine what those kind of characters must act like. Colin then laughed sarcastically.
* OrphanedPunchline:
** Played with in "Backwards Scene"; one player would start with the punchline and have to create the joke leading up to it next.
** One time coming back from a commercial break, we hear this.
--->'''Drew:''' By the way, here's the results of our web poll. 37% said "Ryan", 42% said "With cream cheese", and 21% said "Ryan with cream cheese".
** Some playings of "Newsflash" start like this, often with the two anchors saying something to each other then realizing the "camera" is on them.
** In "Hats", Ryan came out wearing a dog mask. He simply said: "Why? Because I can." [[note]](a punchline to the set-up question: "Why do dogs lick their crotch?")[[/note]]
* {{Overcrank}}:
** Utilized in a playing of "Hollywood Director" combined with randomly speeding up.
** In any scene parodying ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'', expect to see an imitation of slow motion.
** Wayne was once a sportscaster whose video feed was randomly speeding up and slowing down.
* OutOfFocus: The Aisha Tyler version noticeably favors the celebrity guests over the fourth-seaters.
* OutWithABang: Insinuated in the Doo-Wop song about Jessica who died in an exterminating accident.
-->'''Wayne:''' You're not the first girl to die when I pitched a tent.
* OverlyLongGag:
** Colin's long-winded monologue at the beginning of the Greatest Hits about "Songs of the Wrestler":
--->'''Colin:''' As long as there's been men in tight... tights... sorry, I was just picturing it. As long as there's been sweaty men in tights fighting each other and bumping into ropes and... doing stuff like that, there's been hundreds and hundreds of songs written about 'em. From the early days of Greece to the later days of Pompeii, and even now, where people wrestle not only for profit, but for fun, and to teach the young people that there's better ways of working out your problems than just talking...\\
'''Ryan:''' You mind if I just sell the CD? ''[audience laughs]'' Apparently, our movie is ''over'' now.
** After a "Weird Newscasters" where Ryan was descending the evolutionary scale, the punchline was that Drew was lower than a prehistoric ape. Drew called Ryan a "freak" a total of ''six'' times. Just when you think he's done, he starts up again.
--->'''Drew:''' I can take it; doesn't bother me. Tall, big-nosed freak, ya. Now let's go on to a game called "Narrate". This is for Colin and the freak. Colin and the tall freak. ''[after he gets suggestions from the audience]'' Bike shop. Bike shop. So you're at a bike shop. Not the best suggestion, but for the freak? He can make anything funny, right, freak?\\
'''Ryan:''' You just have to forget now.\\
'''Drew:''' Got to forget, OK. ''[beat]'' So, Colin and the freak, you're gonna act out a film noir scene set at a bike shop.
** In one "Let's Make a Date", Ryan played a man secretly setting up a 24 hour erotic webcam on stage. When it came time to guess, Greg seemed to get it pretty quickly but kept dragging out the guessing with phony confusion:
--->'''Drew:''' Where do you go to see 24-hour entertainment?\\
'''Greg:''' ...Do ''I'' go?? There's a little bar down in Tijuana--\\
'''Drew:''' No.\\
'''Greg:''' It's called the Hot Pepper...\\
'''Drew:''' No.\\
'''Greg:''' Ask for Rico. ''[Drew mimes typing on a keyboard to give him a hint]'' Oh, a piano bar?! ''[Drew gets mildly annoyed]'' Oh, I know where he is.
** Any time in "Foreign Film Dub" when one of the performers says one or two words and [[TranslationYes the translation is really long.]]
** The 2013 game "Forward/Rewind" provides instances of this, forcing the players to go back and forth through the same lines/actions over and over again.
--->'''Colin:''' Watch out for that tree!\\
''[Wayne crashes into a tree]''\\
REWIND!\\
''[Wayne un-crashes]''\\
'''Colin:''' Watch out for that tree!\\
FORWARD!\\
'''Colin:''' Watch out for that tree!\\
''[Wayne crashes]''\\
REWIND!
%%** When Wayne acted as [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush George Dubya]] during a playing of "Hats".
** Ryan's idea of the "World's Worst" roommate involved [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR4aeQliW7w a hilariously annoying "Good Morning" song, which went on and on as Aisha deliberately waited it out and then Wayne joined in...]]
** Also in the revival, Ryan's idea of a "World's Worst Actor's Audition", where he was an apparently seasoned thespian who kept stopping and turning to Colin and going "Line. Line. Line. Line..."
* OverlyLongName:
** Maria's last name in the "Dubbing" about ''Theatre/WestSideStory''. It began with "Maria Conchito Alonso" and then degenerated into Spanish-sounding gibberish, and ended with "Jones".
** Brad once named himself "Chesterfield Snapdragon [=McFisticuffs=]" in ''Newsflash''.
** In a "Weird Newscasters", Brad introduced Wayne as "Ricardo Balbone Montez de la Vasquez Asabolca".
* OverlyNarrowSuperlative:
** Played with often during Clive's CouchGag intro.
--->'''Clive:''' Featuring tonight: England's answer to the Jolly Green Giant, Steve Frost; then, the jolliest man to come out of Canada since Music/LeonardCohen, Colin Mochrie; next, the jolliest man to come out of Canada since Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles; and finally, the jolliest man in the world called Tony Slattery, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Tony Slattery!]]
** In another intro, he described John Sessions this way.
--->'''Clive:''' The most talented person I've ever met named "John Sessions".
** This was a common gag for Clive; he would say things like "That was the best playing of "Secret" I've ever seen, from the last five minutes."
** In a "World's Worst" with the theme of award speeches:
--->'''Greg:''' I would like to thank ABC for giving me the Drew Carey award. It only goes to one lucky guy with glasses a year, and gosh darn it, tonight I'm the king of the... general area.
** When ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire'' was part of the schedule.
--->'''Drew:''' ''Whose Line'' is the second most popular show on ABC whose title is a rhetorical question.
* OverlyPrepreparedGag:
** If Colin's the first "normal" person in "Weird Newscasters", expect the top story of the day to be one of these.
--->'''Colin:''' Our top story today. Convicted hitman Jimmy "Two Shoes" [=McClardy=] confessed today that he was once hired to beat a cow to death in a rice field using only two small porcelain figures. Police admit that this may be the first known case of a knick-knack paddy whack.
** In the "Greatest Hits" about "Songs of Horror", Colin mocked Ryan's earlier pun ("Jittery bug? JITTERBUG!") by telling a story about how he went to a circus and saw a man bend a car. "Bend a car? PAT BENATAR!" and another story about how he used to be a horse jockey and that they used to put sanitary paper on cots for the fillies to sleep on. "Wait a minute: Bed cot filly paper? RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS!"
** A Ryan example, also from "Greatest Hits":
--->'''Ryan:''' One of my favorite artists is Liberace. He didn't sing much; he played. But a song style I like even better was done by his sister, Mary. And mariachi music... ''[audience laughs]'' Long way to go for that one, huh?
** After one game:
--->'''Drew:''' Giving you three points a piece for that. [[Film/TheMusicMan That's three with a capital T, that rhymes with P, that stands for points! Oh, yes, we got trouble, my friends!]] A little something I worked out in the dressing room before the show I couldn't wait to do.
** This reached gratuitous levels in the second revival season.
--->'''Colin:''' We'll be right back to our documentary on people who bag groceries, fighting for the right to operate the machines that make orange juice, in 'Baggers Can't Be Juicers', in just a second.\\
''[beat as audience laughs]''\\
'''Ryan:''' [[SarcasmMode Oh well, we're out of time!]] ''[DeathGlare at Colin]''
* OvershadowedByAwesome: In the Creator/RobinWilliams episode you can tell the rest of the group was struggling to keep up with his high energy, but the tables were turned when Robin was set to improv a song with Wayne. You can visibly see Robin dumbfounded at how good Wayne was and resorted to just sort of miming out the lyrics.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:P]]
* PacManFever: Glaringly obvious in one ''Song Styles'' where Wayne sings to one of the game reviewers from ''[[http://www.dailyradar.com/ DailyRadar (now known as GamesRadar)]]''. To his credit, Wayne went with ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' rather than the ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' franchise that predated it.
* PainfulRhyme: In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw77UmjYtvc one of the UK Hoedowns]], Ryan uses a SoBadItsGood rhyme by pronouncing "creature" as "cree-cheer." It cracks both him and the audience up so much he has to start his verse over.
* PaintedOnPants: One Hoedown in the U.K. version was about tight pants.
* {{Pantomime}}: As can be expected, this often comes up in U.K. games of Film/Theatre Styles, complete with encouraged audience participation. It might confuse non-Brit viewers who wonder why the players don't commence actual ''mime'' performances.
* ParallelPornTitles:
** In "Greatest Hits", Ryan and Colin interrupted a movie called [[Film/TheAmityvilleHorror1979 The Amityville Whore]].
** Most of the films Colin says they'll "get right back to" have ParallelPornTitles ("''[[Film/MenInBlack Men In Back]]''", "''[[Series/TouchedByAnAngel Touched By A Hell's Angel]]''", ''[[Film/TheFullMonty Full of Monty]]'', ''[[Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone The Buns of Navarone]]'', etc.). The infamous "Animal Porn" incident happened because Colin couldn't think of a title in time and just blurted out the connotation he was trying for.
*** He did come up with a title ([[BestialityIsDepraved Mary Had A Little Lamb]]) after his slip-up, much to Ryan's amusement.
* ParodyOfEvolution: One episode runs it in reverse.
** For "Weird Newscasters", Ryan is descending the evolutionary scale. He morphs into a caveman, then a monkey, then...
--->'''Ryan:''' ''(imitating Drew Carey)'' You each get a thousand points. Let's move on to "Party Quirks".
** The episode then ends with everyone descending the evolutionary scale. It ends with Chip Esten holding out his arms and saying "'''LET THERE BE LIFE.'''"
* PatientZero: Very subtly done when "Scenes from a Hat" does a traditional GoodNewsBadNews:
-->'''Brad:''' (to Wayne) The good news is, they're going to name a disease after you.
* PecFlex:
** Seen in the "Song Styles" where Wayne sang to bodybuilder Jayne Trcka.
--->'''Drew:''' She made you look downright skinny.\\
'''Wayne:''' Yeah!\\
'''Drew:''' You took your shirt off, I was like, ''[disappointed]'' "Ohhhhh."
** One "Newsflash" featured a bodybuilding competition, with many instances of PecFlex.
** SpecialGuest [[Series/SchoolOfRock Tony Cavalero]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXAAW1WwlpA can do this for real.]]
* ThePeepingTom:
** After a playing of "Film Dub":
--->'''Drew:''' I loved how the guy at the end made Ryan's "getting out of bed" noise.\\
'''Ryan:''' ...How do ''you'' know??\\
'''Brad:''' I told him!
** For one playing of "Party Quirks", Ryan acts like one of the cameras has a peephole into a women's shower and gets Greg to look.
* PeoplePuppets: Sometimes used in the more physical improv scenes. A "Scenes From A Hat" suggestion was what politician's wives are really thinking while standing around smiling and waving. Ryan pretends to be moving a puppet and out of the side of his mouth say, "It sure is nice to be president."
** The game "Moving People" requires two audience members to move the cast members' bodies around to try to make them act out a scene, as the actors improvise the dialog.
* PerfectlyCromulentWord: In the "Whose Line" set in a gladiator arena:
-->'''Colin:''' You've filled me with courage, great gladiola!
* PeripheryDemographic: Invoked; Drew will often talk to the kids at home. After the "200 pound snatch" remark in "If You Know What I Mean":
-->'''Drew:''' Hey kids, how come you're not in bed right now?\\
'''Brad:''' "That's the last time you get to watch that show!"
* PhlebotinumInducedStupidity: Seen in a playing of "Improbable Mission". After Ryan flubs a line, Colin shouts, "OH, NO! THEY'VE GOT... CONFUSION GAS!" and starts saying random things. Fortunately, the cure is blue shoes, which Ryan just so happens to be wearing.
* PhoneaholicTeenager: Kathy Greenwood played one of these in a "Weird Newscasters".
-->'''Drew:''' [[TakeThat So, pretend it was yesterday.]]
* PieInTheFace: Seen during an early U.S. playing of "Helping Hands", when Drew hit Ryan with a pie. A later playing had Drew geared up to throw a sundae in Ryan's face.
-->'''Ryan:''' Oh, you better think twice about that, my friend.\\
''[Drew relents and sets the sundae down]''
* PigLatin: One "World's Worst" priest or rabbi suggestion had this.
-->'''Greg:''' Espiritu sanctu... ixnay on the insay.
* PintsizedPowerhouse: Scott Porter is a bit shorter than Wayne, but strong enough to pick up Wayn, hop around and hump up and down before ''flinging him off with one arm! ONE ARM!!''
* PissTakeRap:
** Colin and Ryan, in particular, for "Scene to Rap". Drew even sarcastically references this before one of the playings:
--->'''Drew:''' Because when I think of rappers, I think of these guys standing right here.
** In an episode of the UK version, Clive made a similar joke about them during the same game:
--->'''Clive:''' They're going to be helped out by Laura Hall, but hindered later on by Colin and Ryan.
** Arguably the entire premise of the old ''Rap'' game from the UK version.
** Greg has one of the most memorable screw-ups of the entire show in a deleted scene where he completely fails at rapping and ends up just interrupting the game by declaring that he's [bleeping] things up too badly for them to keep going.
* PistolWhipping: During a playing of "Two-Line Vocabulary", Colin, Ryan and Wayne are three soldiers in a foxhole and Colin is already losing his cool with the other two:
-->'''Colin:''' I have an idea.\\
'''Wayne:''' I don't think so.\\
'''Colin:''' I do.\\
'''Wayne:''' ''I don't think so!''\\
'''Colin:''' Butt! ''[hits Wayne with his "gun"]''\\
'''Wayne:''' [[ScreamsLikeALittleGirl Aaah!]] ''[collapses]''
* PizzaBoySpecialDelivery: From Party Quirks, there's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl9P7JxstBU "series of delivery guys in porn films"]].
-->'''Drew:''' That's right! The points are like whatever the delivery guy in a porno is delivering.
* PlanetOfSteves: Invoked in a "Scenes From a Hat" with the suggestion of worst presidents:
-->'''Colin:''' From now on... everyone in North Dakota is named Tim!
* ThePointsMeanNothing:
** Of course. Clive would never tell the audience outright and would pantomime tallying the totals, while Drew makes it very clear at the start of every episode and turned it into his CatchPhrase.
** Subverted in one US episode where the points ''did'' matter and the players acted more competitive than normal. Double Subverted when in the end, they still didn't matter after all.
** Drew Carey liked to award 'a thousand points' for everything, while Clive Anderson occasionally had 'millions of points for that... just to make you stop!'
*** After three-player games, Clive would often only award points to the one contestant who didn't take part. He took this to its logical extreme once, when he awarded 50 million points to Tony Slattery after a game of Film Dub. Not only was Tony not part of that game, ''he wasn't even in the studio.'' (Greg, Mike, Josie, and Ryan were that episode's contestants.)
*** One of the US members of the British show related a story how, after it was shown in the States (before the US one was made), he was harangued by a guy in the street how Clive's points made no sense. The explanation "they are a joke" was met with the rant "You're telling me! They make no sense."
** In the 2013 series, one of Aisha's between-game jokes referenced this:
--->'''Aisha:''' Because the points don't matter, I'm giving you no points.
* PorkyPigPronunciation: In a "Multiple Personalities" where one of the personalities was Jimmy Stewart, Colin pretended to stutter like Stewart does, and ended the sentence with "Relax."
* PostScriptSeason: Barring the lack of an actual script ''per se'', the last 3 seasons of the old US show, being made from leftover footage from the first five, can count.
* PottyEmergency: In a few outtakes on the [=DVDs=], Ryan complains to the producers about the length of time between breaks.
-->'''Ryan:''' Speaking of "two stools", is this gonna take much longer?
* PottyFailure:
** Ryan's last verse in a Hoedown about pregnancy tests:
--->'''Ryan:''' 'Cause when I just went "GRRRR!", I emptied all my bowels!
** A "Scenes From a Hat" suggestion was "Bad times for that laxative to kick in".
** For another suggestion about things that are cute for a child but not an adult.
--->'''Brad:''' I went poopy in my pants!
** One "Irish Drinking Song" ended with:
--->'''Colin:''' Oops! I poo'd!
** Another "Irish Drinking Song" ended with:
--->'''Colin:''' I peed my pants!
** In a "Hoedown" about skydiving:
--->'''Colin:''' I jumped out of the plane, my parachute, it failed / All the blood rushed from me, my complexion paled / Everywhere, you could hear my scared call / Luckily, all my urine broke my fall!
* PowerUpFood: If Drew makes a mistake (such as announcing the same game they just got done playing), he'll reach for his coffee mug for a quick drink.
-->'''Drew:''' Hold on, gotta get some of my medicine. ''[drinks]'' Ahhh, okay, daddy's fine now.
* PracticalJoke:
** A "Scenes From a Hat" suggestion:
--->'''Colin:''' ''[miming looking through a dictionary]'' "Practical joke: See 'Fooling someone'." ''[flips pages]'' "Fooling someone: See 'Practical joke'." ''[flips back]''
** Spoofed in a game of "Props" where the prop was a bunch of cords, which they pretend to use for the "open the can of nuts and snakes fly out" gag.
** A couple times, Drew announced a special prize to people who actually kept track of the points:
--->'''Drew:''' Hey, if you're keeping score at home, have we got a surprise for you. Tomorrow, we're giving away a free fill-up at every gas station in America. Drive to your local gas station, get your free tank of gas, and tell them "Whose Line" sent you. Glad to do it for you.
** And another example:
--->'''Drew:''' Hey, if you're keeping score at home, let me tell you about a special "Whose Line" offer we have. We're gonna give away free tickets at Wal-Mart tomorrow for the big "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" Beatles reunion. Make sure you're up bright and early when Wal-Mart opens tomorrow. Ask for your free Beatles tickets; you won't be sorry.
** And yet another:
--->'''Drew:''' Hey listen, we have a special supplement in the TV Guide this week. It's the special ''Whose Line is it Anyway?'' scorebook. If you don't have one in your TV Guide, call TV Guide and complain.
* PragmaticAdaptation: In-show: "[[Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire The Millionaire Show]]". The "50/50" lifeline is excised entirely, and one of the lifelines ("Ask the Audience") is replaced by the contestant directly asking a family member or friend in the audience the question. Only the "Phone a Friend" stays relatively true to the original game show. Drew lampshaded this a couple times, saying that's not how it's done on the actual ''Millionaire'' show, but that's how we do it here.
* PraisingShowsYouDontWatch: Invoked:
-->'''Drew:''' Welcome back to ''Whose Line is it Anyway'', the show that Hillary Clinton wants to host next year, even though she's never seen it.
* PreemptiveApology:
** Done non-verbally by Wayne when he was told he had to sing to Lee the lunch lady as a "singing strip-o-gram"; he hugged her for the double entendres and sensual movements he was about to perform. Luckily, Lee seemed to enjoy herself anyway.
** Occasionally, when a suggestion in "Scenes From a Hat" is a personal joke at the expense of one of the cast members, someone (usually Wayne) will express reservation about doing one before being egged on by the rest of the cast.
* ThePrimaDonna: When Creator/RobinWilliams guest starred on an episode, he reacted to Colin's criticism in "Hollywood Director" like an emotionally unstable star who cracks at the slightest difficulty.
---> '''Robin''': Work hard! Work hard! [[CastingCouch Last night, you didn't say that...]]
* PrimaDonnaDirector:
** Colin, during "Hollywood Director" typically plays the same director who berates the cast after every performance to set up them switching styles.
---> '''Colin:''' Do it like hillbillies!-Don't ask why, I once won a Nummy!
** Wayne, during a "Party Quirks" when he was an actor determined to do the scene better than everybody else. At one point, he imitated Drew:
--->'''Wayne:''' ''[overly dramatic]'' That's no good! That's no good at all! I ''demand'' you do something else in the scene! I DEMAND IT!!! ''[loudly fake cries]''
* PrisonRape:
** Jokes about this are unavoidable any time prisons are brought up... unless they make it ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJduQB2_AWw&t=4m51s prison consensual sex]]'' instead.
** In a Hoedown about being arrested:
--->'''Ryan:''' I got sent to prison, I didn't know what to do, / I felt so bad, because I was so new. / Didn't know the ways there, I felt like such a dope. / But now I never bend down to pick up any soap.
** In the "Showstopping Number" set at a toll booth, Wayne sang about how Colin's and Ryan's butts are gonna be the finest chicks at the penitentiary.
** Drew in particular seems to think these kind of jokes are funny. In one game of Three Headed Broadway Star (B-Block Wife) Drew seemed to be dying to work in one of these jokes and when he uses "Don't" as his word, Ryan's face shows that he's resigned to follow up on the hint and do a "don't drop the soap" joke.
* PrisonsAreGymnasiums: One revival series ep has Aisha getting a suggestion for a place where you work out.
-->'''Aisha:''' I'm not taking prison!
* PrivateEyeMonologue: Parodied constantly in "Narrate" as the two participants turn to the camera to give humorous comments on their current situation.
* ProductPlacement:
** One of the "Scenes From a Hat" suggestions was if famous movie lines contained product plugs:
--->'''Ryan:''' [[Film/TheTerminator I'll be back]]... to Burger King.\\
'''Jeff:''' [[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial Elliot]], dial 1-800-310121! It's cheaper rates!
** Lampshaded in the "Superheroes" with Greg as Not Hot But Spicy Man, Drew got suggestions on a crisis, and someone shouted out "No more Cheetos!" Drew took another suggestion of "No more shaving cream" because he was worried about the brand name. During the game:
--->'''Greg:''' There's no more shaving cream! I could go for a Cheeto right now, by God.
** One "Hollywood Director" on the old show had Ryan as a '60s teenager saying [[ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin he'd just had a Coke]], leading to Wayne as the traffic cop busting them for Coca-Cola possession. Which he held up with a smile for added effect.
** Repeated sessions of "Living Scenery" in the {{Revival}} have led to Colin picking up another person about OnceAnEpisode, and Aisha finally mentioned he was "deceptively strong". Ryan references the actual tagline for Altoids ("curiously strong") then denies he was attempting any plugging for Altoids... [[ImplausibleDeniability while popping an Altoid.]]
* ProfessionalButtKisser:
** After a playing of "Let's Make a Date" where Ryan portrayed "Drew Carey: The Musical", Chip asked who Ryan was, since Drew abruptly ended the game before Chip could guess. Drew said it was "Drew Carey: The Musical", and Chip and Wayne just smiled, trying hard not to laugh.
--->'''Chip:''' I didn't hear... I didn't get that at all.\\
'''Wayne:''' That wasn't funny at all.
** Common in "Hollywood Director", when one of the performers will suck up to Colin. In a twist, Colin never falls for it.
--->'''Colin:''' What we need is something a little more exciting, a little-\\
'''Ryan:''' That's what I was thinking!\\
'''Colin:''' ''[threatening to back-hand him]'' Hey...
** Another instance, during the playing where Ryan and Kathy were a 1950's teen couple making out:
--->'''Colin:''' You know what? We need something that appeals to the masses.\\
'''Ryan:''' Yes!\\
'''Colin:''' ''[pointing at him]'' ''Don't'' agree with me.
** In a season 8 "Hoedown" about weddings, Colin said he and his bride stayed up all night on their honeymoon watching "The Drew Carey Show".
* ProtectionFromEditors: Invoked. In the "Best of Whose Line" special, before showing a clip from the "Title Sequence" of ''Hillary and Monica'', he said they weren't originally allowed to show it, but now that they're successful, they can.
* PsychicPowers: In the "Irish Drinking Song" about Drew Carey, Wayne's final verse was "And he has telepathic powers!", which allowed Colin to rhyme it with "He's worn a thong for hours!"
* PullARabbitOutOfMyHat: Done in an early "Helping Hands" (at the time, called "Hands Through"), where Ryan played a clown/magician.
-->'''Ryan:''' The ''hard'' part is pulling a hat out of a rabbit! ''[does so]''
* {{Pun}}:
** Frequently seen on Greatest Hits, when Ryan presents a riddle to Colin, where the answer is the next music style. In one instance, Ryan asked Colin what it's called when you rock a goat to sleep. Colin replied, "A grilled cheese." A confused Ryan then says, "No, rockabilly!" The audience groans at the lame pun, and Ryan adds, "...Or maybe it IS "grilled cheese"."
** In another playing of Greatest Hits ("Songs of Horror"), Ryan talked about how he was feeling a little jittery and that he also thought he had a bug. He used this as a segue for the musical genre ("Jittery bug? Jitterbug!"), cue CollectiveGroan from the audience. Colin spent the rest of the game making fun of Ryan by telling anecdotes to introduce the next song with an intentionally contrived pun.
--->'''Colin:''' You know, I once went to the circus and watched a strong man bend a car... Bend a car? PAT BENATAR!!!\\
''[Ryan can't hide that he's laughing]''\\
\\
'''Colin:''' Wait a minute, bed cot filly paper?! RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS!
** In the "Greatest Hits" about Las Vegas:
--->'''Ryan:''' What do you call it when a Smurf relieves himself on your lawn?\\
'''Colin:''' Crab... grass?\\
'''Ryan:''' No, bluegrass! And that's our next music style! ''[audience groans]''
** Brad, during "Questions Only": "Do you have a thong [song] in your heart?" (audience groans)
** This one from "Greatest Hits"'s "Songs of the Safari":
--->'''Ryan:''' What comes before "so good"?\\
'''Colin:''' ...Pretty... good?\\
'''Ryan:''' No, "safari"! Safari so good. See what I'm saying? ''[audience groans]''\\
'''Colin:''' Why Ryan! That's almost like humor!
** Also, Colin in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Wz_Hg1ww0 this]] Shoplifting Hoedown.
--->'''Colin:''' The other day I stole something, it really was a sin.\\
It was a little revolver made of gelatin.\\
It really was a bad idea, something I should've slept on,\\
Cause I was arrested for carrying a congealed weapon.
** He is king of this trope, as evidenced in ''another'' hoedown, coincidentally also about [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLJOXgYcS3w being arrested]]:
--->'''Colin:''' I am quite unbalanced, my mind is not that steady,\\
I once pummeled a guy with an Ever Ready,\\
They took me down to jail, and they arrested me,\\
And they charged me with assault with a battery!
** In "Greatest Hits", Colin mentioned liking The Supremes (as in, Diana Ross and The Supremes).
--->'''Ryan:''' I liked the Ethyls, too.
*** Similarly, in a playing of "Hollywood Director", Ryan made this joke:
---->'''Ryan:''' Fill 'er up with ethyl? You don't look like Lucy!
** In the game "Infomercial" about how to quit drinking.
--->'''Ryan:''' Give your liver a break! Liver let die!
** During the game "Remote Control" about chickens, Jeff said this as a televangelist:
--->'''Jeff:''' Thou hast be''fowled'' the Earth.
** Also in the "Remote Control" game about chickens, Colin (on a game show) says the star of "Gone With The Wind" was Cluck Gobble.
** In a playing of "Film Dub", a character in the film gets his arm ripped off.
--->'''Greg:''' Sorry, darling, just trying to be disarming!
** In a "Greatest Hits":
--->'''Colin:''' Ah, there's nothing like a good polka.\\
'''Ryan:''' You brought her, ''you'' poke her!
** Yet another "Greatest Hits" example: Ryan asked Colin what you can call an Italian nomad. Answer? He's a Roman.
** In a game of "Action Replay", Ryan pretends he's holding a parrot and says they're performing the play "The Parrots Of Penzance".
** In the "Greatest Hits" about songs of the flight attendant, the first style was Tom Petty.
--->'''Ryan:''' If he has a little spare change in his pocket, is that Petty cash? Sometimes I make ''myself'' laugh.\\
'''Colin:''' It's nice to have ''someone'' doing it.
** Many of the Weird Newscasters anchor names were this, such as "Yassir Yassir Three Bags Full".
** Also when Colin is the main anchor in "Weird Newscasters", he frequently puns a familiar saying, often with a [[OverlyPrepreparedGag complicated set-up]] to the pun. Examples: "You can lead a whore to water, but you can't make her think", "This may be the first recorded incidence of a knick-knack paddy whack", etc.
*** Another example:
---->'''Colin:''' Bars across America were saddened today by the death of Dr. Joseph Lowenstein. The famous doctor who, as a sideline, would make exotic drinks from wood sap, died suddenly today. This is one patron who is really gonna miss that hickory daiquiri doc.
*** An even longer one is the flower-selling monks:
---->'''Colin:''' Famous Playboy Hugh Hefner successfully managed to stop an order of monks from operating a business on his property. The police forced the friars to close down their stall, which was outside the Playboy mansion, where they had been selling flowers. Said one friar, "Well, if it was anyone else we could've gotten away from it, but unfortunately, only Hugh can prevent florist friars."
*** Or this one:
--->'''Colin:''' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer dead at 53. ''[audience reacts]'' I know, it is sad. Over Barcelona today the famed reindeer was hit by a flock of seagulls and a 747. Eyewitnesses report that the [[Theatre/MyFairLady reindeer in Spain was hit mainly by the plane.]]
** In "Greatest Hits":
--->'''Ryan:''' What do you think of when I say lattes and Microsoft?\\
'''Colin:''' Uncle Phil. His lattes always made him micro-soft.
** Similarly, in another one:
--->'''Ryan:''' What comes to mind when I say "doo wop"?\\
'''Colin:''' Apple pie. Because, our cook's name was "Du Wop".
** Puns were a frequent occurrence in games like "Newsflash" and "Press Conference", as hints given to (usually) Colin about the situation at hand.
* PunBasedTitle:
** The "Greatest Hits" songs often fall into this: "Doorbell Wizard", "Pizza Heck Out of Me", "Hey You, Get Off [=McCloud=]", "You Brought Her, You Caesar", among others.
** The title of the show ''itself'' may be one, referring to the play ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whose_Life_Is_It_Anyway%3F Whose Life Is It Anyway?]]''
** One "Scenes Cut From a Movie" featured Wayne and Chip acting out an alternate ending to Film/FreeWilly, giving a double meaning to its title.[[note]]Wayne and Chip captured Willy, chopped him up, and served him for free.[[/note]]
* PunnyName: In addition to Colin's OverlyPrePreparedGag in the game "Weird Newscasters," he also tends to give himself a punny newscaster name.
-->''Welcome to the six o'clock news, I'm your anchor, Gay Apparel.''
-->''Welcome to the six o'clock news, I'm your anchor, Thor Justthinkingaboutit.''
-->''Welcome to the six o'clock news, I'm your anchor, Arthur Anymoredonuts.''
** In one round, one of his cast mates tries to ruin the joke by introducing him as "Colin." Without skipping a beat:
-->''Welcome to the six o'clock news, I'm your anchor, Colin Themarines.''
* PunctuatedForEmphasis:
** ''Three Headed Broadway Star'' always winds up like this (it's unavoidable though, as each word/syllable can only be said by one head).
** For some reason, Colin delivered the name of a song in "Greatest Hits" in this manner:
--->'''Colin:''' ROULETTE, OF, LOVE!
** During a "Hollywood Director":
--->'''Colin:''' Do it like stand-up comics. Like STAND. UP. COMICS!
** In "Bartender", Colin began the song by singing like this:
--->'''Colin:''' DON'T. YOU. MAKE. FUN. OF. MY. FEET.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Q & R]]
* QuicksandSucks:
** A game of "Three Headed Broadway Star" is set in the musical "Quicksand" with the song titled "That Sinking Feeling". Wayne, Colin and Ryan pretend to gradually sink to death.
** In a game of "Hollywood Director", Chip and Ryan are convicts on the run, and Ryan ends up pretending to be up to his neck in quicksand.
** In a "World's Worst" featuring outtakes from a news programme or documentary, Colin is a reporter who questions if quicksand is a danger [[DeadlineNews as he sinks lower into the mire.]]
* RagingStiffie: In the "Dubbing" with Chyna, Colin was having his leg stretched by Chyna:
-->'''Brad:''' ''[dubbing Chyna]'' Yes, I'm just gonna work out this knot.\\
'''Colin:''' That's not a knot.
* RailroadTracksOfDoom: In one "Party Quirks", Ryan played Wile E. Coyote trying to catch the [[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadrunner Road Runner]]. One of the gags he mimed was a train hitting him, a typical gag in that series.
%%* RaisedByWolves: One of the characters Ryan played in "Let's Make A Date" was described this way.
* RaisedLighterTribute: Spoofed in a game of "Telethon" about thumbsuckers with Wayne telling everyone to put their thumbs in the air like this.
* RapidFireComedy: All the games are this to an extent, although "Two Line Vocabulary" is particuarly this, due to its WhosOnFirst style.
* RasputinianDeath: During the "Film Noir" game set in a gas station:
-->'''Colin:''' Yeah, last time I saw him, he tried to murder me. But when you kill someone [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill by chopping their head off, rolling them up in a carpet and burning it]], ''you'd better make sure they're dead.''
* ReadingTheStageDirectionsOutLoud: Done a few times in "Award Show" or "Hollywood Director".
** In Season 13, Aisha parodied the typical opening credits in the style of this.
--->'''Aisha:'''On tonight's show, say something complimentary, Wayne Brady! Insert neutral reference, Jeff Davis! Make joke about baldness, Colin Mocherie! And, end on insulting punchline, it's Ryan Stiles!
* ReallyGetsAround:
** In one "Multiple Personalities" sketch, Ryan is initially looking forward to his marriage the next day while Colin is bitter because Ryan's fiancée is his ex and he thinks he should be marrying her. Then enter Steve Frost...
--->'''Ryan:''' You went out with her too?!\\
'''Steve:''' Sure...[[ThrowItIn everybody did!]]
** A "Scenes From a Hat" with the suggestion "Things you can say about your motorcycle, but not your girlfriend" returned this gem:
--->'''Greg:''' Sure, you can ride her; everyone ''else'' has!
** Pretty much every "Things you can say about X, but not your girlfriend" suggestion implied this at least once.
* RealMenWearPink:
** In the 2013 revival, one game of "What's in the Bag" has Colin forgetting he's supposed to be a doctor and instead goes DrillSergeantNasty.
--->'''Colin:''' You gotta be enough of a man... to carry a purse!
** The Literature/ArabianNights-themed game of "Living Scenery" with Mongolian sumo wrestler Byambajav Ulambayar. Byamba got the idea to wrap his robe around him in the style of an Arabian woman just to spice things up.
* RearrangeTheSong: The first few episodes of the U.S. version's first season. This theme music was remixed to the more well-known version that was used for the vast majority of the series.
** The "Hoedown" melody is mostly the same in the 2013 version, but it has a few different flourishes.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: In a "90 Second Alphabet":
-->'''Greg:''' Really, you're just being childish.\\
'''Drew:''' ''So'' childish!\\
'''Greg:''' ''Terribly'' childish! ''Unbelievably'' childish!\\
'''Drew:''' Very--\\
'''Ryan:''' Very well! Very well, I'll go!
* RecitationHandclasp: In a segment of Greatest Hits on the American version, Wayne and Josie sing a song about chiropractors in the style of Creator/GilbertAndSullivan, assuming this position as a parody of those types of songs. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b6ZUwFvDVo#t=3m46s And it's awesome]].
* RecklessGunUsage:
** In the "World's Worst" TV program:
--->'''Greg:''' I'm Bill from the NRA, and it's gun safety week. ''[mimes shooting himself]''
** One "Let's Make a Date" has Colin as a "nearsighted hunter". Says it all, really.
* RecycledPlot:
** "Hollywood Director" would often involve Kathy cheating on Wayne with Ryan.
** The revival would often have Wayne competing with the special guest for Ryan's approval in "Dubbing".
** Also in the revival, "Living Scenery" would often be about getting shipwrecked or somehow getting stranded in some disaster, from surviving a plane crash in the one with basketballer Lisa Leslie, to drifting too far from the cruise ship in the one with Wrestling/ChrisJericho.
* RecycledTitle: There were two (similar, but different) games that were both called "Sound Effects". The first one was Ryan providing effects for Colin, who would pantomime along with them but never actually talk. The second had audience members providing the effects (often poorly), while both Ryan and Colin would act out the scene. They could speak in this version, usually commenting on the odd sounds they could hear.
* RedundantParody:
** Occasionally occurs; a playing of "Scenes Cut From a Movie" with the suggestion of ''Star Wars'' didn't return dialog or moments all that much different from what was seen in the actual films.
** An attempt at a Spider-Man scene has Ryan as Spider-Man claiming he'd turned evil, which sorta happened in ''Film/SpiderMan3''. And Colin's final line was "You look like a pig", which can refer to [[WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012 one or]] [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie two things.]]
* RefrainFromAssuming: Often happens during "Song Titles", e.g. Wayne saying [[Music/LionelRichie "Hello, is it me you're looking for?"]] when it's really just "Hello".[[invoked]]
* TheReveal: The premise of "Secret" where one person must reveal a secret mid-game such as Ryan playing Quasimodo who deflates his hump in the middle of the scene.
%%* RiddleForTheAges: Why was Kathy Greenwood never featured in any singing games? Did she request not to be featured in them because she thought she'd do badly or was embarrassed? (She's had to sing several times in ''Scenes from a Hat'', ''Hollywood Director'' and other games, and didn't sound bad at all.)
%%** Why was Ryan skipped in the season 8 Hoedown about dentists and wrestlers? Were his verses too bawdy for the censors, and if so, what were they?
%%** Ryan's verse aired overseas. Here's how it went:
%%**--->''I went to my dentist, but he wasn't there.''\\
%%**''His nurse told me that I would be in her care.''\\
%%**''She laid back in the chair and boy did she moan.''\\
%%**''Because I was doing a little drilling of my own.''
* RidiculousExchangeRates:
** Constant jokes aimed at Colin, mostly from Ryan, about the Canadian dollar supposedly being this. Started even in the British series, where the audience only got the joke from context.
--->'''Ryan:''' How much would you pay for this 30-CD set?\\
'''Colin:''' I'd pay anything up to $50,000! ''[audience laughs]'' But... I'm an idiot!\\
'''Ryan:''' And you're from Canada! So with the exchange...\\
'''Colin:''' I'm ''still'' an idiot!
** In the Jerry Springer edition of The Millionaire Show, Ryan (playing something of a redneck type) was excited that the top prize for the show was a mere $100.
** Another Canadian/U.S. example occurred in the "Greatest Hits" of marriage:
--->'''Ryan:''' Sometimes, it's a hassle, but I'm so glad I'm married.\\
'''Colin:''' I guess that's why you've done it eight times!\\
'''Ryan:''' Well, you're Canadian, that's only five to you.\\
'''Colin:''' That's true.
** In a Hoedown about the IRS:
--->'''Colin:''' I live in Canada, there is no IRS / I still have to pay taxes, but I'm not that distressed / I owe 18,000; but please understand / I'm not that worried 'cause that's five bucks American.
** In the "Greatest Hits" about hockey:
--->'''Ryan:''' You know what, Colin, I'd love to buy a CD set like this, but I'll bet it's expensive.\\
'''Colin:''' It isn't. We're selling this incredible 350 CD set for... payments of $1 a month for 55 years.\\
'''Ryan:''' Wow. And for you Canadians, what does that work out to, Col?\\
'''Colin:''' It's ''free''!
** In the "Greatest Hits" about retirement:
--->'''Ryan:''' Colin, you've got five more years until you hit sixty-five... in Canadian!
* RippedFromTheHeadlines:
** In the UK version, in 1995, the game "Prison Visitor" had Ryan pretend to be arrested for being with a prostitute. Clive sarcastically says how there's no way a distinguished actor would get caught that way. The episode was taped pretty shortly after Hugh Grant's infamous arrest, which Ryan alludes to.
** A "Two Line Vocabulary" had Ryan as the president who's brought in Greg as an advisor because he's been caught having an affair. This episode aired about two years after the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and is almost certainly a reference to it.
** A streak of police brutalities leading to fatalities of color led to Brad and Wayne doing this in ''Scenes from a Hat'' InTheStyleOf Creator/DrSeuss:
--->'''Brad:''' I arrested you in an elevator. ''[bang]'' I shoot first and ask questions later.\\
'''Wayne:''' Now I can't go home, to my kids and to my wife / Hmm this makes me sad, cos this sh*t is like RealLife.
** A recent "Doo-Wop" had Colin ending his verse with "I haven't felt this bad since that guy left Music/OneDirection!"
** One "Props" has Wayne as Oscar Pistorius, with the props for his legs, referencing the homicide trial.
* RipVanTinkle: In one segment Ryan Stiles has to play a defrosting Neanderthal. The first thing he does after regaining full control of his body is to turn away from the camera, widen his stance, and make relieved-sounding groans.
* RoboSpeak:
** Colin, bumped into his word limit during "Number of Words" as C-3PO:
--->'''Colin:''' My pants... metal.
** In a playing of "Film, TV & Theater Styles", Ryan played a Terminator-style character.
--->'''Ryan:''' May I have one of your tasty pork tubage?
* RobotBuddy: In the episode guest starring David Hasselhoff, Three-Headed Broadway Star concluded and Ryan joked that David's going to play the game [[Series/KnightRider with his car]] on the way home: "I, '''Drive''', You, '''And''', You..."
* RockersSmashGuitars:
** Frequently done by Wayne, Brad, and/or Chip during "Greatest Hits" if hard rock or heavy metal is the music style. Also performed a few times in "Props" if the prop resembles a guitar.
** Averted in one "Greatest Hits", when the guitar is calmly placed back in its case.
* RosesAreRed: A game of "Let's Make A Date" has Chip ask Wayne to finish a poem starting with "Roses are red..." but Wayne goes off track as he's supposed to be all 5 members of N"SYNC fighting for Chip.
* RougeAnglesOfSatin: In a game of Party Quirks, the subtitle at the bottom of the screen informs the home audience that Mike [=McShane=] is playing a Columbian Drugs Baron. Shouldn't that be Col'''om'''bian, producers?
* RuleThirtyFour: "People you don't want to see naked on the internet."
-->'''Ryan:''' ''[typing]'' "[[FanDisservice C.A.R.E.Y]]."
* RuleOfThree:
** Ryan, during a "Scenes From a Hat" suggestion of "Latin American Soccer Announcers on Their Day Off":
--->'''Ryan:''' I'll have a cheeseburger, some fries, and a COOOOOOOOOOOOOOKE!!!! ''[leaves stage; comes back to give another suggestion]'' You forgot my COOOOOOOOOOOKE!!! ''[leaves; comes back again]'' ''WHERE THE HELL'S MY COOOOOOOOOOKE''?!?!"
** This is also present in some of the games themselves. For example, Greatest Hits usually features three songs, Hollywood Director usually shows three takes of the scene, and in guessing games like Party Quirks and Let's Make A Date, there are three performers with unusual personalities.
** In the UK version, a game of "Sound Effects" being done with Ryan making noises for Colin to react to, was about a day in the life of the Queen of England. Colin interrupts what he was doing because there's cheering outside. He pretends to open the window and wave at everyone. This happens a second time, and then the third time Colin opens the window and gives everyone the middle finger.
** After a playing of "Questions With Wigs", Wayne thanked Drew three times in rapid succession:
--->'''Drew:''' 1,000 points to Wayne.\\
'''Wayne:''' Thanks, man.\\
'''Drew:''' That was really good.\\
'''Wayne:''' Thanks, brother.\\
'''Drew:''' I love it when you get your voice all deep for me.\\
'''Wayne:''' Thanks, baby.
** In "Scenes From a Hat" when the suggestion was "Things bald people are sick of hearing", three jokes are made at Colin's expense:
--->'''Wayne:''' We need your head to bounce a laser off of to communicate with the satellite!\\
'''Ryan:''' ''[holding Colin's head as if it was a volleyball]'' [[Film/CastAway You're my only friend on this island.]]\\
'''Wayne:''' Will Johnny take me to the prom? ''[shakes Colin's head like it's an 8-Ball]''
** During "Scenes from a Hat" in the revival, the suggestion "[[EmbarrassingTattoo tattoos you don't want to find on your partner]]" somehow leads up to Wayne standing with his hands held out in a suggestive fashion [[LampshadeHanging (Colin: "What are you doing?")]] then {{corpsing}} and realising he can't go through with it. Then he ropes in Nyima Funk to fill the empty space by bending over ("it's what I'm here for")... then realising he ''still'' can't go through with it. Finally Nyima pulls him back on stage, to replicate the pose from before, only to say [[{{Trolling}} "I don't have anything, I just wanted you to do that again"]].
* RulesSpiel:
** The host will do this for practically every game.
** Parodied in "Game Show", where the host would start to give the rules of the game, but would mumble out gibberish.
* RunningGag: [[RunningGag/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Enough to fill its own page.]]
* RunningGagged: Drew ended his post-game ritual of throwing the hat used in "Scenes from a Hat" after he accidentally knocked a camera off its crane.
* RunOrDie: On the British version of the game "Hey You Down There", Ryan and Colin pretend to go scuba diving and Ryan loses a hand after touching coral. Colin tries to pull him along. Greg (the narrator) tells Colin that the blood in the water will attract sharks and sharks can't tell if you're bleeding or next to the person who's bleeding. Colin dumps Ryan and swims away from him as quickly as possible.
[[/folder]]
----