Part 2 of the Laconical List of Subtle Trope Distinctions. Items are sorted alphabetically by whichever trope is alphabetically first; if you're looking for a specific one, use the "Find" or "Search" function of your Web browser.
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Dead Person Conversation vs. Mummies at the Dinner Table vs. Of Corpse He's Alive vs. Please Wake Up vs. Talking to the Dead
- He's not really dead as long as...
- Dead Person Conversation: ...he talks to us from the afterlife.
- Mummies at the Dinner Table: ...I say he's just resting.
- Of Corpse He's Alive: ...I don't get caught pulling the strings.
- Please Wake Up: ...I keep crying and nudging him.
- Talking to the Dead: ...I talk to him, even if he's not there to listen.
Deadly Euphemism vs. Implied Death Threat vs. Shame If Something Happened vs. Trouble Entendre
- Deadly Euphemism: Referring to someone's impending death, but swapping out the words that explicitly say so.
- Shame If Something Happened: Comments about unfortunate future possibilities as a thinly-veiled threat.
- Trouble Entendre: Superficially-normal conversation that carries a thinly-veiled threat.
- Implied Death Threat: ...Particularly, fatal ones.
Deathbringer the Adorable vs. Fluffy the Terrible
- Deathbringer the Adorable: Scary name but harmless.
- Fluffy the Terrible: Cute name but dangerous.
Death by Mocking vs. Do Not Taunt Cthulhu vs. Let's Mock the Monsters
- Death by Mocking: Generalized taunting will get you killed.
- Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Taunting the villain or monster will get you killed.
- Let's Mock the Monsters: Making fun of silly-looking monsters is fine.
Death Is Cheap vs. Death Is a Slap on the Wrist vs. First Law of Resurrection vs. Resurrective Immortality vs. Staying Alive
- A character keeps returning to life:
- Death Is Cheap: Because the series makes resurrection easy.
- Death Is a Slap on the Wrist: Because the game doesn't really punish you for dying.
- First Law of Resurrection: Because the writer was determined to keep them in the plot.
- Resurrective Immortality: Because it's their explicitly-stated power.
- Staying Alive: Because they have secret ways to get around dying.
Death of the Hypotenuse vs. Die for Our Ship vs. Murder the Hypotenuse
- Alex is "in the way" of Bailey getting together with Cedar, and as a result...
- Death of the Hypotenuse: ...Alex dies in the story.
- Die for Our Ship: ...the Bailey/Cedar fandom hates Alex.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: ...Bailey tries to kill Alex.
Decapitation Required vs. Depleted Phlebotinum Shells vs. Immortal Breaker vs. Mortality Ensues
- How do you dispose of an undying being?
- Decapitation Required: Deal it an injury there's no regenerating from (can also appear as the Chunky Salsa Rule).
- Depleted Phlebotinum Shells: Weaponise a substance or property that hurts it.
- Immortal Breaker: Acquire a weapon that ignores immortality.
- Mortality Ensues: Remove its undying-ness, then kill by normal means.
December–December Romance vs. Grow Old with Me
- December–December Romance: Elderly characters fall in love.
- Grow Old with Me: Couple has a long-lasting relationship.
Deface of the Moon vs. Detonation Moon
- Deface of the Moon: The Moon is damaged by someone to make a point.
- Detonation Moon: The Moon is simply destroyed.
Defictionalization vs. The Red Stapler vs. Product Placement:
- A product appears in a work of fiction that is:
- Defictionalization: Originally fictional, but due to fan demand it later becomes a real product.
- The Red Stapler: Real and receives an unexpected boost in sales/popularity due to appearance on-screen.
- Product Placement: Real and is intentionally featured in the hopes it will boost sales/popularity.
Dem Bones vs Skeleton Crew:
- Skeletons that are:
- Dem Bones: animated and trying to kill you.
- Skeleton Crew: non-animated and the bones of the crew of a Ghost Ship.
Demonic Spiders vs. Goddamned Bats:
- Annoying, hard-to-kill/avoid video game monsters that are:
- Demonic Spiders: Deadly.
- Goddamned Bats: Not deadly.
Department of Redundancy Department vs. Shaped Like Itself:
- Shaped Like Itself: Explanatory statement that is at the same time a description.
- Department of Redundancy Department: A description that is repetitive, possibly humorous, repetitive, and repetitive.
Designated Evil vs. Designated Monkey vs. Designated Villain vs. Draco in Leather Pants vs. Informed Wrongness vs. Jerkass Woobie vs. Karmic Overkill vs. Rooting for the Empire vs. Strawman Has a Point vs. Unintentionally Sympathetic:
- When the audience...
- Designated Evil: ...disagrees that an action is bad.
- Designated Monkey: ...sympathises with an unlucky character when they're not supposed to.
- Designated Villain: ...disagrees that a character is a villian.
- Draco in Leather Pants: ...ignores that a character is evil because they like them.
- Informed Wrongness: ...disagrees that a character is incorrect.
- Jerkass Woobie: ...feels sorry for a character despite acknowledging that they're a jerk.
- Karmic Overkill: ...thinks a character's punishment was too much.
- Rooting for the Empire: ...prefers the villain to the hero.
- Strawman Has a Point: ...agrees with a Straw Character.
- Unintentionally Sympathetic: ...sympathises with someone they're not supposed to.
Destructo-Nookie vs.Slap-Slap-Kiss vs. Kiss-Kiss-Slap:
- Two people who're hostile, yet romantically attracted...
- Destructo-Nookie: ...make love so violently they smash their surroundings.
- Kiss-Kiss-Slap: ...are showing each other affection until one or both suddenly becomes hostile.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: ...are being hostile to one another until they suddenly become affectionate.
The Determinator vs. Implacable Man vs. The Juggernaut vs. Perpetual-Motion Monster:
- Alice keeps chasing Bob...
- The Determinator: ...despite hunger, dehydration, and a broken arm, simply because she's pissed.
- Implacable Man: ...because she's an indestructible robot following her programming.
- The Juggernaut: ...because there's no blockade she can't break through.
- Perpetual-Motion Monster: ...because she never has to stop.
Deus Angst Machina vs. Karmic Overkill
- The character's suffering is disproportionate to...
- Deus Angst Machina: The audience's Willing Suspension of Disbelief.
- Karmic Overkill: The stuff they did to 'earn' it.
Deus ex Nukina vs. Nuclear Option vs. Nuclear Weapons Taboo vs. Nuke 'em vs. You Nuke 'Em
- Nukes are...
- Deus ex Nukina: Used in unrealistic ways to crank up the drama.
- Nuclear Option: Used as an absolute last resort when all else has failed.
- Nuclear Weapons Taboo: Substituted with a weapon that's just as destructive.
- Nuke 'em: Used frequently, recklessly and exclusively to almost anything else.
- You Nuke 'Em: Used whenever the player in a video game feels like using them.
Die for Our Ship vs. Ship-to-Ship Combat:
- Shipper fights for their OTP...
- Die for Our Ship: by destroying characters in the way.
- Ship-to-Ship Combat: by destroying other fans in the way.
Diesel Punk vs. Raygun Gothic:
- Raygun Gothic: How sci-fi artists of the 20's through the 50's imagined the future would look.
- Diesel Punk: How sci-fi authors of today imagine the 20's through the 50's could have gone if our grandparents had more Applied Phlebotinum.
Dirty Coward vs. Know When to Fold 'Em vs. Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
- Character flees the challenge...
- Dirty Coward: Because they're a scumbag who only cares for themselves.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Because it's the best course of action.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Because they can't handle this situation anymore.
Disc-One Final Boss vs. Starter Villain
- Disc-One Final Boss: The Big Bad is beaten early, and another villain fills the role.
- Starter Villain: Villain that's a warm-up for The Hero prior to facing the Big Bad.
Discontinuity: Canon Discontinuity vs. Fanon Discontinuity vs. Audience-Alienating Era vs. Retcon
- Something happened in a show, but...
- Canon Discontinuity: ...Word of God says it didn't happen.
- Fanon Discontinuity: ...The fans pretend it didn't happen.
- Audience-Alienating Era: ...We don't like to talk about that.
- Retcon: ...It was changed so that it happened differently.
Discredited Trope vs. Dead Horse Trope vs. Forgotten Trope vs. Undead Horse Trope vs. Dead Unicorn Trope
- Discredited Trope: That trope is hardly played straight anymore.
- Dead Horse Trope: A trope is never played straight anymore.
- Forgotten Trope: A trope isn't even heard of anymore.
- Undead Horse Trope: A trope that refuses to die.
- Dead Unicorn Trope: A trope never was played straight to begin with.
Disease by Any Other Name vs. The Disease That Shall Not Be Named
- A disease isn't specified because...
- Disease by Any Other Name: ...the characters don't know what's wrong.
- The Disease That Shall Not Be Named: ...the writer doesn't want to say what's wrong.
Disney Death vs. He's Just Hiding vs. Never Say "Die":
- Disney Death: You think he's dead, but he's not.
- He's Just Hiding: You assume he isn't dead.
- Never Say "Die": Someone does die, but the writer doesn't want to say it directly.
Disposable Vagrant vs. Kill the Poor:
- Killing poor people because...
- Disposable Vagrant: ...no one would notice them being gone.
- Kill the Poor: ...they're poor.
Ditzy Genius vs. Genius Ditz:
- Ditzy Genius: Smart person who does dumb things when they stop paying attention.
- Genius Ditz: Dumb person who becomes amazing when in a certain element.
A Dog Named "Dog" vs. A Lizard Named "Liz" vs. Race-Name Basis vs. Species Surname
- An animal whose...
- A Dog Named "Dog": ...species is their name (e.g., Rabbit).
- A Lizard Named "Liz": ...given name is based on a characteristic of and/or a pun on their species (e.g., Judy Hopps).
- Race-Name Basis: ...given name is ignored in favor of being referred to by its species.
- Species Surname: ...species is their last name (e.g., Bugs Bunny).
Dolled-Up Installment vs. In Name Only:
- Something in an existing franchise...
- Dolled-Up Installment: ...began unrelated, but was changed to fit in.
- In Name Only: ...began related, but then they changed everything.
Do Wrong, Right vs Even Evil Has Standards vs Pragmatic Villainy
- The Dragon won't gun down these unarmed civilians when given the order...
- Do Wrong, Right: ...because he has to reload first.
- Even Evil Has Standards: ...because it's wrong.
- Pragmatic Villainy: ...because he can use hostages.
Dragon Ascendant vs. The Starscream
- The Dragon replaces his master because...
- Dragon Ascendant: ... the heroes defeated him.
- The Starscream: ...he killed him.
Dream-Crushing Handicap vs. Giftedly Bad vs. High Hopes, Zero Talent vs. I Coulda Been a Contender!
- A character cannot achieve his life's ambition because of:
- Dream-Crushing Handicap: A physical handicap.
- High Hopes, Zero Talent: Utter, nigh-incurable incompetence.
- Giftedly Bad: But that incompetence comes out the other side as So Bad, It's Good.
- I Coulda Been a Contender!: Circumstances that kept him from getting his big break.
Dual Boss vs. Flunky Boss vs. Wolfpack Boss
- A boss battle involves multiple targets.
- Dual Boss: Each one is strong enough to be its own boss.
- Flunky Boss: It's one strong enemy with a group of weaker minions.
- Wolfpack Boss: Each one isn't too hard in isolation, but they can overwhelm you with a numbers advantage.
Dull Surprise vs. Flat Joy vs. That Makes Me Feel Angry
- Dull Surprise: Actor's flat delivery undermines emotional expression.
- Flat Joy: Character speaks flatly to either be sarcastic or downplay emotional expression.
- That Makes Me Feel Angry: Character explains what they're feeling, usually out of unfamiliarity with normal emotional expression.
Dumb Is Good vs Good Is Dumb
- A good person is stupid, or at least more stupid than he used to be. Which came first?
- Dumb Is Good: The stupidity.
- Good Is Dumb: The goodness.
Dystopia Justifies the Means vs To Create a Playground for Evil
- The villain wants to create...
- Dystopia Justifies the Means: An oppressive, soul-crushing society.
- To Create a Playground for Evil: A world of chaos where the most brutal always win.
E
Early-Bird Boss vs Wake-Up Call Boss vs Warm-Up Boss:
- You can't beat this guy because:
- Early-Bird Boss: You don't have your advanced skills.
- Wake-Up Call Boss: You haven't practiced your advanced skills.
- Warm-Up Boss: You haven't practiced your basic skills.
Earth-Shattering Kaboom vs. The End of the World as We Know It:
- The world is destroyed...
- Earth-Shattering Kaboom: ...literally.
- The End of the World as We Know It: ...metaphorically.
Easily Forgiven vs. "Get Out of Jail Free" Card vs. Karma Houdini :
- Easily Forgiven: We forgive you.
- "Get Out of Jail Free" Card: We forgive you because...Hand Wave.
- Karma Houdini: Karma forgives you.
Endless Game vs. Game Over vs. Unwinnable:
- Oops! You lose!:
- Endless Game: The game was only about Scoring Points, how many did you get?
- Game Over: You ran out of lives/whatever and can't continue playing.
- Unwinnable: And you may not know you lost for a while, since you can keep playing...
End of an Age vs. Götterdämmerung vs. Here There Were Dragons vs. The Magic Goes Away:
- An age gives way to another, and the story...
- End of an Age: ...describes the feeling of loss.
- Götterdämmerung: ...describes the violent upheaval that ended the reign of the old gods.
- Here There Were Dragons: ...contrasts the magical past with the mundane present.
- The Magic Goes Away: ...gives an account of what caused the end of the old age.
Enemy Summoner vs. Flunky Boss vs. Just You, Me, and My GUARDS! vs. Mook Maker
- Enemy Summoner: Can fight on its own, but also can summon help.
- Flunky Boss: Strong enemy is accompanied by/calls in weaker minions.
- Just You, Me, and My GUARDS!: 1-on-1 fight is subverted when reinforcements are called in.
- Mook Maker: Does nothing but summon enemies.
Enemy Without vs. Literal Split Personality:
- Enemy Without: Copy derived from original.
- Literal Split Personality: Original split into two identical parts.
Enhanced Interrogation Techniques vs. Interrogation by Vandalism vs. Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique vs. Perp Sweating vs. Torture First, Ask Questions Later vs. Torture for Fun and Information:
- Extracting information by...
- Enhanced Interrogation Techniques: Psychological torture.
- Interrogation by Vandalism: Breaking their stuff until they talk.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Physical torture.
- Perp Sweating: Less-malicious psychological treatment (a big light in the face is a favourite).
- Torture First, Ask Questions Later: ...Oh yeah, shouldn't we have asked for information at some point?
- Torture for Fun and Information: Really creative means.
Epileptic Trees vs. Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory vs. Wild Mass Guessing:
- Epileptic Trees: Speculating on what happened or will happen.
- Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory: Speculating on what it means or represents.
- Wild Mass Guessing: Where Tropers can share both.
Eternal Recurrence vs. "Groundhog Day" Loop vs. History Repeats:
- The same things keep happening because...
- "Groundhog Day" Loop: Time is stuck in a loop.
- History Repeats: The behaviour of living beings follows recurrent trends.
- Eternal Recurrence: ...Even regarding armageddons.
Even Beggars Won't Choose It vs. Everyone Has Standards
- Even Beggars Won't Choose It: Focuses on poor quality of thing being chosen.
- Everyone Has Standards: Focuses on person not choosing something because it's against their personal guidelines.
Evil Tainted the Place vs. Fisher King vs Indian Burial Ground vs. Leaking Can of Evil:
- A place corroded by the wickedness:
- Evil Tainted the Place: Of the being who lived there ages ago.
- Fisher King: Of the current ruler.
- Indian Burial Ground: Of the being still actively haunting the place.
- Leaking Can of Evil: Of the being sealed away in the vicinity.
Evil Twin vs. Evil Counterpart vs. Evil Knockoff vs. Criminal Doppelgänger:
- Evil Twin: Evil identical twin.
- Evil Counterpart: Evil version of the hero.
- Evil Knockoff: Evil copy of a hero, working for the villain.
- Criminal Doppelgänger: Evil Identical Stranger.
Exact Words vs. Loophole Abuse vs. Not the Intended Use:
- Gaming the system by:
- Exact Words: Exploiting the precise words used.
- Loophole Abuse: Finding gaps that there's no rule for.
- Not the Intended Use: Creative applications of things the rules do allow.
Excrement Statement vs. Putting the Pee in Pool vs. Urine Trouble
- Someone relieves themselves in the wrong place:
- Excrement Statement: To make a point.
- Putting the Pee in Pool: And said wrong place is a pool.
- Urine Trouble: Because they're an animal, and specifically they urinate.
Example as a Thesis vs. Self-Demonstrating Article:
- Example as a Thesis: See Alice and Bob. See Alice and Bob demonstrate an example of the trope. See actual definition following behind them.
- Self-Demonstrating Article: Somebody forgot their punctuation marks when describing No Punctuation Period.
Exaggerated Trope vs. Logical Extreme:
- Exaggerated Trope: Trope is taken to silly extents.
- Logical Extreme: Trope is taken to a dramatic-but-still-possible level.
Expository Hairstyle Change vs. Important Haircut vs. Good Hair, Evil Hair:
- A personality change is indicated by...
- Expository Hairstyle Change: ...a change in hairstyle.
- Important Haircut: ...the act of cutting the hair.
- Good Hair, Evil Hair: The change is specifically a Heel–Face Turn or Face–Heel Turn.
Expospeak Gag vs. Layman's Terms:
- Expospeak Gag: Simple concept made complex.
- Layman's Terms: Complex concept made simple.
The Extremist Was Right vs. Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist vs. Villain Has a Point vs. Well-Intentioned Extremist:
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Villain wants to do good by bad means.
- The Extremist Was Right: ...And it genuinely works.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: ...Psyche! It's just for their own personal gain!
- Villain Has a Point: Villain may not want to do any form of good, but their assessment of the situation has striking accuracies.
F
Failure Hero vs. Invincible Hero vs. Showy Invincible Hero
- Failure Hero: ...can do no right, so the story sucks.
- Invincible Hero: ...can do no wrong, so the story sucks.
- Showy Invincible Hero: ...can do no wrong, and that's the point of the story.
Fake High vs. Mistaken for Junkie vs. Playing Drunk:
- A character isn't actually drunk or high, but...
- Fake High: ...they think they are.
- Mistaken for Junkie: ...someone else thinks they are (or thinks they're a habitual drug user).
- Playing Drunk: ...they're pretending to be.
Fake Shemp vs. The Other Darrin vs. The Other Marty vs. Poor Man's Substitute vs. Suspiciously Similar Substitute You Look Familiar:
- Fake Shemp: Actor isn't available, blur the face of their character.
- The Other Darrin: Actor leaves role, other actor replaces them.
- The Other Marty: Actor leaves role, scenes are re-shot with their replacement actor.
- Poor Man's Substitute: Actor isn't available, get me someone cheaper and close enough.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Character must be removed, new character entering is almost exactly the same.
- You Look Familiar: Actor leaves role, takes up other character in same show.
Fake Ultimate Hero vs. Miles Gloriosus:
- Fake Ultimate Hero: They think he did hero stuff, but he didn't...
- Miles Gloriosus: ...because he's a coward with a brave facade.
The Family for the Whole Family vs. Harmless Villain vs. Minion with an F in Evil vs. Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters:
- They're bad guys, but...
- The Family for the Whole Family: They're too bumbling and incompetent to successfully hurt anyone.
- Harmless Villain: Their idea of 'villainy' is laughably small.
- Minion with an F in Evil: They don't have any proper malice in them (to their boss' chagrin).
- Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters: They have just enough redeeming traits that you don't feel bad for liking them.
- Stupid Crooks: Even when they do pull off proper crimes, they make some really dumb mistakes doing so.
Family Versus Career vs. Never a Self-Made Woman
- Family Versus Career: A character (usually a woman) is presented a choice between their career and their family.
- Never a Self-Made Woman: In many works, female characters tend to be notable male characters' wives/girlfriends/daughters/mothers/sisters.
Fan-Disliked Explanation vs. The Unreveal vs. Voodoo Shark
- Fan-Disliked Explanation: Fandom rejects the explanation of a plot point.
- The Unreveal: Plot point is never explained.
- Voodoo Shark: Plot point's explanation generates more questions.
Fan Dumb vs. Broken Base vs. They Changed It, Now It Sucks! vs. Unpleasable Fanbase:
-
Fan Dumb: Annoying fans. - Broken Base: Annoying fans who can't agree with each other.
- They Changed It, Now It Sucks!: Annoying fans who don't like change.
- Unpleasable Fanbase: Annoying fans who can't be pleased.
Fanfic vs Fan Works:
Works based on someone else's IP...Fantastic Aesop vs. Space Whale Aesop:
- Fantastic Aesop: Don't do this thing, even though you can't do it anyway.
- Space Whale Aesop: Don't do this thing, or something that can't happen will happen.
Fantastic Drug vs. G-Rated Drug vs. I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin!:
- The "drug" that a character is addicted to is...
- Fantastic Drug: Not even a real substance.
- G-Rated Drug: A comparatively mild drug.
- I Can't Believe It's Not Heroin!: Real, but not a drug.
Fate Worse than Death vs. And I Must Scream
- Fate Worse than Death: The Fate itself.
- And I Must Scream: The Fate itself...without end.
Fan Disservice vs. Fetish Retardant:
- Fan Disservice: You win at unsexy.
- Fetish Retardant: You fail at sexy.
Fighting Clown vs. Joke Character vs. Lethal Joke Character
- Fighting Clown: Silly-looking but balanced.
- Joke Character: Silly and weak.
- Lethal Joke Character: Silly and weak... most of the time.
Filler vs. Padding vs. Wacky Wayside Tribe:
- Filler: Additional side stories unimportant to the main plot arc.
- Padding: Additional material added to the main plot to stretch the length.
- Wacky Wayside Tribe: Additional obstacles added to the main plot to give the characters a hard time.
The Film of the Book vs. The Movie vs. Novelization:
- The Film of the Book: Book: The Movie.
- Novelization: Movie: The Book.
- The Movie: TV Show: The Movie.
The Film of the Series vs. The Movie vs. Non-Serial Movie:
- The Film of the Series: Different cast.
- The Movie: Same cast, in continuity.
- Non-Serial Movie: Same cast, not in continuity.
First-Episode Twist vs. It Was His Sled vs. Late-Arrival Spoiler:
- The twist is remembered...
- It Was His Sled: by everyone.
- Late-Arrival Spoiler: by official sources.
- First-Episode Twist: because it kicks off the story.
Flashback B-Plot vs. Framing Device
- Flashback B-Plot: Two parallel stories of a character, past and present.
- Framing Device: Character recounts a story.
Flat-Earth Atheist vs. Nay-Theist:
- Flat-Earth Atheist: Says gods don't exist in a setting where they do.
- Nay-Theist: Believes in gods but won't worship them.
Flip-Flop of God vs. Shrug of God vs. The Walrus Was Paul vs. Word of God
- The answer to the fan's question is...
- Word of God: ...Character X.
- Flip-Flop of God: ...Character X. No, it's Y. No, wait...
- Shrug of God: ...forty-two?
- The Walrus Was Paul: complete nonsense.
Flying Dutchman vs. Walking the Earth
- Character travels endlessly with nowhere to call home...
- Flying Dutchman: Because of their curse.
- Walking the Earth: By choice.
Foil vs. Mirror Character
- A character's traits are highlighted by another character's...
- Foil: ...differences.
- Mirror Character: ...similarities.
Forced Transformation vs Transformation Horror:
- Forced Transformation : Bob is freaking out because Alice the witch turned him into a bunny.
- Transformation Horror: Alice is freaking out because she forgot to look away while it happened.
Forgot About His Powers vs. Forgotten Phlebotinum vs. Holding Back the Phlebotinum vs. It Only Works Once
- A gimmick could have been reused...
- Forgot About His Powers:... but the character forgot they had the ability to do so.
- Forgotten Phlebotinum: ...but it's never mentioned ever again.
- Holding Back the Phlebotinum: ...but it won't work now.
- It Only Works Once: ...but it's used up.
For Halloween, I Am Going as Myself vs. Your Costume Needs Work:
- Goliath is going to a Halloween party...
- For Halloween, I Am Going as Myself: ...because it's the only time of year he can be seen in public.
- Your Costume Needs Work: ...and people tell him his wings look fake.
Foreign Cuss Word vs. Unusual Euphemism vs. Pardon My Klingon
- Profanity is replaced by...
- Foreign Cuss Word: ...the same word in a different language.
- Unusual Euphemism: ...a made-up "slang" phrase.
- Pardon My Klingon: ...a Foreign Cuss Word FROM SPACE!
Foreshadowing vs. Rewatch Bonus
- Foreshadowing: Teases/provides indication of later events. Easier to spot retroactively.
- Rewatch Bonus: Has meaning first time, has additional meaning second time.
Fragile Speedster vs. Glass Cannon vs. Squishy Wizard
- Can't take a punch, but...
- Fragile Speedster: ...is very fast.
- Glass Cannon: ...sure can deal it out.
- Squishy Wizard: ...can do cool stuff with magic.
"Freaky Friday" Flip vs. Personality Swap
- Due to some weird event, Alice and Carol discover that they have swapped...
- "Freaky Friday" Flip: ...minds/souls (Alice is completely in Carol's body).
- Personality Swap: ...personality traits (Alice is still Alice, but reacts like Carol would).
Fridge Brilliance vs. Fridge Horror vs. Fridge Logic:
- When you think about a certain aspect of a show you just watched, you realize...
- Fridge Brilliance: ...just how clever it actually was.
- Fridge Horror: ...just how horrible it would be.
- Fridge Logic: ...it made no sense whatsoever.
Friend in the Black Market vs. Honest John's Dealership:
- You need to get something that's almost impossible to find so you go to a guy who...
- Friend in the Black Market: ...sells you the real thing, just at a higher cost than usual.
- Honest John's Dealership: ...sells you substandard items.
From Nobody to Nightmare vs. Magikarp Power vs. Malignant Plot Tumor vs. Not-So-Harmless Villain:
- This guy just became a serious and important threat. We didn't do anything about him earlier because...
- From Nobody to Nightmare: ...we had no idea who he was.
- Magikarp Power: ...he was the smallest and weakest person on their team.
- Malignant Plot Tumor: ...he looked like a small-timer, and we had bigger issues.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: ...he looked like/was an idiot, so we didn't take him seriously.
Full-Circle Revolution vs Meet the New Boss:
- The new enemy is just the same as...
- Full-Circle Revolution: ...the one they were trying to depose.
- Meet the New Boss: ...the one we vanquished last season.
Funbag Airbag vs. Marshmallow Hell
- Bob meets Alice's generous bosom face-first because of...
- Funbag Airbag: ...a collision.
- Marshmallow Hell: ...a hug.
Hilarious in Hindsight vs. Harsher in Hindsight vs. Narm:
- Hilarious in Hindsight: Might or might not be funny now, funny later.
- Harsher in Hindsight: Might or might not be funny now, incredibly serious later.
- Narm: Serious intent, but draws humorous reactions.
