History Literature / TheAreasOfMyExpertise

|| Former lovers who are [[AdventurerArchaeologist archeologists]] seek same [[PublicDomainArtifact ancient curio]] || [[TheDeterminator Petty jealousy inspires tireless pursuit]] of [[Literature/MobyDick whale]] || [[CloningBlues New numbering system for clones proves problematic for non-clones]] || [[AllJustADream Everything turns out to be a dream]] || Man creates cyborg who wishes [[BecomeARealBoy to become a real boy]] ||

** When building a snow fort, "watch out for [[StarWars wampas]]."

* AcceptableTargets: Acknowledged in-universe and subverted; although Hodgman has an unreasonable fear of hoboes, he makes it clear that those who are simply unfortunate enough to live on the streets are not ''actual'' "hoboes", a mysterious kingdom of transients and drifters that once flourished in the United States and formed the inspiration for all hobo stereotypes in pop culture. [[spoiler:True hoboes, it's later revealed, also no longer exist on Earth.]]

* RunningGag: [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent The different varieties of werewolf]], [[ADateWithRosiePalms masturbation]], eels, zeppelins, cheese, [[HairTropes haircuts/facial hair]], distrust for people who use pseudonyms, Creator/HenryDavidThoreau, giant Brazilian monkeys, Alexander Graham Bell, Yale University, crabs and lobsters (although the term "lobster" originally referred to a type of sea otter), the non-existence of Chicago, getting either [[IntoxicationEnsues "very high or very autistic"]], common flammable gels, Percoset, and, of course, the hoboes.

* {{Glurge}}: Invoked and parodied with the Six Oaths of the Virtuous Child, which start off unsettling and get gradually more bizarre as the Child fashions itself into a sharp-toothed, pious killing machine.
-->''Today shall not be wasted. I shall rise before the sun so that I may then watch my family as they slumber, with intent, waiting eyes.''\\
''I shall honor my mother today, and I shall tell father he is powerful.''\\
''Today I shall be clean. I shall not touch my teeth, knowing that the oils of my skin shall cause them to disintegrate. I shall instead hone them, with a good steel, twice after prayers.''\\
''I shall be a faithful child, and I shall ever make science my enemy. Also, eels.''\\
''At day, I shall perform my chores and duties happily. And if I see an eel, I shall kill it.''\\
''At night, I shall dream of more labor, and in my sleep I shall smile with sharpened teeth, knowing that today has not been wasted.''

* YouCanPanicNow: One minor character is afraid that terrorists will attack the Mall of America.

|| Rivals in business become partners in bed || [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption The ocean arrives to put an end to well-laid plans]] || True talent [[StrawCritic overlooked]] in favour of kiss-asses || [[EnemyWithin Struggle to overcome]] the effects of [[{{Brainwashed}} brainwashing/hypnosis]] || Young, handsome [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul cyborg Army officer kills his own family]], [[YouCanPanicNow blames hippies]] ||

|| [[FoeYay Rivals in business become partners in bed]] || [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption The ocean arrives to put an end to well-laid plans]] || True talent [[StrawCritic overlooked]] in favour of kiss-asses || [[EnemyWithin Struggle to overcome]] the effects of [[{{Brainwashed}} brainwashing/hypnosis]] || Young, handsome [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul cyborg Army officer kills his own family]], [[YouCanPanicNow blames hippies]] ||

%%* ContemptibleCover: Discussed in the {{Paratext}}.%%Discussed how?

|| CountryMouse v. CityMouse || [[AnimalNemesis One partially blinded by bear seeks revenge]] || [[StylisticSelfParody Person living in two-dimensional world]] encourages [[ConspicuousCG embrace of third dimension]] [[Literature/{{Flatland}} and is shunned]] || [[TheGrotesque A horrible physical deformity is overcome]], only to be revealed that [[AllJustADream it is all in the protagonist's imagination]] || [[OnlySaneMan Only the hero can see the cyborgs]] who [[ConspiracyKitchenSink secretly run our government and media]] ||

%%* VivaLasVegas

%%* TheGreatDepression: What You Did Not Know About Hoboes.
%%* HistoricalInjoke: Loads.
* {{Homage}}:
** The mountains of Colorado (state nickname: [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings The Dwarrowdelf]]) are described as "large and fairly [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Balrog]]-free".
** When describing the correct manner of raising rabbits, Hodgman describes the phenomenon of [[Literature/WatershipDown El-Ahrairah worship]]
** When building a snow fort, "watch out for [[StarWars wampas]]."
** Repeated references to ''Series/DoctorWho'', including using a picture of Cybermen for "typical cyborg mischief".
** Repeated references to the ''Franchise/EvilDead'' series, such as the claim that George W. Bush has a [[ChainsawGood chainsaw]] for [[ArmCannon a hand]]. John Hodgman was Creator/BruceCampbell's literary agent, and Campbell is listed as an expert consulted on the subject of fake blood (likely not a joke).
%%* TheKillerInMe: Lord Miles Overstreet ''is'' Dr. Craig Kittles!%%And?
%%* KillerRabbit: Squirrels.
* LongList: 700 Hobo Names. 800, in the paperback.

* AttackOfTheKillerWhatever: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]].

* BunnyEarsLawyer: "Idiosyncrasies of the Great Detectives", parodying:
** Literature/LordPeterWimsey
** Literature/HerculePoirot
** Literature/NeroWolfe
** Literature/MissMarple
** Literature/BrotherCadfael
** {{Kid Detective}}s in general
* CallARabbitASmeerp: There was a species of otter called a "lobster", now driven to extinction by the New Lobsters. There's also a joke about how during the 1920s, when "gorilla" was a slang term for tough guy, the term for an actual gorilla was "mega-chimp"

** One of which involves impersonating a {{Ninja}}, and requires, as part of the con, the summoning of {{Mons}}.

* ContemptibleCover: Discussed in the {{paratext}}.

* CreepyChild: The Virtuous Child, Child Prodigies.

* {{Flanderization}}: [[UsefulNotes/TheSeveralStates Our 51 United States]].
** TheBigEasy
** DownOnTheFarm
** EverythingIsBigInTexas
** HollywoodNewEngland
** {{Joisey}}: Listed as the "Too-easy-to-Mock State".
** LostWorld: Hohoq (also known as "Ar"), the 51st state, also a [[FloatingContinent floating plateau]] populated by [[GiantFlyer thunderbirds]], [[MagicalNativeAmerican Magical Native Americans]], and Germans, who appear to be "simply German".
** VivaLasVegas
** UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}: Hodgman claims Chicago is only a myth written about by Carl Sandberg (who also didn't exist), or at best only comes to this plane of existence every once in a while, like ''Theatre/{{Brigadoon}}''.
* TheGreatDepression: What You Did Not Know About Hoboes.
* HistoricalInjoke: Loads.

* TheKillerInMe / JekyllAndHyde: Lord Miles Overstreet ''is'' Dr. Craig Kittles!
* KillerRabbit: Squirrels.

* {{Mascot}}: Discussion of breakfast cereal mascots.
* {{Mockumentary}}: In book form!

* RunningGag: [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent The different varieties of werewolf]], [[{{A Date With Rosie Palms}} masturbation]], eels, zeppelins, cheese, [[HairTropes haircuts/facial hair]], distrust for people who use pseudonyms, Creator/HenryDavidThoreau, giant Brazilian monkeys, Alexander Graham Bell, Yale University, crabs and lobsters (although the term "lobster" originally referred to a type of sea otter), the non-existence of Chicago, getting either [[IntoxicationEnsues "very high or very autistic"]], common flammable gels, Percoset, and, of course, the hoboes.

* ShownTheirWork: Ironically enough. There's quite a bit of genuine facts interspersed with all the nonsense.
* SeriousBusiness: "If you wish for sports information, might I kindly refer you to every other aspect of our culture?"

** ''Literature/MoreInformationThanYouRequire'' takes this even further.
*** ''Literature/ThatIsAll'' brings the Creator/NickNolte TakeThat to its inevitable conclusion [[spoiler: declaring him a cosmic horror]].

* WhoopiEpiphanySpeech / ChildrenAreInnocent: Parodied with Hodgmina.
* WordSaladTitle: The whole title.

* GiantSwimmer: Averted. The Loch Ness Monster is fairly small and roughly humanoid.