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Here at Wiki/TVTropes, there are a lot of tropers, and a lot of tropes. As a result, {{In Joke}}s arise, and Tropes about Tropes begin to form.
As a result, certain words, terms, and patterns come to carry implications when used in the names of tropes. When creating a new trope, one must consider whether the resulting trope name invokes such implications. Sometimes, use of these words in other contexts is justified, while in others, it only causes confusion, in which case changing the trope name to remove the Loaded Trope Word may be preferable. When used intentionally where not appropriate, these can become problematic [[Administrivia/EverythingsWorseWithSnowclones snowclones]].
Note that, where Loaded Trope Words appear in very common English phrases, such as MasqueradeBall, GameFace, or, say, "Noodle Soup", they may be used without becoming problematic [[Administrivia/EverythingsWorseWithSnowclones snowclones]].
Here, such words, terms, and patterns are identified, as a reference, with their trope etymology identified.
!!Wordplay
* '''Abomination''' - while the actual definition of "abomination" is "a thing that causes disgust or loathing", on this Wiki, the term is used to refer to incomprehensible creatures.
* '''Aesop''' - named after ''Literature/AesopsFables'', AnAesop is what we call the moral of the story. Tropes with Aesop relate to morals in some way.
* '''Bus''' - originating with PutOnABus, a Bus is a narrative device that allows creators to take characters away from the action. See TropesOnABus.
* '''Chekhov''' - originating with [[ChekhovsGun Chekhov's Gun]] and referring to Creator/AntonChekhov, Chekhov tropes often imply that something introduced early in the plot will come to be used later, or fail to be used.
* '''Cthulhu''' - originating from the Franchise/CthulhuMythos, this word generally refers to a ridiculously powerful, often god-like, being. As an example of usage, see DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu. DidYouJustIndexCthulhu is where all of them are.
* '''Dragon''' - originating with TheDragon, this word is sometimes used to refer to the second-in-charge to the BigBad, which is only occasionally an actual dragon. Efforts are being made to unload this trope word, as literal dragons need to be referred to in trope names, too.
* '''Face''' and '''Heel''' - originally from ProfessionalWrestling, these words, when used together, refer to Good and Evil, respectively. For instance, a FaceHeelTurn is where a Good character turns Evil.
* '''Fridge''' - originating with FridgeLogic, tropes with the word Fridge, especially at the start of them, generally refer to situations in which the audience has a delayed reaction to something.
* '''Gambit''' - originating with the XanatosGambit, a [[GambitIndex Gambit trope]] is about a plan of some kind. Unlike normal English usage, a Gambit trope does not have to involve a high level of risk in order for a bigger potential reward. It certainly has nothing to do with TabletopGame/{{Chess}}, where a gambit is doing a material sacrifice in order to gain an advantage in position or tempo.
* '''Moment Of''' - originating with the "Crowning Moment Of Awesome", now just SugarWiki.MomentOfAwesome, tropes with this in their name generally refer to significant moments within a story, or the lack thereof. As such, confusion may arise if one refers to, say, a "Moment Of Uncertainty", which would be a moment experienced by a character, rather than by the audience, were to become a trope name.
* '''Noodle''' - originating with the NoodleIncident, Noodle refers to things left to the imagination to fill in. Use can be justified where referring to something resembling an actual noodle.
* '''Ship''' - originating with {{Shipping}}, a Ship trope often refers to relation''ship''s, rather than boats. Take care, as tropes that play with the DoubleEntendre of this word may confuse if not worded carefully.
* '''Xanatos''' - also originally referring to a character in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', a Xanatos trope involves some form of mastermind, typically one that has a preponderance for overly complex plots. We replaced most of them with 'Gambit' and created ThePlan as part of the unloading process.
* '''Yay''' - originating with HoYay, a trope using the word Yay generally involve sexual tension or other implied sexual activity, generally without any overt indication confirming the tension or implication.
!!Restricted word usage
* '''Badass''' - while this word is generally an adjective describing something as particularly harsh or masculine, tropes with this word refer specifically to characters fitting the description of "badass". It is restricted because it was losing meaning (among other things). For examples of its use, see BadassCreed, BadassBookworm, and TookALevelInBadass.
* '''Fantastic''' - while this word is often treated as a superlative, meaning great or amazing, in trope names this is generally used to refer to something relating to Fantasy. See FantasticAesop and FantasticScience as examples of the use of this trope word.
!!Naming Patterns
* X '''Ball''' - tropes named as an "X Ball" typically imply that X is a property that gets given to a certain character for the sake of the plot (based on the idea of an imaginary ball which can be thrown from person to person and give them property X while they hold it). See IdiotBall for the most common trope with this naming pattern and BallIndex for a full list. Use in other contexts, such as BigBallOfViolence, does not carry this implication.
* '''Artistic License --''' X : These are the pages for the common ways that creators are factually wrong, because being correct wouldn't serve the story as well. We used to try to distinguish between factual errors that were in the service of the story ("Wrong, but Good"), and those that were made by a creator who simply didn't do the research (the "You Fail X Forever" and "Somewhere an X is crying" tropes were "Wrong, and Bad"), but experience proved that that distinction is impossible to judge from outside, and the "but Bad" pages became a morass of complaining and ego-stroking. We now give all factual errors the benefit of the doubt (unless the work has been clearly claimed by the creator or marketing as being factually accurate. Then it's DanBrowned.)
* '''Deus Ex''' X ''or'' X '''Ex Machina''' - originating from the concept of a DeusExMachina, most tropes following these naming patterns are puns on the original, and involve either creation/application of gods or an unjustified solution of problems using generic and standard methods. See IndExMachina for a comprehensive list of tropes following these naming patterns.
* '''Everything's''' ''comparative'' '''With''' X - tropes with this naming structure generally indicate that X either has an effect (the ''comparative'') on a work into which it is added, or improves (or worsens) a work purely by its presence. Typically, the comparative is "Better", or occasionally "Worse", although other comparatives may be used if it improves the trope name. See GarnishingTheStory for an index of existing tropes using this naming pattern.
* '''Hollywood''' X - tropes which are a gross oversimplification of a complicated or multi-faceted thing, place, or field of knowledge. Differs from the Artistic License - X tropes in that Artistic License - X is for when the creators are factually wrong. See the HollywoodIndex for a list of the tropes that use this naming convention.
* '''Our''' X '''Are Different''' - Many standard concepts used in stories are standardised to the point that most works will stick to a simple formula. Tropes with this naming pattern generally break that simple formula, and do things differently when it comes to X. May use "is" if X is singular. For an index of existing tropes with this naming pattern, see OurTropesAreDifferent.
* '''The''' ''character'' - This is reserved for [[OmnipresentTropes omnipresent]] ''character roles'' (TheHero and TheRival, for example), as well as a very few specific characters who are widely agreed to satisfy the JustForFun/OneMarioLimit. Beyond this, directly naming a trope after a specific character is a '''very''' risky proposition to avoid at all costs, because of a tendency for editors to [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant assume that]] it's [[Administrivia/SquarePegRoundTrope about the character, instead of the trope]], and the fact that well-rounded characters have too many facets to simply pick ''one'' side of them and declare that it's the one they should be forever known by.
* X '''The Dog''' - Tropes following this naming pattern express actions by characters that influence the audience's opinion of them, or that demonstrate to the audience that a character has changed. TropeyTheWonderDog is an index including the existing X The Dog tropes.
* X '''Bonus''': Members of the audience who meet the criteria "X" get something extra. "X" can be something you do, something you know, or something you are.
* '''What Do You Mean, it's''' X '''?''' - This means that something has the quality X, but doesn't look like it at first glance. For example, WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids is about works that are for kids but have content that doesn't seem kid-friendly. See WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAnIndex for a full list.
* '''Somewhere a/an''' X '''is Crying''' - This means that someone got a fact wrong and so a scientist who knows better would cry at the author's ignorance. This naming pattern has fallen out of favour because Artistic License means the same thing and because it sounds too negative. See SomewhereThisIndexIsCrying.
!!No longer in use
* '''You Fail''' X '''Forever''' - tropes that had this naming pattern now typically go by the trope naming pattern ''Artistic License - X''. For a list of tropes with this pattern, see [[ArtisticLicense Artistic License - Indexes]].
----
As a result, certain words, terms, and patterns come to carry implications when used in the names of tropes. When creating a new trope, one must consider whether the resulting trope name invokes such implications. Sometimes, use of these words in other contexts is justified, while in others, it only causes confusion, in which case changing the trope name to remove the Loaded Trope Word may be preferable. When used intentionally where not appropriate, these can become problematic [[Administrivia/EverythingsWorseWithSnowclones snowclones]].
Note that, where Loaded Trope Words appear in very common English phrases, such as MasqueradeBall, GameFace, or, say, "Noodle Soup", they may be used without becoming problematic [[Administrivia/EverythingsWorseWithSnowclones snowclones]].
Here, such words, terms, and patterns are identified, as a reference, with their trope etymology identified.
!!Wordplay
* '''Abomination''' - while the actual definition of "abomination" is "a thing that causes disgust or loathing", on this Wiki, the term is used to refer to incomprehensible creatures.
* '''Aesop''' - named after ''Literature/AesopsFables'', AnAesop is what we call the moral of the story. Tropes with Aesop relate to morals in some way.
* '''Bus''' - originating with PutOnABus, a Bus is a narrative device that allows creators to take characters away from the action. See TropesOnABus.
* '''Chekhov''' - originating with [[ChekhovsGun Chekhov's Gun]] and referring to Creator/AntonChekhov, Chekhov tropes often imply that something introduced early in the plot will come to be used later, or fail to be used.
* '''Cthulhu''' - originating from the Franchise/CthulhuMythos, this word generally refers to a ridiculously powerful, often god-like, being. As an example of usage, see DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu. DidYouJustIndexCthulhu is where all of them are.
* '''Dragon''' - originating with TheDragon, this word is sometimes used to refer to the second-in-charge to the BigBad, which is only occasionally an actual dragon. Efforts are being made to unload this trope word, as literal dragons need to be referred to in trope names, too.
* '''Face''' and '''Heel''' - originally from ProfessionalWrestling, these words, when used together, refer to Good and Evil, respectively. For instance, a FaceHeelTurn is where a Good character turns Evil.
* '''Fridge''' - originating with FridgeLogic, tropes with the word Fridge, especially at the start of them, generally refer to situations in which the audience has a delayed reaction to something.
* '''Gambit''' - originating with the XanatosGambit, a [[GambitIndex Gambit trope]] is about a plan of some kind. Unlike normal English usage, a Gambit trope does not have to involve a high level of risk in order for a bigger potential reward. It certainly has nothing to do with TabletopGame/{{Chess}}, where a gambit is doing a material sacrifice in order to gain an advantage in position or tempo.
* '''Moment Of''' - originating with the "Crowning Moment Of Awesome", now just SugarWiki.MomentOfAwesome, tropes with this in their name generally refer to significant moments within a story, or the lack thereof. As such, confusion may arise if one refers to, say, a "Moment Of Uncertainty", which would be a moment experienced by a character, rather than by the audience, were to become a trope name.
* '''Noodle''' - originating with the NoodleIncident, Noodle refers to things left to the imagination to fill in. Use can be justified where referring to something resembling an actual noodle.
* '''Ship''' - originating with {{Shipping}}, a Ship trope often refers to relation''ship''s, rather than boats. Take care, as tropes that play with the DoubleEntendre of this word may confuse if not worded carefully.
* '''Xanatos''' - also originally referring to a character in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', a Xanatos trope involves some form of mastermind, typically one that has a preponderance for overly complex plots. We replaced most of them with 'Gambit' and created ThePlan as part of the unloading process.
* '''Yay''' - originating with HoYay, a trope using the word Yay generally involve sexual tension or other implied sexual activity, generally without any overt indication confirming the tension or implication.
!!Restricted word usage
* '''Badass''' - while this word is generally an adjective describing something as particularly harsh or masculine, tropes with this word refer specifically to characters fitting the description of "badass". It is restricted because it was losing meaning (among other things). For examples of its use, see BadassCreed, BadassBookworm, and TookALevelInBadass.
* '''Fantastic''' - while this word is often treated as a superlative, meaning great or amazing, in trope names this is generally used to refer to something relating to Fantasy. See FantasticAesop and FantasticScience as examples of the use of this trope word.
!!Naming Patterns
* X '''Ball''' - tropes named as an "X Ball" typically imply that X is a property that gets given to a certain character for the sake of the plot (based on the idea of an imaginary ball which can be thrown from person to person and give them property X while they hold it). See IdiotBall for the most common trope with this naming pattern and BallIndex for a full list. Use in other contexts, such as BigBallOfViolence, does not carry this implication.
* '''Artistic License --''' X : These are the pages for the common ways that creators are factually wrong, because being correct wouldn't serve the story as well. We used to try to distinguish between factual errors that were in the service of the story ("Wrong, but Good"), and those that were made by a creator who simply didn't do the research (the "You Fail X Forever" and "Somewhere an X is crying" tropes were "Wrong, and Bad"), but experience proved that that distinction is impossible to judge from outside, and the "but Bad" pages became a morass of complaining and ego-stroking. We now give all factual errors the benefit of the doubt (unless the work has been clearly claimed by the creator or marketing as being factually accurate. Then it's DanBrowned.)
* '''Deus Ex''' X ''or'' X '''Ex Machina''' - originating from the concept of a DeusExMachina, most tropes following these naming patterns are puns on the original, and involve either creation/application of gods or an unjustified solution of problems using generic and standard methods. See IndExMachina for a comprehensive list of tropes following these naming patterns.
* '''Everything's''' ''comparative'' '''With''' X - tropes with this naming structure generally indicate that X either has an effect (the ''comparative'') on a work into which it is added, or improves (or worsens) a work purely by its presence. Typically, the comparative is "Better", or occasionally "Worse", although other comparatives may be used if it improves the trope name. See GarnishingTheStory for an index of existing tropes using this naming pattern.
* '''Hollywood''' X - tropes which are a gross oversimplification of a complicated or multi-faceted thing, place, or field of knowledge. Differs from the Artistic License - X tropes in that Artistic License - X is for when the creators are factually wrong. See the HollywoodIndex for a list of the tropes that use this naming convention.
* '''Our''' X '''Are Different''' - Many standard concepts used in stories are standardised to the point that most works will stick to a simple formula. Tropes with this naming pattern generally break that simple formula, and do things differently when it comes to X. May use "is" if X is singular. For an index of existing tropes with this naming pattern, see OurTropesAreDifferent.
* '''The''' ''character'' - This is reserved for [[OmnipresentTropes omnipresent]] ''character roles'' (TheHero and TheRival, for example), as well as a very few specific characters who are widely agreed to satisfy the JustForFun/OneMarioLimit. Beyond this, directly naming a trope after a specific character is a '''very''' risky proposition to avoid at all costs, because of a tendency for editors to [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant assume that]] it's [[Administrivia/SquarePegRoundTrope about the character, instead of the trope]], and the fact that well-rounded characters have too many facets to simply pick ''one'' side of them and declare that it's the one they should be forever known by.
* X '''The Dog''' - Tropes following this naming pattern express actions by characters that influence the audience's opinion of them, or that demonstrate to the audience that a character has changed. TropeyTheWonderDog is an index including the existing X The Dog tropes.
* X '''Bonus''': Members of the audience who meet the criteria "X" get something extra. "X" can be something you do, something you know, or something you are.
* '''What Do You Mean, it's''' X '''?''' - This means that something has the quality X, but doesn't look like it at first glance. For example, WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids is about works that are for kids but have content that doesn't seem kid-friendly. See WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAnIndex for a full list.
* '''Somewhere a/an''' X '''is Crying''' - This means that someone got a fact wrong and so a scientist who knows better would cry at the author's ignorance. This naming pattern has fallen out of favour because Artistic License means the same thing and because it sounds too negative. See SomewhereThisIndexIsCrying.
!!No longer in use
* '''You Fail''' X '''Forever''' - tropes that had this naming pattern now typically go by the trope naming pattern ''Artistic License - X''. For a list of tropes with this pattern, see [[ArtisticLicense Artistic License - Indexes]].
----
to:
As a result, certain words, terms, and patterns come to carry implications when used in the names of tropes. When creating a new trope, one must consider whether the resulting trope name invokes such implications. Sometimes, use of these words in other contexts is justified, while in others, it only causes confusion, in which case changing the trope name to remove the Loaded Trope Word may be preferable. When used intentionally where not appropriate, these can become problematic [[Administrivia/EverythingsWorseWithSnowclones snowclones]].
Note that, where Loaded Trope Words appear in very common English phrases, such as MasqueradeBall, GameFace, or, say, "Noodle Soup", they may be used without becoming problematic [[Administrivia/EverythingsWorseWithSnowclones snowclones]].
Here, such words, terms, and patterns are identified, as a reference, with their trope etymology identified.
!!Wordplay
* '''Abomination''' - while the actual definition of "abomination" is "a thing that causes disgust or loathing", on this Wiki, the term is used to refer to incomprehensible creatures.
* '''Aesop''' - named after ''Literature/AesopsFables'', AnAesop is what we call the moral of the story. Tropes with Aesop relate to morals in some way.
* '''Bus''' - originating with PutOnABus, a Bus is a narrative device that allows creators to take characters away from the action. See TropesOnABus.
* '''Chekhov''' - originating with [[ChekhovsGun Chekhov's Gun]] and referring to Creator/AntonChekhov, Chekhov tropes often imply that something introduced early in the plot will come to be used later, or fail to be used.
* '''Cthulhu''' - originating from the Franchise/CthulhuMythos, this word generally refers to a ridiculously powerful, often god-like, being. As an example of usage, see DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu. DidYouJustIndexCthulhu is where all of them are.
* '''Dragon''' - originating with TheDragon, this word is sometimes used to refer to the second-in-charge to the BigBad, which is only occasionally an actual dragon. Efforts are being made to unload this trope word, as literal dragons need to be referred to in trope names, too.
* '''Face''' and '''Heel''' - originally from ProfessionalWrestling, these words, when used together, refer to Good and Evil, respectively. For instance, a FaceHeelTurn is where a Good character turns Evil.
* '''Fridge''' - originating with FridgeLogic, tropes with the word Fridge, especially at the start of them, generally refer to situations in which the audience has a delayed reaction to something.
* '''Gambit''' - originating with the XanatosGambit, a [[GambitIndex Gambit trope]] is about a plan of some kind. Unlike normal English usage, a Gambit trope does not have to involve a high level of risk in order for a bigger potential reward. It certainly has nothing to do with TabletopGame/{{Chess}}, where a gambit is doing a material sacrifice in order to gain an advantage in position or tempo.
* '''Moment Of''' - originating with the "Crowning Moment Of Awesome", now just SugarWiki.MomentOfAwesome, tropes with this in their name generally refer to significant moments within a story, or the lack thereof. As such, confusion may arise if one refers to, say, a "Moment Of Uncertainty", which would be a moment experienced by a character, rather than by the audience, were to become a trope name.
* '''Noodle''' - originating with the NoodleIncident, Noodle refers to things left to the imagination to fill in. Use can be justified where referring to something resembling an actual noodle.
* '''Ship''' - originating with {{Shipping}}, a Ship trope often refers to relation''ship''s, rather than boats. Take care, as tropes that play with the DoubleEntendre of this word may confuse if not worded carefully.
* '''Xanatos''' - also originally referring to a character in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', a Xanatos trope involves some form of mastermind, typically one that has a preponderance for overly complex plots. We replaced most of them with 'Gambit' and created ThePlan as part of the unloading process.
* '''Yay''' - originating with HoYay, a trope using the word Yay generally involve sexual tension or other implied sexual activity, generally without any overt indication confirming the tension or implication.
!!Restricted word usage
* '''Badass''' - while this word is generally an adjective describing something as particularly harsh or masculine, tropes with this word refer specifically to characters fitting the description of "badass". It is restricted because it was losing meaning (among other things). For examples of its use, see BadassCreed, BadassBookworm, and TookALevelInBadass.
* '''Fantastic''' - while this word is often treated as a superlative, meaning great or amazing, in trope names this is generally used to refer to something relating to Fantasy. See FantasticAesop and FantasticScience as examples of the use of this trope word.
!!Naming Patterns
* X '''Ball''' - tropes named as an "X Ball" typically imply that X is a property that gets given to a certain character for the sake of the plot (based on the idea of an imaginary ball which can be thrown from person to person and give them property X while they hold it). See IdiotBall for the most common trope with this naming pattern and BallIndex for a full list. Use in other contexts, such as BigBallOfViolence, does not carry this implication.
* '''Artistic License --''' X : These are the pages for the common ways that creators are factually wrong, because being correct wouldn't serve the story as well. We used to try to distinguish between factual errors that were in the service of the story ("Wrong, but Good"), and those that were made by a creator who simply didn't do the research (the "You Fail X Forever" and "Somewhere an X is crying" tropes were "Wrong, and Bad"), but experience proved that that distinction is impossible to judge from outside, and the "but Bad" pages became a morass of complaining and ego-stroking. We now give all factual errors the benefit of the doubt (unless the work has been clearly claimed by the creator or marketing as being factually accurate. Then it's DanBrowned.)
* '''Deus Ex''' X ''or'' X '''Ex Machina''' - originating from the concept of a DeusExMachina, most tropes following these naming patterns are puns on the original, and involve either creation/application of gods or an unjustified solution of problems using generic and standard methods. See IndExMachina for a comprehensive list of tropes following these naming patterns.
* '''Everything's''' ''comparative'' '''With''' X - tropes with this naming structure generally indicate that X either has an effect (the ''comparative'') on a work into which it is added, or improves (or worsens) a work purely by its presence. Typically, the comparative is "Better", or occasionally "Worse", although other comparatives may be used if it improves the trope name. See GarnishingTheStory for an index of existing tropes using this naming pattern.
* '''Hollywood''' X - tropes which are a gross oversimplification of a complicated or multi-faceted thing, place, or field of knowledge. Differs from the Artistic License - X tropes in that Artistic License - X is for when the creators are factually wrong. See the HollywoodIndex for a list of the tropes that use this naming convention.
* '''Our''' X '''Are Different''' - Many standard concepts used in stories are standardised to the point that most works will stick to a simple formula. Tropes with this naming pattern generally break that simple formula, and do things differently when it comes to X. May use "is" if X is singular. For an index of existing tropes with this naming pattern, see OurTropesAreDifferent.
* '''The''' ''character'' - This is reserved for [[OmnipresentTropes omnipresent]] ''character roles'' (TheHero and TheRival, for example), as well as a very few specific characters who are widely agreed to satisfy the JustForFun/OneMarioLimit. Beyond this, directly naming a trope after a specific character is a '''very''' risky proposition to avoid at all costs, because of a tendency for editors to [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant assume that]] it's [[Administrivia/SquarePegRoundTrope about the character, instead of the trope]], and the fact that well-rounded characters have too many facets to simply pick ''one'' side of them and declare that it's the one they should be forever known by.
* X '''The Dog''' - Tropes following this naming pattern express actions by characters that influence the audience's opinion of them, or that demonstrate to the audience that a character has changed. TropeyTheWonderDog is an index including the existing X The Dog tropes.
* X '''Bonus''': Members of the audience who meet the criteria "X" get something extra. "X" can be something you do, something you know, or something you are.
* '''What Do You Mean, it's''' X '''?''' - This means that something has the quality X, but doesn't look like it at first glance. For example, WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids is about works that are for kids but have content that doesn't seem kid-friendly. See WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAnIndex for a full list.
* '''Somewhere a/an''' X '''is Crying''' - This means that someone got a fact wrong and so a scientist who knows better would cry at the author's ignorance. This naming pattern has fallen out of favour because Artistic License means the same thing and because it sounds too negative. See SomewhereThisIndexIsCrying.
!!No longer in use
* '''You Fail''' X '''Forever''' - tropes that had this naming pattern now typically go by the trope naming pattern ''Artistic License - X''. For a list of tropes with this pattern, see [[ArtisticLicense Artistic License - Indexes]].
----
