History Main / TheCrocIsTicking

** Or at least they're ''supposed'' to. Sometimes, however, a rattler will strike, ''then'' rattle.

* In ''Film/KongSkullIsland'', when a Skullcrawler eats a camera. Just before it attacks again, the humans hear the camera's mechanisms whirring, and they can see its flash going off ''inside'' the creature when it strikes.

* [[Wiki/SCPFoundation SCP-4975]] projects a clicking sound to its chosen victims prior to its attacks, which no one but its target can hear. In this case, the noise is the articulations in its long, multi-jointed neck cracking.

* In ''Franchise/StarWars'', if you hear the [[VaderBreath slow methodic sound of mechanical labored breathing]], you'd better ''[[TheDreaded pray]]'' you're not a Jedi, rebel, errant Imperial, or even in DarthWiki/DarthVader's path. One of the most tense moments in the saga is [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack during the fight in Cloud City]], when Vader hides from Luke and tauntingly lets him hear his breathing as Luke nervously paces the room. This is topped shortly thereafter when Vader pulls the same trick ''but holds his breath''. A quick, muffled gasp is Luke's (and the audience's) only warning as Vader [[JumpScare leaps out of hiding]].

Where most stories rely on a suspenseful soundtrack to foreshadow the monster's attack, some go a step further, giving it [[ScareChord its own ominous theme]] in-universe. Either because it's been tagged with or entangled by a telltale noisemaker, or because it's ''[[{{ISophagus}} eaten]]'' an audible mechanism -- often along with the person who'd been carrying it -- such a creature usually won't be much good at sneaking up on the heroes, as it'll be accompanied by a distinctive sound of its own.

Where most stories rely on a suspenseful soundtrack to foreshadow the monster's attack, some go a step further, giving it [[ScareChord its own ominous theme]] in-universe. Either because it's been tagged with or entangled by a telltale noisemaker, or because it's ''eaten'' an audible mechanism -- often along with the person who'd been carrying it -- such a creature usually won't be much good at sneaking up on the heroes, as it'll be accompanied by a distinctive sound of its own.

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* Lampshaded on ''Series/{{Scorpion}}'', when Walter loads an emetic-laden chicken with Paige's smart watch, then throws it to an alligator that'd swallowed a canister the team needs. Told that her watch will allow them to track the gator and locate the canister once it vomits, Paige quips that he's making a real life tick-tock crocodile.

* This is invoked in both the Disney version of ''Disney/PeterPan'', and the live-action film ''Film/{{Hook}}''. Particular to ''Hook'', Peter and the Lost Boys taunt Captain Hook with a bunch of clocks, exploiting his deathly fear of their sound.

* In ''Discworld/WyrdSisters'', Nanny Ogg muses that Magrat's crush on the Fool has its up side: thanks to the tinkling bells on his jester hat, she'd always know where he was.

The TropeNamer is the crocodile from ''Literature/PeterPan'', which had swallowed a clock and was always accompanied by a 'tick-tock' thereafter. FridgeLogic issues such as why the clock (radio, phone, etc) can still be heard through a large creature's belly wall, or why it doesn't run down and/or get expelled in time, are often ignored.

A subtrope of HellIsThatNoise and SourceMusic, and a low-tech sister trope to SensorSuspense. Sister trope to ISophagus, may be related to WhyAmITicking.

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]

[[AC: Fan Works]]

[[AC:Film]]

* In ''Film/Tremors2Aftershocks'', one of the Graboids eats a radio that's blaring music, which is then heard from underground before it reappears.
** Although inaudible to the human ear, the vibration of an approaching Graboid can be detected by seismometers in the films and the series.

[[AC:Literature]]
* Captain Hook's crocodile nemesis in ''Literature/PeterPan'' is the TropeNamer. It also averts the clause about FridgeLogic in the main description, as the clock running down is discussed by Hook and Smee as a definite possibility [[spoiler: and in fact does run down just before the climax.]]

* ''{{Literature/Redwall}}'': In ''Triss'', a constant source of NightmareFuel is something that's only heralded by a sickly sweet smell, and causes even two certified badasses like Skipper and Log-A-Log to run like hell. It turns out to be three huge adders conjoined near their tails in early age by an entangling chain, the smell coming from their tails' necrotic flesh.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

* The {{Clockpunk}} monsters of ''Series/DoctorWho'''s "The Girl in the Fireplace" make ticking noises as they move, and break the mechanical clocks around them so people won't notice that it's ''them'' ticking rather than a nearby timepiece.

* Averted on ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', when Abby tried to convince an intern to wear bells so she could tell if he (like her previous two aides) tried to sneak up behind her. Gibbs arrived and distracted her before she could press the issue.

[[AC: Mythology]]

[[AC: TabletopGames]]

[[AC:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', if you stay on one level of Tartarus for too long, you will face having the Reaper spawn. You're able to tell he's close by the sound of chains coming from his direction.

[[AC:Western Animation]]

--> '''Woman 1:''' Don't open that coffin! It's ticking\\
'''Woman 2:''' ''(with stake and hammer, over coffin)'' I have to! This coffin isn't going to open itself!\\
'''Dracula:''' ''(flinging open coffin and emerging)'' BLUUUUAAAH!\\
''(explosion, as advertised)''

[[AC:Web Original]]
* A flash game Magic Pink Man gets meta about Boss battle music with world-building fluff about legendary monsters roaming the land heralded by unique music in their presence.

[[AC:Other]]
* Common in tales of ghosts that are ChainedByFashion.

[[AC:RealLife]]

* Due to the risk of pedestrians not hearing their engines, electric cars in Europe are now required to incorporate noise-generating devices that ensure their approach isn't entirely silent.

* In ''Franchise/StarWars'', if you hear the [[VaderBreath slow methodic sound of mechanical labored breathing]], you'd better ''pray'' you're not a Jedi, rebel, errant Imperial, or even in [[TheDreaded Darth Vader's]] path. One of the most tense moments in the saga is [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack during the fight in Cloud City]], when Vader hides from Luke and tauntingly lets him hear his breathing as Luke nervously paces the room. This is topped shortly thereafter when Vader pulls the same trick ''but holds his breath''. A quick, muffled gasp is Luke's (and the audience's) only warning as Vader [[JumpScare leaps out of hiding]].

* In ''Franchise/StarWars'', if you hear the slow methodic sound of mechanical labored breathing you'd better ''pray'' you're not a Jedi, rebel, errant Imperial, or even in [[TheDreaded Darth Vader's]] path. One of the most tense moments in the saga is [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack during the fight in Cloud City]], when Vader hides from Luke and tauntingly lets him hear his breathing as Luke nervously paces the room. This is topped shortly thereafter when Vader pulls the same trick ''but holds his breath''. A quick, muffled gasp is Luke's (and the audience's) only warning as Vader [[JumpScare leaps out of hiding]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}},'' a second and a half before a Creeper explodes, you can hear the hiss of gunpowder igniting inside its body. This is especially scary because other than that hiss, Creepers are silent. Meaning you have no warning other than a second and a half of hissing before the Creeper explodes, destroying you (or at best severely depleting your health) and whatever you were building at the moment.

->"''Tick-tock, tick-tock! Hook's afraid of a dusty old croc!''"

* The sirens of ambulances or fire engines are intended to warn other drivers to pull over and clear the way for such emergency vehicles. Although intended as a safety precaution, the sound itself can be alarming to drivers who can't find an opening along the shoulder to slip into.

* One particularly tragic example was invoked in certain regions of India. Members of the "untouchable" Dalit [[TypeCaste castes]] have historically been relegated to professions like sanitation and leatherworking, and higher castes have often regarded any contact with Dalits as spiritually unclean. So according to the ancient Chinese traveller [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faxian Faxian]] when Dalits left their segregated communities, they had to sound a wooden clapper to warn other people to get out of the way.

* One particularly tragic example was invoked in certain regions of India. Members of the "untouchable" Dalit [[TypeCaste castes]] have historically been relegated to professions like sanitation and leatherworking, and members of higher castes feared that even interacting with them was spiritually unclean. So according to the ancient Chinese traveller [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faxian Faxian]] when Dalits left their segregated communities, they had to sound a wooden clapper to warn other people to get out of the way.

* One particularly tragic example was invoked in certain regions of India. Members of the "untouchable" Dalit [[TypeCaste castes]] were relegated to professions like sanitation and leatherworking, and members of higher castes feared that even interacting with them was spiritually unclean. So according to the ancient Chinese traveller [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faxian Faxian]] when Dalits left their segregated communities, they had to sound a wooden clapper to warn other people to get out of the way.

* One particularly tragic example was invoked in certain regions of India. "Untouchables" (people of "unclean" [[TypeCaste castes]], such as garbage collectors or leatherworkers) were generally despised, and people feared that even interacting with them would corrupt one's spiritual energy. Therefore, when Untouchables left their segregated communities and entered areas with other people, they had to sound a wooden clapper to warn others to get out of the way.

* In ''Franchise/StarWars'', if you hear the slow methodic sound of mechanical labored breathing you'd better ''pray'' you're not a Jedi, rebel, errant Imperial, or even in [[TheDreaded Darth Vader's]] path.

[[AC TabletopGames]]