History PlayingWith / BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord

* '''Played For Drama''': Bob demanding Alice to never use the word "blackmail" is a small and petty show of the power he holds over her, but it still ''is'' a show of the power he holds over her.

** Bob insists on calling it "darkmessage."

* '''Played For Horror''': Bob likes to name his [[SpreeKiller mass shootings]] with terms like "the proactive reduction of free radicals".

* '''Exaggerated''':
** Alice accuses Bob of blackmailing her. He threatens to tell everyone every single one of her secrets if she ever says that word again.
** WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide

* '''Exaggerated''': Alice accuses Bob of blackmailing her. He threatens to tell everyone every single one of her secrets if she ever says that word again.

* '''Played For Laughs''': Bob insists on the most comically inappropriate alternative words possible for his crimes.

** Bob engages in PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad and he doesn't like the derogative "blackmail" because it is homophonous with "black male."

* '''Played for Laughs''': Bob insists on the most comically inappropriate alternative words possible for his crimes.

** "You keep saying that you're not offering me a bribe, when you are continuously offering me money and/or items of high monetary value as rewards for me performing an illegal action. That is ''the very freaking definition'' of the word "bribe"!"

** When Alice accuses Bob of blackmailing her, he asks her to say it again, because he likes the sound of the word.

* '''Zig-Zagged''': When Alice accuses Bob of blackmailing her, he insists she doesn't call it blackmailing. Later she calls it blackmailing anyway and he doesn't notice. But the next time they see each other, he bashes her for saying blackmail.

* '''Lampshaded''': "Honestly? My word choice is the biggest issue here?"

* '''Exploited''': Alice says "blackmail" over and over again to annoy Bob.

** "You wanna call it 'Susan'? Seriously? I'm gonna use the correct term, thank you very much. At least it won't make me feel like I'm stuck in amateur hour."
** Alice is so pissed off in general that when she hears Bob talking about how he doesn't likes to use the word "blackmail" because it's not cool enough in his eyes and wishes to use the word "extortion" instead, [[RageBreakingPoint she finally snaps]] and gives him an extensive lecture and even goes as far as tell him that he can go ahead and release the information anyway [[BlackmailBackfire because there is no way in hell she's going to pay an imbecile that can't even bother to use the correct term for his crimes.]]

** "You know that using 'Susan' to refer to blackmail is gonna make the conversation sound a whole lot more stupid, right?"
* '''Conversed''': "Oh look, they said 'blackmail is an ugly word.' What other stock thirties phrases will they use, I wonder?"
* '''Implied''': Alice begins to say, "bla--" but then corrects herself when Bob opens his mouth.

%%* '''Played for Laughs''': ???

* '''Discussed''': "Some say that blackmail is an ugly word. I think it's just right for what I do."

'''Basic Trope''': A tamer-sounding synonym is used to describe a criminal act.
* '''Straight''': When Alice accuses Bob of blackmailing her, he insists she doesn't call it blackmailing.
* '''Exagerated''': Alice accuses Bob of blackmailing her. He threatens to tell everyone every single one of her secrets if she ever says that word again.
* '''Downplayed''': By the way Bob uses words such as "influence" and "leverage", it's clear he's referring to blackmail even though he avoids that specific word.

** Alice tries to dodge explicitly using the word "blackmail", but Bob tells her to just call it what it actually is.
** Bob's "aggressive exchange of valuables" really IS just him desperately trying to trade his ''ComicBook/ActionComics #1'' for Alice's large diamond, but he insists on calling it "blackmail."
* '''Subverted''': "Blackmail is such a dirty word. But yes, that is what I'm doing."

** Upon accusal, Bob pulls out a thesaurus and lists several words that are better than "blackmail".
** Bob insists on calling it "darkmessage".
* '''Zig Zagged''': When Alice accuses Bob of blackmailing her, he insists she doesn't call it blackmailing. Later she calls it blackmailing anyway and he doesn't notice.

* '''Enforced''': "We need to demonstrate that our show is set in the 30s!"

* '''Invoked''': ???

** "Blackmail is such an ugly word. But for your sake, yes, it's blackmail."

* '''Conversed''': "Oh look, they said 'blackmail is an ugly word.' What other stock 30s phrases will they use, I wonder?"

%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
%%
%%* '''Implied''': ???

%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???