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Tropes from The 2000s that have a wick count equal to or lesser than 24. Definition-Only Pages don't belong here. Sorted by date.

For future discussions on the Trope Repair Shop. All of these tropes need cross-wicking and, in most cases, examples, so I'll stop adding these items to the lists unless there's something else to be noted.

The wick counts on the headers refer to the amount at the moment these tropes were first checked, not after they underwent some sort of fixing. Example counts shouldn't include general examples (see the How to Write an Example guidelines) or real-life ones.

Collect from:

  1. Pages Needing Wicks
  2. Pages Needing Wiki Magic
  3. Time Immemorial Index (pre-June 14th, 2007)
  4. Trope Launches

Progress: 145/168note 

P.D.: An extra wick can be generated by cross-wicking to Truth in Television or creating a laconic sub-page whenever it applies.

    open/close all folders 

Under 12 wicks (top priority):

Total: 48 tropes.

     2007 (11/12) 
  • House Inspection (May 17th, 2007): Inspectors are coming. The house is a mess despite your best efforts. 44 wicks, 17 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • Half the examples are about the government or social workers inspecting a house to determine whether it's fit for children. The other half is The Same, but More Specific with respect to The Inspector Is Coming (laconic: the inspector is coming, so the employees rush to make everything look perfect); in other words, inspecting the house because the owner wants to join a club or win a contest.
      I argue that the difference with The Inspector Is Coming is not significant enough (proved by the low wick count of the trope) and that the "child services inspection" is a suitable Sub-Trope of The Inspector Is Coming.
    • Wick check in the Multipurpose Trope Wick Checks sandbox. Results:
      • About child services inspections: 12/ 42 or 28.6%
      • The Inspector Is Coming but about a house: 21/ 42 or 50%
      • Indexes and misc.: 9/42 or 21.4%


June 14th, 2007

  • Entry Point: The player's way into an Alternate Reality Game. 44 wicks, 34 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • It's a game mechanic for Alternate Reality Games. For entering them through something in real life. The description is very confusing, so it needs improvement (fixed).
  • The Great British Copper Capture: An unarmed police officer encounters an armed criminal. 29 wicks, 11 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • The title is too long and nonindicative.
    • Listed in the TRS Queue.
  • House System: All the games from a company follow the same rules. 26 wicks, 16 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Loudspeaker Truck: A passing vehicle makes a very loud noise to indicate awkwardness. 19 wicks, 11 on-page examples    Not Thriving    Critical
    • Wick check
      • Correct usage: 0/17 or 0% (1 on-page example)
      • Not enough context: 2/17 or 11.76%
      • Zero-context: 3/17 or 17.65%
      • Misuse: 0/17 or 0%
      • Indexes and misc.: 12/17 or 70.59%
    • Found a Trope Talk thread that coincides with my analysis.
    • Listed in the TRS Queue.
  • Obituary Montage: Montage featuring recently deceased people. 43 wicks, 20 on-page examples. Standing Adequate
    • The description could use some rephrasing for better understanding.
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • Suggestion: broaden the scope from just montages in award ceremonies to just montages in any media. Doesn't a trope for that already exist? Go check.
    • Nearly all of the examples are parodies, not straight uses of the trope. Straight examples are, more often than not, Real Life examples used in some sort of Award Show.
  • Pose of Silence: Leaning closely or obscuring your mouth renders you inaudible to everyone else. 66 wicks, 34 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • It's kind of a widespread concept, so new examples shouldn't be very hard to find (fixed).
  • Television Tie-In Magazines: A work's official magazine that contains Trivia about it. 29 wicks, 16 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Transformation Conventions: The object or being a character transforms into fits their personality. 46 wicks, 23 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Misleading laconic (fixed).


  • Layout of a Season (July 19th, 2007): The kinda Strictly Formula structuring of a show's seasons. 54 wicks, 15 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Cyclic National Fascination (July 19th, 2007): A new fad rises in popularity and then falls. Rinse and repeat. 50 wicks, 33 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • It details real-life trends that have an impact on fiction, so it should be Useful Notes.
    • The description needs to be less US-centric since it's a phenomenon that occurs everywhere.
    • The discussion has brought the issue of maybe needing a rename and fusing it with Fad Super.
    • Possibly a duplicate of Cyclic Trope.
  • Screw the Electric Bill (October 13th, 2007): In fiction, light switches are rarely necessary, and all the lights are already turned on. 11 on-page examples

     2008 (9/13) 

     2009 (17/23) 
  • Gender Incompetence (January 13th, 2009): Competence is dependent on gender. 42 wicks, 27 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Fiction Science (January 19th, 2009): Real Life science is used to examine fictional works. 23 wicks, 25 on-page examples.    Not Thriving    Adequate
  • Unnecessary Time Precision (February 7th, 2009): Doing unnecessarily complicated time calculations when requested to recall a date. 39 wicks, 17 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Five-Year Plan (February 13th, 2009): Trivia
  • The Theorem of Narrow Interests (March 9th, 2009): The narrower your search is, the harder it is to find something good. 18 wicks, 1 on-page example    Not Thriving    Anemic
  • Sunday Evening Drama Series (March 22nd, 2009): Unobjectionable, family-friendly series meant to air on Sunday night. 39 wicks, 31 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Shouldn't this be trivia? Or an index, at the very least.
    • Nearly all examples are zero-context, so I can't cross-wick them in good conscience. Maybe add the trope to their descriptions (fixed).
  • Synchronised Morning Routine (April 21st, 2009): The characters' Morning Routines are show mirrored in the same scene. 40 wicks, 34 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Virus and Cure Names (May 8th, 2009): A virus and its cure's names are related. 39 wicks, 21 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Filmi Music (June 6th, 2009): Indian music created for Bollywood productions. 34 wicks, 37 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Short Titles (July 4th, 2009)
  • Event-Driven Clock (July 21st, 2009): Plot Points determine the passing of time. 44 wicks, 27 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Attention-Deficit Disciple (August 9th, 2009): The Dragon tends to get caught up in the enemy's shenanigans, much to their boss' chagrin. 15 on-page examples
  • Weapon Running Time (August 15th, 2009): A projectile's time to hit its target is long enough for things to happen. 40 wicks, 22 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Implausible Synchrony (September 28th, 2009): All clocks show the exact same time of day. 42 wicks, 19 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Household Names (October 4th, 2009): A work so well-known, that it seems everyone knows about it. YMMV; 160 wicks, 3 on-page examples Healthy Anemic
  • Pull the Plug on the Title (October 4th, 2009): The Title Sequence involves plugging on/off the title, whose font is made of lights. 31 wicks, 18 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Love Is a Crapshoot (October 15th, 2009): 8 wicks, 0 on-page examples
  • Post-Somethingism (November 14th, 2009): Evolution based on an already established movement or genre. 0 on-page examples
  • Review (December 7th, 2009): Evaluating a fictional work in a public manner. 370 wicks, 0 on-page examples Healthy Anemic
  • Second Chapter Cliffhanger (December 12th, 2009): The second installment of a trilogy ends on a cliffhanger with several Plot Threads still unresolved. 44 wicks, 23 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Philosophical Parable (December 24th, 2009): An ideology or philosophy is illustrated via a fictional work. 35 wicks, 25 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • Add requirements for proper context because it's riddled with zero-context examples: what philosophy/ideology is being espoused and how it's portrayed through narrative elements (fixed).
    • Move the "Writers with this particular style" section to a "Creators" folder (fixed) and, on top of the aforementioned requirements, list at least two works that fit this trope.
    • Older Than Feudalism: The Bible is a case of this trope (fixed).
    • Add related tropes (fixed).
    • Index it (fixed).
  • Prelap (December 30th, 2009): The sound from a scene transitions before the visuals do. 14 on-page examples
  • Hellistics (December 31st, 2009): Unrelated events turn out to be connected with each other just to screw over the character(s). 28 wicks, 12 on-page examples Standing Critical

Under 24 wicks (high priority):

Total: 120 tropes.

     2007 (22/23) 
  • From the Ashes (March 22nd, 2007): A fictional work's ending is the starting point of its Spin-Off. 48 wicks, 26 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Aftershow is possibly a duplicate, especially since they share a lot of examples and their descriptions are very similar. Run a wick check.
    • The discussion brought the concern of it being a duplicate of Sequel Series.
    • Name's too unindicative.
  • Instant Dogend (April 22nd, 2007): 20 wicks, 20 on-page examples
  • Motion Parallax (May 5th, 2007): Emulating the distance/perception of movement dichotomy (farther=slower) through layers. 100 wicks, 50 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Passing Judgment (May 20th, 2007): A character does something embarrassing in public and gets stared at by appalled passengers of a vehicle. 50 wicks, 25 on-page examples Standing Adequate


June 14th, 2007

  • Crystal Clear Picture: Fixing the de-sync between In-Universe screens and the camera to avoid Raster Vision. 34 wicks, 15 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Depth of Field: The span of distance along the shot axis in which objects will be in focus. 114 wicks, 55 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Gearhead Show: Show about the (re)construction or customization of vehicles. 34 wicks, 19 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Generic Cop Badges: Cop badges in fiction are all similar and don't reflect the ones in Real Life. 80 wicks, 41 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • The description explains all the important things but it could use better wording (fixed).
    • Index it on Prop and Costume Tropes (fixed).
    • Add related tropes to the description (fixed).
  • Half Empty Two Shot: A two-character shot where one character is conspicuously absent. 39 wicks, 18 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • It dates from before the abovementioned date. Don't mind the page displaying February 23rd, 2023 as the creation date.
  • Obfuscated Interface: Interface displays are unclear/confusing to the viewer, the characters, or both. 41 wicks, 26 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Penultimate Outburst: After several disturbances, the judge threatens to kick the offender out of the courtroom. 32 wicks, 14 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Piecemeal Funds Transfer: Cybernetic funds are transferred gradually and the process can be seen on-screen. 35 wicks, 19 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • Make laconic clearer (fixed).
  • Rain Aura: A white glow or mist conveys rain. 36 wicks, 14 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • From News 2022-04
    • Broaden the scope to include those white outlines characters and objects get when it's raining.
    • It's a zero-context-example magnet, the storytelling meaning needs to be clearer. In this case, it's not only a shorthand for rain but also conveys the surreal/dreamy quality real-life rain gives to the scenery.
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
  • Second Prize: A character was expecting a different outcome in a competition. 98 wicks, 25 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • The description is very unclear and way too short.
    • Add related tropes section (fixed).
    • Should be renamed or its trope-worthiness examined.
  • See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Off-screen events won't be audible until they appear on-screen. 44 wicks, 28 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Shorten the laconic (fixed).
  • Standardized Space Views: Stock space shots. 46 wicks, 12 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • From News 2022-04
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • Pick an image that gathers all (or most of) the stock shots (fixed).
    • Move the Star Wars exception to the examples list (fixed).
  • Unguided Lab Tour: A top-secret workplace is introduced by having a character explore it unnoticed. 33 wicks, 16 on-page examples Standing Critical


  • Such a Phony (July 22nd, 2007): One character talks crap about another but pretends to be nice in their presence. 40 wicks, 14 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Restricted Expanded Universe (July 27th, 2007): The Expanded Universe has rules imposed by the executives and original creators that it is not allowed to break. 50 wicks, 27 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Improve the description to make it more concise (fixed).
    • Shorten the laconic (fixed).
    • Move this example to a more fitting trope:
      World of Winx: The fourth season of the original Winx Club series has them restore magic on Earth, causing them to be widely recognized as fairies on that planet. In this Spin-Off, however, they are cover agents chasing down a magical kidnapper. Nobody knows they are magical but Earth is still a place with (hidden) magic —it either got restored another way or it never lost it in the first place. For all those reasons, World of Winx is set up and marketed as a brand new continuity.
  • Must Have Lots of Free Time (July 30th, 2007): A character spends a lot of time with protagonists outside their own age or social group. 43 wicks, 22 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Welcome Titles (September 12th, 2007): The characters are introduced during the Title Sequence. 29 wicks, 18 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Home and Garden (September 29th, 2007): Feel-good shows about giving houses/gardens a makeover. 39 wicks, 34 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • The description could be clearer.
    • Renaming it House And Garden Makeover might help to make its meaning clearer. Or maybe Renovation Show since there's no reason to not include cars or other stuff being repaired.
    • Resort examples —listing the subgenres is good and all but it looks like an unnecessary soft split. In any case, wait for this ATT query. Now to wait for the Soft Split Cleanup forum (fixed).
    • Mabe an analysis tab about the subgenres, instead.
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
  • Nostril Shot (October 8th, 2007): A bottom-up shot showing a character's nostrils. 30 wicks, 16 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • Expand the description to explain the trope's storytelling meaning —i.e., added intimacy and feeling of wrongness or creepiness.
    • Add related tropes (fixed).

     2008 (42/48) 
  • Conveyor Belt Video (January 13th, 2008): 13 on-page examples
  • Gourmet Pet Food (January 13th, 2008): Pet food is advertised as fancy. 31 wicks, 12 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • So far, there are two concepts mingled in there —1) what the laconic and description say and 2) pets eating better, fancier food than their owners for whatever reason. Run a wick check and send it to TRS for a potential split.
  • Historical Recreation (January 13th, 2008): Period Piece-themed Reality Show. 36 wicks, 30 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • There are character archetypes in the description. Move them to the analysis tab and make a summary to leave on the main page (fixed).
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • It's a magnet of zero-context examples. Indicate requirements to list as context in the description: supposed historical setting, enforced living conditions, gimmicks, and necessary weasels.
  • 12 Coins Puzzle (January 13th, 2008): 32 wicks, 14 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Klotski (January 14th, 2008): A sliding 4×5 Block Puzzle of which the goal is getting a 2×2 block to the bottom. 40 wicks, 25 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Powder Gag (January 14th, 2008): Powder is blown all over the place for comedic effect. 105 wicks, 50 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • Improve the description.
    • From News 2023-10.
  • Russian Fashion (January 23rd, 2008): 21 wicks, 0 on-page examples
  • Prodigal Family (February 1st, 2008): Estranged family members show up after a long time to complicate a character's life. 138 wicks, 54 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Smoking Gun Control (February 7th, 2008): Easy methods of solving a crime are out to lunch because to have them wouldn't make for very interesting drama. 18 wicks
    • Non-indicative title.
    • Shorten laconic.
  • Spoiler Hound (February 7th, 2008): 18 wicks, 0 on-page examples    Not Thriving    Anemic
    • Looks like an Audience Reaction, this is the corresponding wick check:
      • Indexes, "needs help" and misc. pages: 6/18 or 33.3%
      • Refers to Real Life people: 2/18 or 11.1%
      • In-wiki usage (e.g., blue-linked in spoiler warnings): 5/18 or 27.8%
      • Used in conjunction with other Audience Reactions (often self-referential) : 5/18 or 27.8%
    • Listed in the TRS Queue.
  • Selective Stupidity (February 9th, 2008): Cherry-picking a survey's responses to make a certain demographic look stupid. 36 wicks, 14 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Literary Work of Magic (March 3rd, 2008): A Real Life fictional work has an agenda in the universe of another. 45 wicks, 19 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • Is it wise to sort the examples by creator rather than by media? I need to consult other tropers (fixed).
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
  • Premature Aggravation (March 17th, 2008): Getting offended by an insult the other person hasn't even uttered due to overthinking. 34 wicks, 16 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • The description is an Example as a Thesis.
    • Shorten the laconic. Might as well just grandfather it (so, fixed?).
  • Contractual Gag (April 22nd, 2008): 14 wicks, 15 on-page examples    Not Thriving    Critical
  • Multi-Take Cut (April 25th, 2008): Same action shown from different angles. 22 wicks    Not Thriving    Adequate
    • Duplicate of Repeat Cut. Do a wick check and bring it to TRS.
  • Push Polling (May 14th, 2008): Manipulating a poll's result to push an agenda. 40 wicks, 20 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • I get the Added Alliterative Appeal but does it really say something about what the trope is about? Maybe it's an idiom I'm not familiar with, I need to check that out (fixed).
  • Heart Is Where the Home Is (May 17th, 2008): Turning down a foreign love interest in favor of a local lover. 49 wicks, 38 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Confession Deferred (May 24th, 2008): Telling the truth when it's convenient. 21 wicks, 4 on-page examples    Not Thriving    Anemic
    • The description and the examples are in quote format. I suspect causality here, so the description needs to be fixed first (fixed).
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
  • Daddy System (May 27th, 2008): An older game console continues to receive new game releases after its successor has been released.
  • Gravity Is a Harsh Seamstress (May 30th, 2008): Falling through clotheslines gets you dressed with mismatched clothes. 40 wicks, 22 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Back That Light Up (June 7th, 2008): Different coloring based on what device you're playing the game on. 28 wicks, 14 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • The page image seems misleading but I'm not sure. I was mistaken, it represents the trope well.
    • The first part of the description seems to imply that changing a visual media's weather affects its color palette, which is what I initially assumed this trope to be about.
    • Non-indicative name.
    • Concerns have been brought up in Tropes Needing TRS about it being a trivia item instead of a trope.
  • Screeching Stop (June 7th, 2008): Old car brakes effect when a cartoon character suddenly stops. 51 wicks, 24 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
  • Reward from Nowhere (June 17th, 2008): There's no logical place for those quest rewards to be coming from.
  • Elevator Snare (June 20th, 2008): In a chase, whoever took the stairs arrives first and ambushes the one who took the elevator. 45 wicks, 22 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • Concerns about being a duplicate of Elevator Escape in this TRS thread.
  • Survived the Beginning (June 23rd, 2008): A cast massacre opens the story and the few who survive get some Plot Armor. 46 wicks, 24 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • The description is mostly fine, but it needs to stress that the characters dying must be given some focus, not be mere Red Shirts or Mooks. Move the misuse caused by that to Sacrificial Lamb (fixed).
  • Auto-Pilot Tutorial (June 25th, 2008): 44 wicks, 27 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Pan (June 27th, 2008): 186 wicks, 0 on-page examples Healthy Anemic
  • College Widow (July 5th, 2008): A Dude Magnet who lives near a male-only institution and encourages the attention she receives. 40 wicks, 14 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • The name makes me think about a college girl who lost her long-time boy/girlfriend, with that being an important part of her characterization. Now that I'm thinking about it, is there a trope for that? If there is, then renaming this one would be a good idea. It's named after a fictional work, so that explains the non-indicativeness.
    • It looks like The Same, but More Specific for Dude Magnet. Run a wick check. Not necessary since there's plenty of context differentiating it; mostly the "male-only institution" part.
    • Improve the description. It notes the important points but is kind of muddy.
  • Pressure-Sensitive Interface (July 7th, 2008): Pushing a button harder makes it work better. 78 wicks, 37 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Go Wait Outside (August 7th, 2008): Despite a Non-Player Character saying a commission will take a while, no out-of-universe time is needed to go retrieve it. 40 wicks, 33 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • I think the reason it's starving is that the name fits Broken Bridge (you're not going beyond this point yet! Go do a quest or something) better but since that's not the case, it ends up being too unclear.
  • Inverse Dialogue/Death Rule (August 10th, 2008): A dying, important character gets several lines of dialogue before kicking it. 40 wicks, 26 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Plot Pants (August 14th, 2008): A costume, default or new, indicates the plot is moving on. 28 wicks, 13 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • At last, a decent name, but the description needs fixing.
    • Needs to be indexed and add related tropes (fixed).
  • Sideways Smile (August 14th, 2008): Face-splitting smiles with obscured eyes viewed from the side profile. 34 wicks, 22 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Wring Every Last Drop out of Him (August 22nd, 2008): A character is on the brink of death, but takes a while to actually die. 47 wicks, 21 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Going Home Again (August 29th, 2008): Making it to the big leagues, flunking, and returning home to clear the mind. 45 wicks, 24 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • The name is too generic but doesn't seem to be attracting misuse. Run a wick check later just in case.
    • Shorten the laconic (fixed).
    • Add an example from Tomorrow's Joe (fixed).
  • Lock and Load (August 29th, 2008): Going through a proper-use routine to show the character does know how to use a gun. 30 wicks, 17 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • "How I Wrote This Article" Article (September 16th, 2008): Writing about not knowing what to write. 58 wicks, 37 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
  • Con Recap (October 1st, 2008): Creator devotes an episode to recount their experiences in a Fan Convention. 32 wicks, 21 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Right now, it's a magnet of zero-context examples. It's not because of the trope itself (it's a valid concept and can be given context just fine), but more like most don't bother fleshing it out. Suggestion: add requirements to the description —what fandom convention and what the creator has done there (fixed).
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • Needs to be indexed (fixed).
  • Country Switch (October 2nd, 2008): 24 wicks, 46 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Sounds like trivia.
  • Grid Puzzle (November 9th, 2008): Puzzles solved by arranging the elements of a grid. 154 wicks, 52 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • Its SubTropes also qualify to be on this sandbox. I question their trope-worthiness.
      • Magic Square Puzzle (June 7th, 2008): A square array of integers that sum the same in each row, column, and main diagonal. 41 wicks, 19 on-page examples Standing Critical
      • Queens Puzzle (September 5th, 2008): Arranging eight queens on a chessboard so they can't capture each other. 24 wicks, 11 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • If I Can Only Move (October 29th, 2008): When everything depends on the slightest move.
  • Murphy's Bullet (November 16th, 2008): Stray projectiles will always hit someone important. 161 wicks, 30 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Video Game Tools (November 19th, 2008): Video Game items with some sort of functionality. 41 wicks, 22 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Add examples from other media.
  • Left Field Description (December 8th, 2008): Describing important bits in unconventional ways that don't necessarily jump out to the reader. 40 wicks, 24 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • The description needs to be improved. It contains all the important points but in a very messy way.
    • Non-indicative name. Or is left field an idiom? It is, indeed. It's a surprising or unconventional position or style.
    • It's not a written media-only trope. It can be done too in audiovisual media (fixed).
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • The objectivity of this trope is dubious. After all, how do you measure the unusualness? I'm an avid reader and I've found all sorts of descriptions that get the point across. It's kind of how literature (and imagery, for visual media) works. Sometimes you use a stock description but, just as often, you don't. It all depends on the creator's style.
    • Add examples from other fan works and books.
  • Temporary Scrappy (December 9th, 2008): A purposefully dislikable character enters and goes in a short span. 58 wicks, 22 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • Might be a duplicate of Replacement Scrappy. The description greatly emphasizes the Temporary Scrappy replacing someone else. Run a wick check and, if that's not the case, rewrite the description. Same with Hate Sink. After perusing the examples, there seems to be a clear enough distinction.
    • The description also mentions that parodying The Scrappy is a trope in itself.
    • Lacks a laconic. (fixed)
  • Telecom Tree (December 25th, 2008): Telecommunicating with allies (who spread the word) to help with a situation. 57 wicks, 34 on-page examples Healthy Adequate

     2009 (44/49) 
  • Western Union Man (January 21st, 2009): The character running the telegraph system in the American Wild West. 31 wicks, 10 on-page examples Standing Anemic
    • Is it even trope-worthy?
  • Exposition Intuition (January 25th, 2009): Mr. Exposition can provide exposition they have no way of actually knowing. 27 wicks, 15 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • No Can Opener (February 18th, 2009): Hoarding canned items for emergencies but forgetting the can opener. 59 wicks, 44 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • At first glance, it looks like an overly specific trope.
  • In-Camera Effects (March 27th, 2009): Special effects produced by altering the camera or its parts. 49 wicks, 21 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Town Contest Episode (March 13th, 2009): An episode about a town-wide contest. 71 wicks, 24 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Accidental Ventriloquism (March 23rd, 2009): Thinking an inanimate object is speaking. The voice belongs to an out-of-sight character. 38 wicks, 23 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Cue O'Clock (March 21st, 2009): Clock dial numbers are replaced by a non-time-related cue or nonsense. 55 wicks, 40| on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Sort examples (fixed).
    • Improve description.
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • From News 2022-12.
  • Hero Looking for Group (April 2nd, 2009): The Heroine actively seeks teammates to accompany her in her mission. 51 wicks, 31 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Arms Fair (April 3rd, 2009): A market of military items.
  • There Is No Rule Six (April 3rd, 2009): A list contains an item that states its own nonexistence. 42 wicks, 39 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Plagued with zero-context examples.
  • Save Sat (April 19th, 2009): A satellite crashing down protects someone from an attack. 29 wicks, 14 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Page-Turn Surprise (April 23rd, 2009): A Cliffhanger's resolution is on the next page. 57 wicks, 34 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Mascots Love Sugar (May 1st, 2009): Critters have a massive Sweet Tooth. 46 wicks, 25 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Projectile Platforms (May 5th, 2009): Jumping on projectiles and using them as platforms.
  • Water Tower Down (May 7th, 2009): Attack by knocking down a water tower. 50 wicks, 34 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Improbable Taxonomy Skills (May 16th, 2009): The ability to fully classify an organism with just a cursory examination. 49 wicks, 31 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Review deleted examples
      • Deep Rising: Just from brief examinations, Canton theorizes that the creatures they're fighting are gargantuan priapulids, a family of carnivorous marine worms commonly nicknamed "penis worms". More glaringly, the taxonomic group he claims they belong to is actually extinct in Real Life, being known only from fragmentary fossils. Yet he somehow describes its behavior, which would be pretty darn impossible even from a paleontologist... let alone, a cruise ship designer like him. So it is probably no great surprise that he turns out to be completely wrong in his assumptions. The "creatures" are actually the tentacles belonging to a gigantic cephalopod-type creature. In fairness, the Ottoia do have living relatives who are all but unchanged from the prehistoric model, so extrapolating their behavior isn't a huge stretch... but he still would have been better off naming one of the still-living taxonomies. And even then, he loses points by claiming there are some species of priapulid worm that eat sharks; the largest known priapulid worm species today is only 39 centimeters long.
      • Jurassic Park:
        Ellie, a paleobotanist, knows from a cursory glance that a certain plant is an extinct species. In all fairness, the character does have a doctorate in paleobotany, and many high-ranking and distinctive taxonomic groups of plants do have few or no living representatives (for instance, the entire phylum of seed ferns has been extinct since the Eocene at the latest, and the order Ginkgoales is represented by only a single living species, Ginkgo biloba).
        Grant manages to identify an x-ray of an unknown reptile as the dinosaur species Procompsognathus triassicus from a brief look. This is made especially unbelievable by the fact the species in question is only known from a few poorly preserved, incomplete fossils, and lived more than two hundred million years ago in Europe, but the specimen was collected in Costa Rica of the present day and as later found out a genetic chimera. The novel makes it pretty clear that the recovered specimen on the X-ray is mainly of the hindquarters of the animal, and the holotype specimen of P. triassicus includes both pubis and hindlimbs. Since Grant is a professor of Paleontology, it is hardly unbelievable that he is aware of the research into the dinosaur, especially since paleontologist John Ostrom had commented on Procompsoganthus in 1982, very close to the time of the events in the novel.
      • House: Coupled with his implausible diagnostic skills, House is able to recognize things that entire teams of forensic pathologists couldn't, using either minute samples or none at all; the inevitable explanation is either convoluted and implausible, or else "they were looking in the wrong place."
      • The Unicorn Tapestries, a group of seven tapestries dating from circa 1500, show at least 20 distinct types of flowers with more scientific accuracy than botany textbooks from the same period.
      • Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The tiny kids are running away from a gigantic lawn mower and jump into a hole in the ground. Nick immediately identifies the exact species of worm that made the tunnel (despite the worm not even being present). Possibly justified in that they are in his backyard and since he is a science geek, it's at least remotely possible that he knows what species of worm lives in their area (Nick identifies it as a common earthworm, which would likely be most people's first guess anyway).
  • Don't Do Anything I Wouldn't Do (June 1st, 2009): A Stock Phrase that means you should behave yourself by following someone else's restraints. 53 wicks, 41 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Was Just Leaving (June 2nd, 2009): An intense or embarrassing situation causes a character to excuse themself or be dismissed by another. 59 wicks, 30 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Irrelevant Importance (June 14th, 2007): Important items cannot be discarded even after having served their purpose. 41 wicks, 27 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Shorten laconic (fixed).
  • Little Did I Know (June 14th, 2007): Foreshadowing life-turning events by mentioning the character's initial ignorance of them. 338 wicks, 16 on-page examples Healthy Critical
  • Damsel Fight-and-Flight Response (June 26th, 2009): A Damsel in Distress becomes an Action Girl just long enough to stun a villain and then run! 30 wicks, 26 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Firewood Resources (June 30th, 2009): Resource icons/sprites are simplified at the cost of scale and accuracy. 36 wicks, 28 on-page examples. Standing Adequate
  • City Shout Outs (July 17th, 2009): An appeal to the audience by saluting their city. 69 wicks, 58 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Internet Incorporated (July 25th, 2009): The Internet is owned/controlled by a single corporation. 20 wicks, 18 on-page examplesf
  • Tom Swifty (July 29th, 2009): A punny adverb sprung from the line of dialogue it tags. 43 wicks, 22 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Sub-Genre (August 2nd, 2009): 280 wicks, 0 on-page examples Healthy Anemic
    • List (index?) examples. Consult with this Wiki Talk thread before.
  • Helmet-Mounted Sight (August 17th, 2009): Headgear with Heads-Up Display for aiming. 32 wicks, 23 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Split and Reunion (August 29th, 2009): A team or a Split Personality gets separated. When it reunites, it's better. 39 wicks, 7 on-page examples Standing Anemic
  • Eternal Equinox (September 6th, 2009): Day/night cycles in video games always start and end at the exact same time in-game. 50 wicks, 40 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Alternate Show Interpretation (September 8th, 2009): A Theatre play is interpreted differently than usual. 34 wicks, 22 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Triage Tyrant (September 22nd, 2009): A medical worker who prioritizes patients by their own standards, rather than by medical emergency. 36 wicks, 21 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Shorten laconic.
  • MUCK (September 27th, 2009): A Multi-User Text-Oriented Game that emphasizes role-playing and player intervention. 33 wicks, 6 on-page examples Standing Anemic
    • Shouldn't this one be an index?
  • Double-Sided Book (October 1st, 2009): A book with two flipped sides. 39 wicks, 44 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Right Now Montage (October 4th, 2009): An event's effects are shown via other characters' brief reactions. 34 wicks, 29 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Together We Are X (October 11th, 2009): Individual characters introduce themselves and then the name of their ensemble. 43 wicks, 28 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Examples need context in order to be cross-wicked.
  • Pickup Hierarchy (October 13th, 2009): Some Video Game collectibles are more important than others. 84 wicks, 68 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Recap by Audit (October 22nd, 2009): The aftermath of an event reveals or sums up what happened. 39 wicks, 22 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • The Lethal Connotation of Guns and Others (November 1st, 2009): Bullets cause lethal wounds, other weapons don't. 30 wicks, 17 on-page examples Standing Critical
    • Needs a rename.
  • Suspiciously Idle Officers (November 8th, 2009): A corrupt employee is never seen doing their job. 31 wicks, 21 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • How Did We Get Back Home? (November 18th, 2009): Transporting the main characters back to their home without giving an explanation. 32 wicks, 18 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Rhythm Typewriter (November 25th, 2009): Typewriting as percussion. 18 wicks, 40 on-page examples
    • Fix the laconic.
    • Flesh out zero-context examples.
    • From News 2022-09
  • The Abridged History (December 1st, 2009): Parodying and shortening real-life History. 45 wicks, 31 on-page examples Standing Adequate
  • Say It (December 4th, 2009): Making the person asking you for a favor say/do something silly. 29 wicks, 24 on-page examples Standing Adequate
    • Half of the examples are in quote formats, therefore violating the wiki's policies.
    • The description is an Example As Thesis-type and too short.
  • Bring Them Around (December 6th, 2009): A hero or villain switching sides needs to convince her underlings to jump ship with her.
  • Rules Conversions (December 13th, 2009): Shifting RPG systems. 16 wicks, 40 zero-context on-page examples    Not Thriving    Anemic
    • I'd like to help but I'm way too unfamiliar with RPG rules to be of help. That the description doesn't detail the concept and instead rambles doesn't help.
  • Sealed Orders (December 13th, 2009): An order's specifics aren't given until the last moment to prevent leaks. 61 wicks, 44 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
  • Picture Drama (December 20th, 2009): Animations compounded by shots of still images. 76 wicks, 34 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
  • Textplosion (December 20th, 2009): A comic's panels are suddenly filled with text before reverting to illustrations. 62 wicks, 37 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • Description
      Most Comics consist of a careful equilibrium between a majority of illustrations and a minority of text (in the form of Speech Bubbles and Thought Captions. There are some instances, however, when the balance is broken, and either element overtakes the panel or even the entire page. If it's the text that suddenly explodes everywhere, then you have this trope.
      This isn't a rare sight for an illustrated novel and therefore not trope-worthy in such cases. However, it's tropable if it happens in an otherwise normal comic.
      Remember that Tropes Are Tools, so a textplosion can be as much a sign of artistic laziness as a well-executed narrative device. Reasons can vary, from using it for a character who suffers from Aphantasia (inability to imagine) to a plot that mushroomed out of control.
      Sister Trope of Wall of Text (extremely lengthy paragraphs in written media). Super-Trope of Wall of Blather (textplosions containing a backdrop character's ramblings). Might overlap with Painting the Medium, when the sudden abundance of text serves an ulterior purpose. It's sometimes a victim of Speech-Bubbles Interruption.
  • Tzadikim Nistarim (December 29th, 2009): Thirty-six "righteous souls" whose existence keeps the world going. 62 wicks, 24 on-page examples Healthy Adequate
    • Archive here.
      • They borrowed a variation of that idea for one of the second season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
      • Yuugi Muto of Yu Gi Oh. Most likely the regular one in particular, since The Other Yuugi has technically been dead for thousands of years, and it's only via the regular Yuugi's existence that he can continue to exist and thus save the world multiple times. Regular Yugi is often described as "the chosen one" or "vessel" for the Other Yuugi.
      • Wasn't there a bit in Schindler's List implying Oskar Schindler was one of these?
    • Examples to add:
      • A play by Hans Rehfisch called Nickel and the 36 Righteous is a comedy in 3 acts (1925).
      • Jorge Luis Borges has an entry for the "Lamed Wufniks" in his Book of Imaginary Beings (1957-1969).
      • In the 1998 documentary The Cruise, it is suggested that the film's subject, Tim "Speed" Levitch, a tour guide for Manhattan's Gray Line double-decker buses, is a Lamed Vovnick.
      • In the 1999 novel Lords Of Light A Novel by Deepak Chopra, the Lamed Vav are depicted, one of them who betrayed God posing as the new Messiah.
      • In the 2001 film Invincible by Werner Herzog, a fictionalized account of the life of Jewish strongman Zishe Breitbart (aka Siegmund Breitbart), a Berlin Rabbi tells Zishe (played by Jouko Ahola) that he may be one of the 36 just men who feel the suffering of the world.
      • The 2003 movie Time of the Wolf by Michael Haneke makes reference to the 36, a secondary character hinted as being one of them.
      • In the 2005 novel The History Of Love by Nicole Krauss, Alma's brother Bird believes himself to be a Lamed Vovnik, one of the 36 special people in the world.
      • In the 2007 novel The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon, the protagonist, Detective Landsman's case involves the murder victim who may have been the Tzadik Ha-dor.
      • The 2007 novel The Book of Names by Jill Gregory and Karen Tintori is a thriller based on the actual principles of the Kabbalah, which teaches that the world's existence requires that it be occupied by 36 Lamed vovniks.
      • In the 2008 TV film God on Trial, a rabbi in Auschwitz is proclaimed by fellow prisoners as one of the 36.
      • In the 2012 television series Touch, season 1, episode 9, "Music of the Spheres", Jacob "Jake" Bohm, a mute boy who mysteriously feels the suffering of those along his path and aims to positively adjust their fates, is revealed as possibly one of the "Lamed Vav Tzadikim" by a Hasidic man. In the second season of Touch, Jake and other people who have special gifts are referred to as members of the 36; throughout the episodes they are exploited for their capabilities and are hunted down by one who believes they hold too much power. The final episode features consideration of the Kabbalah and the mystical roots of the legend of the 36.

Advertising Tropes (low priority):

In general, these tropes don't attract many examples and wicks. Most commercials, when not part of an Advertising Campaign, don't have their own trope pages. I'll add tips to improve them but that's it. I tried to apply wiki magic but I always hit a wall shortly after. Total: 36 tropes.

    Under 12 wicks (2/15) 
  • Put a Face on the Company (June 4th, 2007): A product is strongly associated with something else. 16 wicks, 23 on-page examples    Not Thriving    Adequate
    • There's one In-Universe example. If there's more, put it under its own header.


June 14th, 2007

  • Bottled Cool: An ad promises you popularity/coolness if you buy the product. 16 wicks
  • Now How Much Would You Pay: A rhetorical question in an ad about how much the customers would pay. 16 wicks
  • Reverse Psycho: An ad compels you to buy the product by telling you not to. 9 wicks
    • The title is not indicative at all. For non-native English speakers, it's very easily mistaken with a trope involving a psychopath.
    • Keep in mind Reverse Psychology Marketing exists.
    • Lacks a laconic (fixed).
    • The name is very confusing because a trope by the name of Reverse Psychology already exists.
  • Similar to the Show: An ad ran before or after a fictional work resembles said work. 12 wicks
  • Straightforward: An ad that says what the product does. No more, no less. 10 wicks, 12 on-page examples    Not Thriving    Critical
    • The trope is well-defined.
    • It could be renamed Straightforward Ad to make its name (and purpose) more, you know, straightforward.


  • Scapegoat Ad (October 10th, 2007): Blaming the company's employees for its product's shortcomings.
  • Public Relations Ad (January 14th, 2008): An ad meant to improve the company's public image. 11 wicks
  • Hive-Mind Testimonial (February 9th, 2008): Several people repeat the same opinion about the advertised product. 12 wicks
  • It Works Itself (May 20th, 2008): Something is so easy to use that explaining how to use it is unnecessary. 8 wicks
  • Get the Sensation (December 9th, 2008): "This is how using Product X will make you feel!" 16 wicks
  • Hope Mongering (March 4th, 2009): Appealing to the customer's hope to advertise a product. 9 wicks
  • Phony Article (June 8th, 2009): An ad disguised as a magazine article.
  • Tape Switch (July 20th, 2009): 3 wicks
  • Homogenous Multinational Ad Campaign (October 4th, 2009): An ad isn't modified to cater to different target markets. 11 wicks

    Under 24 wicks (2/21) 
June 4th, 2007

  • Absolute Comparative: Describing a product as better without mentioning what it's being compared to. 21 wicks, 9 on-page examples
  • If You Call Before Midnight Tonight: The company has a great deal, but if you believe their ad, it's only available for a limited time. 24 wicks
  • Not Available in Stores: During a commercial, it is said the item advertised is not available in stores. 19 wicks
  • Operators Are Standing By: A product is implied to be limited time only by saying that operators are awaiting calls. 42 wicks, 18 on-page examples Standing Critical
  • Side-by-Side Demonstration: A demonstration of the advertised product's effectiveness compared to another leading brand. 19 wicks
  • Top Ten Jingle: Advertising jingle becomes a full song. 25 wicks


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