GuessTheTrope: Squeaking Carpet

Gee, what do you want to do in this thread? ... The same thing we do in every thread - try to Guess The Trope!

Okay, today's trope is Squeaking Carpet. Despite the name, it isn't really related to tapestries, and rather more to the quote I just put up above (and while popculturally sound, the "squeaking" part is not really factual either). 23 wicks, 19 inbounds says "not healthy" to me. Can we rename it to something better?

Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!

I can't even say "I Thought It Meant", because I came up utterly blank on this one.

Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.

There is now a single proposition rename crowner for this trope here.

I think this name is rather non-indicative, especially the carpet part, so I support a rename.

"irhgT nm0w tehre might b ea lotof th1nmgs i dont udarstannd, ubt oim ujst goinjg to keepfollowing this pazth i belieove iN !!!!!1 d

Worse, the description takes until the end of the second paragraph to actually clearly explain the trope and thus how the name applies to it. I may do some juggling there.

Wow, all three redirects would make a much better title for this.

Okay, rewrote the description. Now readers don't have to go through two paragraphs of setup to get to what the trope is actually about.

Good or no?

Oh, and I Thought It Meant when a carpeted floor squeaks to give away a sneaking person, even though it shouldn't because of the, well, carpet.

edited 10th Jul '11 4:41:18 PM by Leaper

I like the new description. Sums up concisely and effectively what the trope is, and is generally much better than the previous one.

As for the name, while it does create a very evocative mental image it definitely needs to be changed because it doesn't have a particularly obvious connection to the trope itself. Rat Horde and Swarm of Rats are both much clearer and would be better main titles for the trope.

Wait, what? Swarms of mice? Rats that eat through metal? Magical exponential reproduction? This is starting to sound like a comedy trope instead of nightmare fuel.

Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!

The description does have something of an... exaggerated quality to it. Attack Of The Rats? (kidding)

I agree the name is pretty bad.

Wave Of Rats.

Those parts are retained from the original description. If they should be cut, or at least reduced, feel free.

I'm pretty sure swarms of mice is a real variant, albeit not as common. Swarms of mice eating the fields to the ground and leaving the people starving is probably more common than swarms of mice eating people, though, which may or may not fit here.

Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.

How about-

• Swarm Of Rodents
• Rodent Swarm
• Rodent Onslaught
• Army Of Rats
• Covered In Rodents

Any of these work?

This is a sinkhole.

Some are only appropriate if, as suggested above, the trope is expanded to cover (or already covers) large swarms of rodents regardless of whether or not they eat anyone or are meant to be scary (though I'd imagine 99% of the time they are meant to be scary).

ETA: Hmm, the mention of Cruel and Unusual Death in the description, and the indexing in Horror Tropes, seems to limit it to scary deaths... Though again, we could expand.

edited 10th Jul '11 8:04:44 PM by Leaper

Wall To Wall Rats

Well, getting eaten by anything is generally considered rather scary.

Fight smart, not fair.

We could name it Scary Rat Swarm, then...

Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!

• Ravenous Ratalanche
• Horrid Rat Horde

edited 12th Jul '11 3:21:18 AM by Camacan

I Thought It Meant when the floorboards underneath a carpet creak and ruin one's stalking. (Yes, the carpet itself isn't squeaking, but the floor under it). Given other people've revealed the answer I can see the connection ("floor carpeted with rats" or "Why is the carpet squeaking?" "That's no carpet." I call Moon Logic Title), but it's definitely not intuitive, and easily misleading.

edited 13th Jul '11 8:59:48 AM by Stratadrake

An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.

Well, this is embarrassing.

At the time I proposed this in YKTTW it was just "The Rat Horde", which I thought was kinda lame-sounding. The only other alternative proposed was Squeaking Carpet, hence the current title.

I kinda like Rodent Onslaught for some reason, some variant of Ravenous Rats also sounds good, probably because of the alliteration.

Those are all real-life properties of rodents, although the metal thing is a bit exaggerated. Rats can chew through metal wires but probably not through steel plating.

As for exponential reproduction, google "Australian mouse plague". That sorta thing tends to happen with any animal population that has a big food source and not enough predators around.

edited 16th Jul '11 5:03:18 PM by melloncollie

I distinctly remember suggesting Swarm of Rats in the YKTTW. Checking...

Yup I definitely said that. And I still like Swarm of Rats.

Rhymes with "Protracted."

Except that this trope include not just rats but all rodents. Therefore, any replacement name should say Rodent instead of Rat.

edited 16th Jul '11 6:17:54 PM by Auxdarastrix

Technically, but "rat" has more negative connotations that are not associated with rodentia in general.

An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.

^^^ Blagh, sorry for misremembering. I vaguely recall not liking that name, but I can't remember the reasoning other than "kinda bland".

I don't think the Rodent vs. Rat distinction is all that important, the title invoking the image of a Zerg Rush of little furry things that're gonna eat you is what's important. Rat does sound slightly more threatening.

edited 16th Jul '11 11:11:35 PM by melloncollie

Definitely needs changing. Whoever thought this name was a good idea?

I like Geoduck's Wall To Wall Rats.

edited 17th Jul '11 1:14:26 AM by DoktorvonEurotrash