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Do you have trouble recognizing when you've written a Zero-Context Example?

Not sure if you really have a Badass Bookworm or just a guy who likes to read?

Well, this is the thread for you. We're here to help you will all the finer points of example writing. If you have any questions, we can answer them. Don't be afraid. We don't bite. We all just want to make the wiki a better place for everyone.


Useful Tips:

  • Make sure that the example makes sense to both people who don't know the work AND don't know the trope.
    • Wrong: The Mentor: Kevin is this to Bob in the first episode.
    • Right: The Mentor: Kevin takes Bob under his wing in the first episode and teaches him the ropes of being a were-chinchilla.
  • Never just put the trope title and leave it at that.
    • Wrong: Badass Adorable
    • Right: Badass Adorable: Xavier, the group's cute little mascot, defeats three raging elephants with both hands tied behind his back using only an uncooked spaghetti noodle.
  • When is normally far less important than How.
    • Wrong: Big Bad: Of the first season.
    • Right: Big Bad: The heroes have to defeat the Mushroom Man lest the entirety of Candy Land's caramel supply be turned into fungus.
  • A character name is not an explanation.


Other Resources:


For best results, please include why you think an example is iffy in your first post.

Also, many oft-misused tropes/topics have their own threads, such as Surprisingly Realistic Outcome (here) and Fan-Preferred Couple (here). Tropers are better able to give feedback on examples you bring up to specific threads.

For cleaning up examples of Complete Monster and Magnificent Bastard, you must use their dedicated threads: Complete Monster Cleanup, Magnificent Bastard Cleanup.

Edited by Synchronicity on Sep 18th 2023 at 11:42:55 AM

AnotherDuck No, the other one. from Stockholm Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Mu
No, the other one.
#5051: Mar 23rd 2018 at 6:31:31 PM

If it's a word that's not capitalised in the title, I don't think that word counts as breaking the alliteration.

Check out my fanfiction!
Silverblade2 Since: Jan, 2013
#5052: Mar 24th 2018 at 11:08:04 AM

I also found Deadpool 2, Solo, Star Wars 9, The Lion King (2019), Captain Marvel (2019) and Aquaman (2018) with preemptive Tough Act to Follow. No objection for cutting?

edited 24th Mar '18 11:09:07 AM by Silverblade2

MasterJoseph Frolaytia X Qwenthur of Heavy Object from Not telling. Since: Mar, 2018
Frolaytia X Qwenthur of Heavy Object
#5053: Mar 24th 2018 at 2:07:37 PM

Which of the following characters from this long list can be considered dirty cowards? There's no limit that you can choose aside from the many choices.

Bloodivores: Ifen Cho, not only murdered five men she was married to, she pushed Anji Zo towards one of the monsters just to save her own skin only to find herself at a dead end. Likely why she got abandoned by the protagonist, Liu Mi, who was carrying a wounded Anji to safety.

Akame Ga Kill: the seemingly sweet little Aria, from the beginning, turns out to be a torturous monster, if that doesn't convince you she's a coward, try watching the following scenes again with her true colors in mind: 1.Tatsumi was ordered by the last remaining guard to hold off Night Raid while he protects Aria in the family shed(Essentially turning him into a meat shield when you think about it), only for that guard to get the upper half of his body slashed off by the titular Akame, followed by Aria falling off her feet where she's at the assassin's mercy. 2.Aria tries to wander off after the shed is revealed to be a torture chamber(with many victims shown) only for Leone(who was trying to show Tatsumi who Aria and her family really were) to pull her back by the hair. 3.Aria tries to deny being involved with torture only for Tatsumi's friend Ieyasu(who was alive but dying) to testify that Aria tortured their(His and Tatsumi's) friend Sayo to death, it's no wonder Tatsumi turned on Aria and joined Night Raid.

Case Closed/Detective Conan: The murder victims of the two part episode"Billionaire Birthday Blues"/"Wealthy Daughter Murder Case", Reika and Yuji Nikaidou/Steve Sloan, stole the life vest of the late Yaeko Nanao/Sonja and lied about not seeing her, which led to her drowning.

Danmachi: Canoe Belway, the fat scumbag who treated Lili like dirt(to the point that he had no problem using her as bait for deadly ants just to save his own skin), if that doesn't convince you that he's a coward, look at Fatso's reaction when cornered by the minotaur that Ottar trained prior to his death.

Higurashi: The moment Keiichi strikes him with a baseball bat, the terrified Teppei Hojo, who abused his adoptive children, attempts to flee.

Tales of Vesperia: When Alexander Cumore fell into a quicksand pit while running from Yuri, he begged for a rope, but since Yuri knew how much of a monster Alex was, he ignored him.

Miwa Sakimori, from Daimos, not only shot harmless brahmins for the sake of medals, but also hid behind either his own men or the titular mech, Kazuya eventually subjects him to a no-holds barred beat down.

Bait 3D: Kirby, the robber who murdered a woman at the beginning, made an attempt at using one of the survivors as bait only for Doyle to attack him and use him as bait instead. •Likewise there's Kyle, the Jerk Jock who was willing to sacrifice his girlfriend's poodle to try and save his own rotten flesh

Konosuba: Lord Alderp tried to offer Maxwell his loyal servants as a sacrifice in an attempt to save his own skin once he's in trouble, but Max declined the offer and took Alderp instead, breaking his(Alderp's) arms in the process.

The second season of Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans gives us Jasley, who set Naze up to be a traitor, which led to the head Turbine and Amida dying, then had Lafter assassinated, just to trigger a fight with the Tekkadan group(whom he despises). Later on he expected Iok to help him against Tekkadan when they slaughter his(Jasley's) forces, but when Iok didn't show up, Jasley tried calling McMurdo, who not only declined to help, but was also aware of what he(Jasley) was doing, plus was also the reason Iok didn't come(He had Rustal stone wall him), with this revelation, Jasley attempted to bribe Tekkadan's leader Orga into sparing him, but he was too ticked about what Jasley had done to accept it, ending in him(Jasley) begging for his life as he gets killed mid-sentence by Mikazuki.

Looney Toons: There's that bomber in "The Blow Out" who runs off every time Porky Pig tries to return a clock to him without warning the pig(Who was a piglet back then.) that it's actually one of his bombs.

edited 25th Mar '18 1:30:03 AM by MasterJoseph

IPP Wick Check created.
Mickoonsley19 Since: Feb, 2018
#5054: Mar 24th 2018 at 2:28:21 PM

Is this an example of Exactly What It Says on the Tin?

  • Sans Gaming: A video from January 2018 claims that Sans Gaming is a channel where Sans... games. In reality, it has a lot of memes and other videos that aren't gameplay commentaries.

The channel claims that it's exactly what it says on the tin, but the channel isn't telling the truth. Is this still an example?

edited 24th Mar '18 2:28:42 PM by Mickoonsley19

Yinyang107 from the True North (Decatroper) Relationship Status: Tongue-tied
#5055: Mar 26th 2018 at 5:30:07 PM

This example was added to Heavy Mythril:

However, nearly all their songs are instrumental. Do they still qualify?

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#5056: Mar 26th 2018 at 7:44:25 PM

From Steven Universe S5E13 "Your Mother and Mine":

  • Dramatically Missing the Point: Steven seems to have accepted the fact that Rose really did shatter Pink to save the Earth, and forgotten about the trial as well as Zircon's theories that Rose might not have done so after all.

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sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#5057: Mar 26th 2018 at 7:45:38 PM

That seems more like Aesop Amnesia if it's anything.

Mickoonsley19 Since: Feb, 2018
#5058: Mar 27th 2018 at 4:31:15 PM

Is this an example of Leitmotif or not? I'm honestly not sure.

  • TimmyTurnersGrandDad: The track "Happiness Island" from Sutte Hakkun was a recurring motif during the April Fools' Day 2017 event and the rips leading up to it. Most of the uploads that used this song were made by TurretBot, but the motif still received some attention from other users.

This example (but worded differently) was removed from the page, so I'm not sure if it counts or not. If it doesn't count, is there a similar trope that fits better?

Pichu-kun ... Since: Jan, 2001
...
#5059: Mar 27th 2018 at 6:41:22 PM

Should Yukari from Azumanga Daioh be listed in Fountain of Expies under Sensei-chan, or did the trope popularize somewhere else?

edited 27th Mar '18 6:41:34 PM by Pichu-kun

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#5060: Mar 28th 2018 at 12:49:39 AM

From Steven Universe S5E13 "Your Mother and Mine" (again):

  • Wham Shot: Also, the whole bit where it showed Rose shattering Pink Diamond. According to the story Garnet told, Pink Diamond was shattered with Rose's sword. However, according to Bismuth, that sword was designed specifically to be incapable of shattering a gem. Also, in the flashback, Rose was shown to be wielding the sword in her right hand, while every single other time, she has been shown wielding it in her left.

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Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#5061: Mar 28th 2018 at 6:21:24 AM

[up][up] I believe that Haruna Sakurada from Sailor Moon is the trope maker there.

In the Japanese versions only though in the DIC version they use the fact that she can get angry at the lazy Serena as her only personality trait thus constantly crabby every time we see her.

edited 28th Mar '18 6:26:55 AM by Memers

Malady (Not-So-Newbie)
#5062: Mar 28th 2018 at 7:17:47 AM

So, Fetish Fuel is for readers, right? Since this is talking about the Author, this is Author Appeal? If true, I'll take it to Description Improvement for both.

Whoops, nevermind, the Space Clothes wick was right...

edited 28th Mar '18 7:18:52 AM by Malady

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
MagBas Mag Bas from In my house Since: Jun, 2009
#5063: Mar 28th 2018 at 2:17:20 PM

Recently, the following Ass Pull example was added to Pokémon:

"If you've watched the show and played the games, there's a fair chance you've seen something in the show that doesn't match the games, and especially where the battles are concerned. Bulbapedia has a list."

Is this a correct example?

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#5064: Mar 28th 2018 at 2:26:30 PM

Doesn't actually why and instead gives a list from another site. I'd say no.

edited 28th Mar '18 2:26:54 PM by Crossover-Enthusiast

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naturalironist from The Information Superhighway Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
#5065: Mar 28th 2018 at 6:30:47 PM

From Teens Are Short:

  • In Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, if you didn't have Word of God to tell you that Simon is supposed to be 14, you'd swear he was at most ten, which isn't helped by his Moe Stare or Tareme Eyes. Apparently he just didn't have a growth spurt until later on, since other teens in the series are more realistic in their heights.

Not sure this is an example, since there are other teen characters (Yoko, Rossiu) that are average height, or at least a lot taller than Simon. Does this trope require all teen characters in a work to be shorter than the adults to qualify?

"It's just a show; I should really just relax"
Malady (Not-So-Newbie)
#5066: Mar 28th 2018 at 8:46:36 PM

This was removed from YMMV.Yandere Simulator, because someone disagreed with its opinion, I sent the PM for that, but I'm wondering if it should stay removed due to lack of evidence, as there's no quotes or links?

Anyone can reinsert, if you want... Or a Mod will revert at some point?

edited 29th Mar '18 4:19:53 AM by Malady

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#5067: Mar 28th 2018 at 8:53:09 PM

[up] If there's a trope that goes under, it's definitely not that one. It's also troping the creator, not the work.

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sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#5068: Mar 28th 2018 at 9:14:35 PM

Crosses the Line Twice is about something being both hilarious and horribly offensive. I describe it personally as "thinking 'that is so wrong' while also laughing yourself silly".

That entry certainly covers offensive, but I'm not seeing the comedy.

Malady (Not-So-Newbie)
#5069: Mar 29th 2018 at 4:22:58 AM

IIRC, "Stop Yandere Dev" is a rant-blog / attack-blog or something, about the idea of YandereDev so the Disproportionate Retribution, is humorous as it's supposing he has the influence the blog claims he has and stuff?

Never seen the blog, but I've seen titles of videos about it. ... [down] - True.

edited 29th Mar '18 5:58:26 AM by Malady

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#5070: Mar 29th 2018 at 4:56:48 AM

[up] Whether it's actually humorous or not doesn't really matter when the entry, as quoted, does nothing whatsoever to convey this fact.

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#5071: Mar 29th 2018 at 6:40:50 AM

I'm actually thinking whoever wrote that example most likely confused Crosses the Line Twice with Dude, Not Funny!.

Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#5072: Mar 29th 2018 at 6:45:25 AM

[up]x6 Yeah, at most he is a Late Bloomer if that trope exists. Yoko would be an Early Bloomer.

Pichu-kun ... Since: Jan, 2001
...
#5073: Mar 29th 2018 at 1:34:29 PM

Self-Harm only refers to self-harm, right? Not suicide attempts? The page contains a few such examples and I think they should be cut, but I'm uncertain.

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#5074: Mar 29th 2018 at 9:31:01 PM

From In the Pink:

  • Never My Fault: Yellow Diamond is not very good with the prospect of anyone - even the other Diamonds - not doing what she wants them to do.

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sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#5075: Mar 29th 2018 at 10:13:04 PM

As written it doesn't sound like the trope, which is about never accepting blame for this that go wrong


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