History Frasier / TropesNToS

* OppositesAttact: Niles is rich, stuffy, elitist, a realist and ivy league. Daphne is working class, from a poor background, something of a CloudCuckcoolander, and believes she has psychic powers. Despite these differences, they are madly in love with one another. Especially Niles who would find Daphne's eccentricities in any other situation an annoyence at best instead is enthralled by them.

* SilliestThingIveEverHeard: Martin does this at one point hearing about another of Frasier and Niles's attempts to work together, even listing off previous attempts at doing so that've backfire to support how this time is just as doomed to failure. He stops halfway through because as far as he's concerned, the attempt at running a restaurant is still their dumbest idea.

* SomethingSomethingLeonardBernstein: In "Look Before You Leap," Frasier backs out of performing a complicated aria for a PBS fundraiser, and instead opts to fall back on his usual performance of "Buttons and Bows" from ''The Paleface.'' Unfortunately, despite having performed the song several times before, Frasier has somehow forgotten 90% of the lyrics and hastily improvises with {{Scatting}}, WordSaladLyrics, and "something-somethings" that vaguely fit the tune of the original song.

* PrimaDonnaDirector: Frasier becomes one during the "Nightmare Inn" incident. His constant critiques drive the voice actor he hired for the smaller parts to quit during the rehearsal. Niles, who predicted this would happen as soon as he heard about the play, is drafted as the actor's replacement and by the intermission is threatening to walk out because of Frasier's behaviour.

* PunBasedTitle: Lots of episodes. A [[{{Feghoot}} particularly contrived example]] is the one where Roz works in a retirement home and is traumatised when two of the residents drop dead right in front of her, titled "[[Theatre/RosencrantzAndGuildensternAreDead Roz's Krantz and Gouldenstein are Dead]]".

* RadioVoice: All the callers to Frasier's show, which is quite logical (and disguises the fact that many of them are uncredited {{cameo}}s). Interesting in that some of the dialogue for those scenes is written, some is ad-libbed to give it a more believable feeling of sponteneity.

* ReclusiveArtist: In-universe example in "A Crane's Critique", which centres around Martin befriending an acclaimed OneBookAuthor, and his sons trying vainly to get on the man's good side (and of course, making him [[DiggingYourselfDeeper hate them more with every attempt]]). When he and Martin go to Duke's, Frasier remarks, "They'll probably bump into Creator/JDSalinger and Creator/SalmanRushdie and go out for margaritas!" Ultimately, [[spoiler:they unintentionally convince him his new book is derivative and he destroys it.]]

** Niles' contribution for Frasier when a man threatens to sue him after he gets forcibly removed from Cafe Nervosa is to have the man lightly poke him in the shoulder, then flail around for a second as if he got hit with an uppercut before crashing onto a table. It's overacted, cheesy, and completely ridiculous, and ''everyone buys it''.
** When it becomes obvious that Daphne is going to get caught by Border Patrol officers, Martin, along with a little help from waving his badge around, ConfessesToALesserCrime by mentioning Eddie isn't up to date on his shots to get the Crane clan out of trouble.

* RightThroughTheWall: At least twice; once when Daphne is talking about how she shut up her loud neighbours by faking sex noises, and once when Frasier ''thinks'' Lilith is having sex in the next room, so moans and jumps on the bed so she thinks his sex is hotter than hers.

--->"I have to go, or my compulsive gamblers will start betting the passive aggressives that they can't make... the overeaters....... cry."

--->'''Frasier:''' Look closer... is the hatrack moving?

** In one episode, Niles recognises the plumber who comes round to fix his toilet as a guy who bullied him at school, and Frasier advises him to settle the matter peacefully. He gives the affable ex-bully EpiphanyTherapy that reveals his FreudianExcuse and elicits a tearful apology. Meanwhile, Frasier recognises the plumber's brother as the guy who bullied ''him'', and as the guy obliviously recounts all the pranks he played on his personal ButtMonkey at school, Frasier gets angrier and angrier until he eventually [[HypocriticalHumor dunks the guy's head down the toilet]].

* ScrewYourUltimatum: In "Farewell Nervosa", the cafe has a musician in residence, which Frasier and Frasier alone objects to. He confronts the manager about it, and she states the musician is staying. Frasier tries to make an ultimatum between the musician and him. He's barely even begun issuing his ultimatum before Nervosa's owner tells him she chooses the musician.

** The sixth series episode ''Taps At the Montana'' is a homage to ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''' "Dead Parrot" sketch. First Niles' pet parrot genuinely dies, then a guest at his dinner party dies too. In fact, the shenannigans about getting the body out un-noticed pays homage to a ''Series/FawltyTowers'' episode...

* SlobsVersusSnobs: A lot of the friction between Martin and his sons comes from his down-to-earth demeanour contrasted with their haughty, status-seeking attitudes. Over time some of their differences were resolved.

* StickyFingers: In one episode, the thrill with which a kleptomaniac caller describes her, ah, hobby, inspires Frasier, bored of his routine existence, to steal a medallion from his elderly neighbour while changing a lightbulb for her.

* SurpriseCheckMate: In season 3's "Chess Pains" Martin continually makes these against Fraiser.

** The episode "RDWRER" has Niles accidentally stumble into a winnebago driven by a middle-aged MommasBoy called Clifford... it's not Cliff Clavin and his mother, but the similarities are eerie.

* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: A mainstay throughout the series's run.

** Daphne tries to {{def|iedtrope}}y this one in "Daphne Does Dinner"; after trying to throw a normal dinner party without the Cranes screwing it up as usual, she of course manages to screw it up, but when the offended guests start to collect their coats, she gives an impassioned speech about trying to salvage a nice, civilised dinner despite all the hijinks. Just as she's talked them round, a bed falls through the ceiling.

* ObfuscatingDisability: Double subverted in "Wheels of Fortune", with Lilith's con-man half-brother Blaine Sternin (played by Michael Keaton). Frasier suspects that Blaine is up to his old tricks by pretending he's had a religious conversion following a debilitating car crash. He goes so far as to push Blaine out of his wheelchair at his church service/fundraiser, only to get a call from Blaine's doctor who says that he's paralyzed for life. Fraiser apologizes and gives him an expensive peace offering; minutes later, it's revealed that Blaine really was faking all along.

* OedipusComplex: In the episode "Mamma Mia", everyone but Fraiser seems to notice that his new girl Mia bears an uncanny resemblance to his mother. When he has it pointed out to him, he's completely horrified.

* OppositesAttact: Niles is rich, stuffy, elitist, a realist and ivy league. Daphne is working class, from a poor background, something of a CloudCuckcoolander, and believes she has psychic powers. Despite these differences, they are madly in love with one another. Especially Niles who would find Daphne's eccentricities in any other situation instead is enthralled by them.

* OvercomplicatedMenuOrder: ZigZagged in an episode where, before Martin gets to the coffee house (Martin being a more down-to-earth food kind of person) Niles orders him a biscotti "but when you bring it to the table call it a cookie." The waitress dutifully brings it, only for Martin to correct her, and then Niles has the nerve to scold her for being patronising.

** "My Coffee with Niles" is a particularly funny example. Frasier orders a decafe non-fate Zimbabwe latte with no cinnamon but neglects to tell the waitress the entire order. She ends up bringing him coffee four times before he is satisfied.

** Niles, as early as episode 3, demands a steak be cooked ''just right'', in a not-too-pink sort of way, and if it isn't to his overly exact specifications, he will send it back. Frasier shares his sentiment.

** The WhamLine in "Back Talk" is a result of this, courtesy of Daphne's tendency to refer to both Frasier and Niles as "Dr. Crane" in the early seasons. When she overhears Frasier say he loves her (platonically) and needs to tell her before she marries Donny and moves out, she tells Martin that she overheard "Dr. Crane" say he was in love with her. Martin logically assumes she means she overheard ''Niles'' say he was in love with her, and says he's kept his mouth shut for six years and refuses to get involved further. He then tells Frasier that Daphne knows Niles is in love with her, only for Frasier to realise she must have been referring to him when she said "Dr. Crane" said he was in love with her, as she hasn't seen Niles all day. He clears the air with Daphne, but as he falls under the influence of some painkillers for his back, Daphne asks him why, when she told Martin that "Dr. Crane" said he was in love with her, he said it had been going on for six years...

** Niles' contribution for Frasier when a man threatens to sue him after he gets forcibly removed from Cafe Nervosa is to have the man lightly shove him, then flail around for a second as if he got pushed hard before crashing onto a table. It's overacted, cheesy, and completely ridiculous, and ''everyone buys it''.
** When it becomes obvious that Daphne and the Crane boys have no idea how to sneak Daphne back over the US-Canada border, Martin essentially says "screw the plan" and decides to ConfessToALesserCrime by claiming Eddie isn't up to date on his rabies shots. By that point, the border patrol agents are so sick and tired of them that they couldn't care less, and they're let off with a warning.

*** In "The Devil And Dr Phil", Bebe's room number is 666.

* SelfServingMemory: Frasier and Niles' memories can be pretty danged selective when they so chose. "Shrink Rap" has them recounting the events of the last few days, and naturally their recollections to tend paint each brother in the better light, and the other as childishly petty and vindictive. Niles's recollection also adds more sexual tension with Daphne, and he seems genuinely confused when Frasier calls him on it.

-->'''Frasier:''' Something ''different'', though you'd definitely be awake for it.

* SpringtimeForHitler: Niles falls into this trap in Season 8 as part of his various attempts to humiliate himself in order to give Mel a reason to be the one to end their marriage. Everything he does ends up reflecting better on himself. For instance, at a dinner party he responds to one guest's request for a drink with a loud, rude declaration that the guest is an alcoholic... only for the guest to have an epiphany, realise that he actually ''is'' an alcoholic, and for him and his family to tearfully thank Niles and shower praise on him.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: In "The First Temptation of Daphne," Roz's advice about "[[BavarianFireDrill lying with confidence]]" hits an amusing snag:

* NoBisexuals: In one episode "The Impossible Dream" (where Frasier is plagued by a an erotic dream about Gil), Frasier briefly considers the idea he might be gay, based solely on the fact that his mannerisms [[CampStraight fit many stereotypes]]. Martin, reasonably, objects that he would know by now. The fact he never thought he ''might'' be bi, despite only having been in relationships with or attracted to women before, makes it an example of this trope.

* RealityEnsues: In the episode "The First Temptation of Daphne," Roz's advice about "[[BavarianFireDrill lying with confidence]]" hits an amusing snag:
-->'''Heather Murphy''': How could you "fly in from corporate"? Corporate's downstairs.\\
''(Roz gets a look that's a combination of OhCrap and DidntThinkThisThrough)''
** The A-plot in that same episode also qualifies. Daphne looking through Niles' briefcase and reading his patient files isn't treated as a quirky bit of comedic jealousy - Niles is ''furious'' with her for breaching his patient's trust and privacy, as well as [[WhatTheHellHero giving the implication that Daphne doesn't trust him either.]]

* OfCorsetsSexy: Roz in "Halloween", big time (she was dressed as O from ''The Story of O''). Probably also counts as HellBentForLeather.

* SiblingYinYang: Inverted - Frasier and Niles are ''very'' similar. It's their ''dad'' they clash with.

* NakedNutter: Niles, cracking under the pressure of dealing with his wife's pregnancy and his brother accidentally implying he was involved with a murder committed by his ex-wife, finally snaps when a barista at his coffee shop tells him they're out of straws ("Ah. The last straw.") He immediately strips naked in full view of the coffee shop and sits down to read a newspaper, giggling.

* NoodleIncident: The failed party at the beginning of "Daphne Does Dinner". All we know is it involved Martin impersonating an Italian count, a flaming kebab igniting a man's toupee, Frasier pretending to have Tourette's Syndrome, and goats in the kitchen.

*** From Season 7 : "(Nigel) is not staying here. He's loud, crude, and last time he stayed here, he killed the downstairs neighbour's ficus by means which are best left to the imagination."

* SacrificialLamb: Father Mike, a recurring character in the first two seasons, gets fired and PutOnABus in the first episode of the third season just because the newly-arrived Kate Costas doesn't feel the need for a religious talkshow on the station, showing right away what a BadBoss she is.

** In Season 11's "Murder Most Maris", Frasier constantly using the trauma of "getting punched in the face by a man... who is now dead" as an excuse to get out of uncomfortable situations.

* SmiteMeOMightySmiter: At points of great dispair both Frasier and Niles have resorted to cursing the heavens.

* ObnoxiousInLaws: Everyone related to Daphne. No wonder she moved to America.