History Main / LineOfSightAlias

* In the ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'' episode “Carpe Museum,” Louise and Regular-Sized Rudy break into the museum’s Amazon exhibit while on a school field trip, but Bob, also there as a chaperone, realizes their absence and sets out after them. He finds them hiding in the foliage where they attempt to disguise their voices and pretend to be different people; Louise’s alias is “Leafy Greenbrier,” while Rudy’s is “Music/KateBush.”

--->'''Lilly:''' "The Restroom's This Way"? Who's their opening act? The "Place Trays Here"?

* ''Fanfic/AllAmericanGirl'': In chapter 18, this is how [[spoiler:Twilight Sunburn]] comes up with the fake name Tender Care, by reading it off a billboard. However, "Tender Care" is a perfectly realistic name for a pony.

A comedic and temporary subtrope of LineOfSightName. Other ways to invent a quick alias include CharacterNameAlias, SdrawkcabAlias, SueDonym and ThisIsMyNameOnForeign.

Sometimes their eyes will land on writing, which may supply them with a plausible name. However, the trope most often results in ridiculous aliases that somehow still fly. This also applies to details that may embellish a fake story such as accomplices, other {{Invented Individual}}s, or locations, as long as the goal is to lie on the spot by line-of-sight naming. One possible is that the items they see somehow combine to sound like their real name anyway, and they have to quickly find a new one.

Subtrope of LineOfSightName. Other ways to invent a quick alias include CharacterNameAlias, SdrawkcabAlias, SueDonym and ThisIsMyNameOnForeign.

* ''ComicBook/MsMarvelBeyondTheLimit'': When her parents as her where Qarin is from, Kamala panics and says that she's from "Churrostan", since she happened to be eating churros at the moment.

* In Manning Cole's ''A Toast to Tomorrow'' one of ex-secret agent Tommy Hambledon's subordinates in the Berlin police force brings in a fellow ex-agent on suspicion of having started the Reichstag fire. The other man gives his name as "Johann Schaffer". Once they're alone Hambledon comments on it.

* In ''VideoGame/BedtimeStory'', a father telling his son the story in question can't think of a name for the villain's boss, so he looks around the room for a bit and comes up with the "Great Wizard Kur-Tayn."

* In the ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'' episode [[Recap/PokemonS1E42ShowdownAtDarkCity "Showdown at Dark City"]], when Ash Ketchum needs a fake name, he sees Pikachu with a bottle of ketchup, and comes up with "Tom Ato". Misty then comes up with "Anne Chovie", and Brock follows on the food theme with "Caesar Salad". Ash was ''going'' to say "Ash '''Ketchu'''p" (maybe), but he gets whacked. In the Japanese version, Ash tried to introduce himself as "Napolitan" (as in "napolitan spaghetti") after seeing a plate of spaghetti on the floor (next to Pikachu), and the Yas recruiter asked if he was from Italy. The Japanese version has the trio use the aliases "Omurice Ketchupurou", "Chicken Rice Sauceko", and "Curry Rice Chutney Zaemon", which are actually just the names of Japanese dishes with the last few letters of some traditional Japanese names added at the end.

* ''Series/TheThundermans'': In "Exit Stage Theft," Billy tells Nora he is going to his friend's house after she and Chloe forgot about him during their hide and seek game. Nora doesn't believe him and asks which friend. Billy sees a jar of Luigi's pasta sauce and announces "Luigi. Luigi Marinara."

* In a film version of ''Literature/PussInBoots'' starring Creator/WilliamShatner, Puss (Shatner) comes up with an alias for his master, the "Marquis of Carabas", after seeing a cart loaded with casks of "Carabas Wine" in the marketplace.

* ''Series/TheNightOf'': Subverted when a witness claims that the name of his companion on the night of the murder is "Duane Reade." Stone spots a Duane Reade pharmacy across the street and accuses the witness of lying, but it turns out to [[NamesTheSame be the truth]].

* Spoofed, along with most other things, in ''WesternAnimation/BeCoolScoobyDoo''. Fred has just announced that the group is a band in order to solve a mystery and help save a theater. When asked for a name, he looks to the street sign and sees that they're on [[Music/{{Maroon5}} Maroon & 5th]]. He dismisses that and then sees [[Music/TheBeatles Tim Beedles Cafe]]. Then an "[[Music/TheRollingStones Elect Roland Stone]]" billboard. Finally he settles on his van and declares that they're "The Mystery Machine."

* In ''VideoGame/BedtimeStory'' a father telling his son the story in question can't think of a name for the villain's boss, so he looks around the room for a bit and comes up with the "Great Wizard Kur-Tayn".

* The mermaid from ''Film/{{Splash}}'' takes the human name Madison from a street sign on Madison Avenue. This was an odd name for a woman at the time, but the film actually helped popularize the name Madison, so now the joke gets lost on modern viewers.
* In ''Film/{{Supergirl}}'', the titular character's secret identity, Linda Lee, comes from a glance at a picture on the wall of Robert E. Lee.

* The mermaid from ''Film/{{Splash}}'' takes the human name Madison after a street sign on Madison Avenue.

* In ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'', [[spoiler:"Verbal's" ''entire story'']] was created by piecing together random items from the office he [[spoiler:was being interrogated in. Even the bottom of his interrogator's coffee mug was used to name the lawyer, Kobayashi.]] This example is [[SignatureScene so famous]] that many others on this page are references to it.

* ''Film/TheWrongGuy'': Nelson Hibbert wakes up in a hospital; believing he's a wanted man, he needs a fake name. So he tries "Enemabag Jones". When the doctor isn't convinced he tries again, reading his fake name off her nametag.

* In ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', [[AdventurerArchaeologist Ezreal]] has an alternate alias of "Jarro Lightfeather" that he uses while traveling to [[TheGoodKingdom Demacia]], both to fit in with the locals and [[{{Chuunibyou}} because it makes him sound way cooler]]. It's ''strongly'' implied that he got the name from the "Lightfeather" brand of pomade [[TheDandy that he habitually uses]]] (i.e. a "jar-o' Lightfeather").

* On an episode of ''[[Series/PobolYCwm Pobol y Cwm]]'', Mark calls in to the radio station and disguises his voice in order to vote for something he himself proposed. He's standing in the street, so when he's asked his name, he looks around at the signs and makes one up (Elis Maenan) from the names of local businesses. He then gets asked where he's from, and his eye falls on the sign of the fish (''pysgod'') and chip shop. So he says he's from a town called Dinbych y Pysgoda, which, being in southwest Wales, doesn't match his (fake) North Welsh accent.

* In one episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', when Ash Ketchum needs a fake name, he sees Pikachu with a bottle of ketchup, and comes up with "Tom Ato". Misty then comes up with "Anne Chovie", and Brock follows on the food theme with "Caesar Salad". Ash was ''going'' to say "Ash '''Ketchu'''p" (maybe), but he gets whacked. In the Japanese version, Ash tried to introduce himself as "Napolitan" (as in "napolitan spaghetti") after seeing a plate of spaghetti on the floor (next to Pikachu), and the Yas recruiter asked if he was from Italy. The Japanese version has the trio use the aliases "Omurice Ketchupurou", "Chicken Rice Sauceko", and "Curry Rice Chutney Zaemon", which are actually just the names of Japanese dishes with the last few letters of some traditional Japanese names added at the end.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** In "The Remote", Nicole asks Anais to tell her what brand their TV remote was, but it turned out Anais told her the name of a garage door opener which she saw an ad for. This was part of the episode ending's {{homage}} to ''The Usual Suspect''.