History Main / SassySecretary

* [[BeleagueredBureaucrat Sir John's]] clerk Mrs Pound from ''DarknessVisible'' is sassy enough to deliberately wind up Lewis when she has information he needs to prevent the end of the world. Of course she's going to give it to him, but not until he realises how damned hard it was to get...

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'', Janine started out just as assay as her movie incarnation, and even sported a bright red punk-style hairdo, but her incarnation in ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeGhostbusters'' wasn't nearly as much so.

* Lolth has one. No, seriously, the dreaded Demon Queen of Spiders of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has a Sassy Secretary, and PlayerCharacters have to deal with her in the epic adventure ''Vault of the Drow'' (from ''way'' back in 1980). [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Seriously.]] When the players reach the room with the sole access to Lolth's throne room, they find a Type V demon (called a marillith in later editions, a very powerful six-armed female fiend with a snaky lower body) at a messy desk who insists they sign in before they confront Lolth. (Craziest part? If the [=PCs=] comply, she ''lets them in'' with no argument!) No explanation is given for this and if the players ask, the demon just says "Lolth told me to". (Maybe this demon is just being punished for some slight by being given a job that chaotic fiends would likely hate, but that's just conjecture.)

* Janine Melnitz of ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}''. TropeCodifier and snark queen extraordinaire. She can throw it back at Venkman as hard as he can dish it out, saying she's quit better jobs. Then again, being the babysitter to three MadScientist types would test anyone's patience.

* Lolth has one. No, seriously, the dreaded Demon Queen of Spiders of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has a Sassy Secretary, and PlayerCharacters have to deal with her in the epic adventure ''Vault of the Drow'' (from ''way'' back in 1980). [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Seriously.]] When the players reach the room with the sole access to Lolth's throne room, they find a Type V demon (called a marillith in later editions, a very powerful six-armed female fiend with a snaky lower body) at a messy desk who insists they sign in before they confront Lolth. (Craziest part? If the PCs comply, she ''lets them in'' with no argument!) No explanation is given for this and if the players ask, the demon just says "Lolth told her to". (Maybe this demon is just being punished for some slight by being given a job that chaotic fiends would likely hate, but that's just conjecture.)

* Connie in the ''StephaniePlum'' series of novels. She has Mob connections, an impressive collection of weapons in her desk (on at least one occasion, she threatens to use one on lecherous boss Vinnie), and a "take no crap" attitude that serves her very well dealing with her colleagues.

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-->'''Manuel Calavera:''': Any messages for me?
-->'''Eva:''': No, calls stopped coming for you the day you left. They're STILL sending you that lingerie catalog, though.

-->'''Manuel Calavera:''': Busy as ever, I see.
-->'''Eva:''': I'd have more work to do if you had more clients.

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Dates back to the 1930s at least, with Sam Spade's secretary and Joan Blondell in any number of movies, making this OlderThanTelevision.

* Whenever Picard adopts the persona of Dixon Hill in the holodeck on ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', he gets his own SassySecretary.

* Elaine on ''Series/DocMartin''. Mostly averted with Pauline, though she really "wants" to be one.

* Pamela Finkelstein from ''Film/{{UHF}}'' certainly qualifies. Her short fuse and annoyance are {{Justified}} because she really signed onto the station to be a news reporter and got shunted into clerical work instead. [[CloudCookoolander George]], being [[CrazyAwesome George]] decided "why not" when letting her cover news. HilarityEnsues.

%%* Janine Melnitz of ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}''.

%%* Pamela Finkelstein from ''Film/{{UHF}}'' certainly qualifies.

* Janine Melnitz of ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}''.

* Pamela Finkelstein from ''Film/{{UHF}}'' certainly qualifies.

* Vicki Lewis ("Beth") on ''NewsRadio'' reportedly feuded with Kathy Griffin because of her similar redheaded character on ''SuddenlySusan''. It is worth noting that Griffin's character, while a complete ripoff of Lewis's from the standpoint of personality, is not actually a secretary.

* Legal secretary Carrie Heffernan in ''Main/KingOfQueens'' who is frustrated as hell at her lowly position in the firm, strives for advancement, studies by night, but is always overlooked.

* Golden Quill, the secretary of Piercing Gaze in the MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic fanfic ''Fanfic/ALongNightAtTheHippodrome''. She's smart, streetwise, indispensible to her boss, and knows it.

* ''GrossePointeBlank'' might be considered a subversion, as while John Cusack's character has such a secretary (played by his sister, Joan), he is an amoral assassin. Moreover she herself is an effective operative, rattling off info from dossiers, dressing down people over the phone, and nonchalantly dousing the office in gasoline when it's time to move on.
* Janine Melnitz of ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}'', as pictured above.

* A rare male example: Dennis Finch (David Spade) on ''JustShootMe'' (though he denies being a secretary, at least at first).

* Mrs. Landingham and Debbie Fiderer on ''TheWestWing''. Most of the other secretaries get in on the snarking action occasionally, but the President's secretaries are the most consistent.

* Carol, the PointyHairedBoss's secretary from ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', and she takes "sass" UpToEleven straight into pure misanthropy and narcissism. For a while she also has a crossbow.

* Laura from ''DrKatzProfessionalTherapist'' qualifies, but she's extremely rude and useless as a secretary. She doesn't take messages, and refuses to bring Dr. Katz coffee.

[[quoteright:320:[[Film/{{Ghostbusters}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/14002-7175_5659.gif]]]]

* Eva from ''GrimFandango''.

* Vicki Lewis ("Beth") on ''NewsRadio'' reportedly feuded with Kathy Griffin because of her similar redheaded character on ''SuddenlySusan''. It is worth noting that Griffin's character, while a complete ripoff of Lewis's from the standpoint of personality, is not actually a secretary. And Vicki Lewis is actually talented and funny.

* Janet, Russ' long-suffering secretary in ''Film/TheKid2000''. She deals with Russ's frequently unreasonable demands with healthy doses of snark and sarcasm.

* Mallory from 'VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' is a good example; often taking the wind out of Roman's sails when he tries to boast or scheme.