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1[[quoteright:253:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/FruitSalad_Man_8758.png]]
2[[caption-width-right:253:Alas, [[ImageBooru Men Laughing with Fruit Salad]]. We hardly knew ye.]]
3
4->''"And one thing I've found, is that every good road trip needs a good inside joke that only the people who'' went ''on the road trip will get. And your friends who'' didn't ''go on the road trip will want to... kill your legs... every time you bring it up."''
5-->-- '''[[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Strong Bad]]''', ''WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail'' #156 [[Recap/StrongBadEmailE156RoadTrip "road trip"]]
6
7There are some jokes almost anyone can get, and then there are ones that can only be understood by people with certain knowledge. Jokes about computer programming that can only be understood by technicians, jokes about a {{film}} that only make sense if you listened to the director's commentary, jokes about a country's political system or culture that only citizens of that place could ever laugh at. If you are in on the joke, these can be hilarious; if you aren't, then they get irritating fast.
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9From a sociological point of view, in-jokes are used by groups to identify those who are Not Us -- anyone who's not a member of the group is not likely to get the joke.
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11If these are frequently placed in a show or book, then it can become a case of ViewersAreGeniuses, or if they are language related, BilingualBonus. {{Fandom}}s are often teeming with them, so seeing a certain one everywhere may be a result of FanMyopia. In some cases, may even lead to MemeticMutation. If the group is big enough, or is generally a FountainOfMemes, it is easily confused with MemeticMutation, and often is on this very wiki. However, as long as the particular in-joke stays confined to the group itself it is not an entire internet meme, although attempts may be made to [[ForcedMeme force it]] from time to time, some successful. If the creator acknowledges the joke or meme in the work itself, it becomes a FandomNod or an AscendedMeme.
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13Compare with NoodleIncident. An OutsideJoke relies on an opposite effect.
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15Not to be confused with the {{webcomic}} ''Webcomic/TheInJoke''.
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17----
18!!{{Subtrope}}s:
19
20[[index]]
21* BilingualBonus: Something is said or written in a foreign language.
22* CallBack: A reference is made to the events of an earlier installment.
23* CallForward: A prequel or flashback alludes to events that the audience knows will eventually happen.
24* ContinuityNod: The events of an earlier episode are acknowledged.
25** ContinuityCavalcade: Multiple previous episodes' events are brought up at the same time.
26** ContinuityLockOut: If you are not caught up on everything in the series, you'll be confused by what's happening in the current installment.
27* CreatorInJoke
28* DevelopmentGag: The work references a concept from when it was still in development.
29* DiscontinuityNod: The characters make a disparaging reference to a reviled part of the franchise.
30* GeniusBonus: A joke that you'll only get if you're very knowledgeable about certain obscure subjects.
31* HistoricalInJoke: A joke alluding to a historical event.
32* InspirationNod
33* MetaCasting
34* MythologyGag: The current adaptation makes a reference to one or more of the previous continuities.
35* ProductionThrowback
36* RemakeCameo: A remake or reboot features a cameo by an actor who had a role in the original version.
37** PredecessorCastingGag: When an actor who played a certain character is cast as that character's InUniverse forebearer, usually a parent or mentor.
38* RunningGag: A joke that repeats throughout the series or even a single installment.
39** ContractualGag: Keeping a recurring gag from getting stale by changing it or occasionally leaving it out.
40** RunningGagged: The recurring gag is retired after one final occurrence.
41* ShoutOut: A work references another work.
42* TranslationNod: A work references one of its translations.
43[[/index]]
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