Basic Trope: A character or species eats earthen materials for most of their diet.
- Straight: Larry eats mostly dirt.
- Exaggerated: Larry is completely unable to digest anything besides dirt, rocks, and the like.
- Downplayed: Larry is capable of eating dirt — it isn't very nutritious or tasty but it is capable of keeping him alive.
- Justified:
- Larry is part of a species with very basic nutritional needs; all of their nutrients can be found in dirt, so they eat that, which is far easier to come across.
- His nutritional needs are very mineral-heavy; not all of the necessary minerals can be found in organic matter, and he requires none of the vitamins present in it.
- Larry lives on a planet with bizarre geology that results in dirt having all of the necessary nutrients for humans with few dangers.
- Inverted:
- Larry is completely unable to eat anything earthen, even if it's just a speck or two of dirt in his salad.
- A Rock Monster eats Larry.
- Subverted: Larry eagerly digs in to a plate of dirt, rocks, and gems, but spits it all out right away.
- Double Subverted:
- Because the dirt, rocks and gems were all the wrong kind.
- Because they are chocolate and candies that look like dirt, rocks and gems.
- Parodied: When a rockslide comes between Larry and his party, he hungrily pulls out a knife and fork.
- Zig Zagged: Larry sometimes eats dirt and sometimes eats plants and meat.
- Averted: Larry has a normal diet.
- Enforced: "The rock guy! Make him eat rocks!"
- Lampshaded:
- "Is it normal for a guy to guzzle down dirt like that?"
- "I have never heard a crunch like that before, and I hope to God I never hear one like it again..."
- "I've heard of rock candy, but this is ridiculous!"
- Invoked: ???
- Exploited: ???
- Defied: "No, I do not eat rocks! Why do you humans always jump to conclusions about the stone people?"
- Discussed: "Mmm, these rocks are DELICIOUS! Igneous, if I may ask? Best kind".
- Conversed: "Did that guy just...eat a rock?!"
- Deconstructed: Larry eats dirt, but because he is delusional and thinks it's real food.
- Larry's species diet consists of valuable minerals with industrial applications. An entire species of mineral eaters would face potential shortages later on.
- Reconstructed: It wasn't really dirt; it was crushed up cookies and chocolate chips for a prank.
- When his species colonize the stars, they have more than enough Asteroid Miners that they actually have a surplus. Plus, the Bizarre Alien Biology involved could give his species Solid Gold Poop.
- Implied: Someone gives Larry a box of dirt as a birthday prank. Larry acts like it's a real gift and licks his lips when seeing it.
- Played For Drama: Larry has pika, and is psychologically compelled to eat dirt.
Back to Eat Dirt, Cheap
