Basic Trope: A person hits their head on something that they are underneath.
- Straight: Bob is looking under a table for something when Alice comes in and calls his name. He straightens up and hits his head on the underside of the table.
- Exaggerated: Bob never remembers that something is there when he straightens up.
- Downplayed: Bob's head only just brushes against the table.
- Justified: Bob was very focused on his search, very tall, and just forgot about the table.
- Inverted:
- The table collapses and hits Bob's head.
- Bob does a Face Fault or Head Desk and hits his head on a surface below him.
- Subverted: Bob is looking for something under the table when Alice calls for him. He straightens up...and remembers the table in the nick of time.
- Double Subverted: Bob moves on to the fireplace and, when startled by Charlie, smacks his head.
- Parodied: Bob hits his head so hard that the table cracks.
- Zig-Zagged: Bob sometimes smacks his head on things and sometimes doesn't.
- Averted: Bob does not smack his head on anything while he is under it.
- Enforced: The author is trying to show how startled Bob is. Also for Rule of Funny.
- Lampshaded: "I've got to remember the table when I'm searching underneath."
- Invoked: Alice silently opened the top drawer while Bob was looking underneath said chest of drawers for something.
- Exploited: Alice is actually The Mole in Bob's organization, and she hopes he'll forget something when she hits his head.
- Defied: Bob is very careful when he searches under things.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: "Ah, the old smack-head-on-table gag."
- Implied:
- Alice calls Bob and a thud along with rustling metal can be heard from the kitchen.
- This dialogue:Bob: Alice, quit startling me when I'm looking under things!Alice: Sorry. Should I get the aspirin?
Ouch! Back to Forgot to Mind Their Head.
