YKTTW'd trope: too close to this one?: Something Only They Would Say

One person says that the proposed trope Repetition Recognition is the same as Something Only They Would Say, as well as Trust Password. I can tell that the two are close: both are about recognizing someone based on speech. However, Something Only They Would Say (and by extension, Something They Would Never Say) refer to the two characters knowing each other well, which is not always the case with the proposed Repetition Recognition. Unless the two tropes are the same, in which case the Something Only They Would Say needs to be reworked to include it.

It's not a distinction that's meaningful to the trope. You can go ahead and tweak the description if you like.

I may be wrong, but wouldn't a discussion of the failings and merits of the proposed trope go on YKTTW?

What are you saying, that this shouldn't be posted? :P It isn't a question of failings or merits, but of similarity, and there is more than one trope mentioned in this thread. Besides, the two link to each other. There is overlap but different people read YKTTW and TRS; posting here seems like a perfectly good idea.

I would broaden the existing trope description (Something Only They Would Say) instead of adding a new really-similar article.

edited 3rd Jan '11 4:27:49 PM by rodneyAnonymous

^ If you want to broaden, you'd have to change the name as well; Something Only They Would Say implies that the two people know each other very well, as opposed to Recognition... Whatever, which implies that the two don't know each other very well, and the one with the alter-ego says the same thing to the same person in both personalities.

"Something Only They Would Say implies that the two people know each other very well..." I would say: no it doesn't. E.g. when Prince Ali asks Jasmine, "Do you trust me?"

I meant that the trope name implies that one character knows another very well. So, if we're going to expand to include, we'd have to make the name less specific.

Eh, Tropes Are Flexible. *shrug*

I'd argue the tropes are used in very different ways. Something Only They Would Say is generally used when someone is suspicious of someone else and demands they prove it. The new trope would cover accidental revelations that two people are one and the same. I think it's different enough to deserve a new trope (and I tend to be a lumper, so that says something).

I agree with Cidolfas. There's a big difference between "Prove to me you're Johnny by telling me this thing only he would know" and "Oh, I said that to you before, didn't I?"

edited 4th Jan '11 4:10:32 PM by Madrugada

Can we lock this?