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Do you have trouble remembering the difference between Deathbringer the Adorable and Fluffy the Terrible?

Do you have trouble recognizing when you've written a Zero-Context Example?

Not sure if you really have a Badass Bookworm or just a guy who likes to read?

Well, this is the thread for you. We're here to help you will all the finer points of example writing. If you have any questions, we can answer them. Don't be afraid. We don't bite. We all just want to make the wiki a better place for everyone.


Useful Tips:

  • Make sure that the example makes sense to both people who don't know the work AND don't know the trope.
    • Wrong: The Mentor: Kevin is this to Bob in the first episode.
    • Right: The Mentor: Kevin takes Bob under his wing in the first episode and teaches him the ropes of being a were-chinchilla.
  • Never just put the trope title and leave it at that.
    • Wrong: Badass Adorable
    • Right: Badass Adorable: Xavier, the group's cute little mascot, defeats three raging elephants with both hands tied behind his back using only an uncooked spaghetti noodle.
  • When is normally far less important than How.
    • Wrong: Big Bad: Of the first season.
    • Right: Big Bad: The heroes have to defeat the Mushroom Man lest the entirety of Candy Land's caramel supply be turned into fungus.
  • A character name is not an explanation.


Other Resources:


For best results, please include why you think an example is iffy in your first post.

Also, many oft-misused tropes/topics have their own threads, such as Surprisingly Realistic Outcome (here) and Fan-Preferred Couple (here). Tropers are better able to give feedback on examples you bring up to specific threads. We don't discuss Complete Monster or Magnificent Bastard examples; please don't bring them up.

Edited by SeptimusHeap on Jul 17th 2025 at 8:59:01 PM

JustNormalMusicLover Just one media nerd (Experienced Trainee) Relationship Status: Abstaining
Just one media nerd
#28901: Aug 10th 2023 at 10:04:47 AM

BanG Dream! characters: Can Kokoro Tsurumaki count as a Token Rich Student, given that her family is just really that rich compared to every other fellow high school student in Hanasakigawa Girls High School, the same school that all of Poppin' Party, as well as Hagumi, Kanon, Misaki, Aya, Chisato and Eve are a part of?

I mean, it might seem too unspecific considering that the three main High Schools featured in the series are all fairly expensive to enroll off, which means to some extent, basically the families of all of these girls are quite rich, but the Tsurumaki family is just really so rich compared to the families of every other member of the main cast in the series.

I asked this honestly because adding this trope out of the blue might seem difficult for me to justify it properly, considering we don't get a proper mentioning of how exactly wealthy are the other Hanasakigawa High students (or at least, their families that enrolled them into that high school), compared to the obviously ultra-wealthy Tsurumaki family.

To make that a better comparison in further: I remember a scene (maybe present in some form in all of these sources: the anime, the video game, and one of the mangas), that Kasumi is far from being able to afford the Random Star guitar normally while it was put on sale. In a theory, Kasumi isn't that much wealthy technically, so it's likely she has a huge wealth gap to compare with Kokoro.

Edited by JustNormalMusicLover on Aug 11th 2023 at 1:16:55 AM

Nothing solves a day of depression better than a warm smile.
Arawn999 Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#28902: Aug 10th 2023 at 10:35:55 AM

I've only gotten a couple of responses to my inquiry about the Sadly Mythtaken entry to Saber's page, but they seem to support the entry being valid. If no-one has any objections, can I re-add it?

BKelly95 Tame Racing Driver (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Tame Racing Driver
#28903: Aug 10th 2023 at 11:17:14 AM

Would this count for Already the Case:

  • An episode of Perfect Strangers had Larry, Balki, Jennifer, and Mary Ann take a trip to a ski lodge where their cabin gets buried by an avalanche. Larry and Balki try to dig an escape tunnel, but only manage to tunnel back to the buried cabin. Larry is about to give up when Balki gives him a speech on perseverance. He concludes the speech with "If George Washington had given up at Valley Forge, we'd all be speaking English now!"

TheMountainKing Since: Jul, 2016
#28904: Aug 10th 2023 at 12:41:51 PM

After we agreed that Avatar: The Last Airbender didn't undergo Cerebus Syndrome, I decided to look at Knight of Cerebus and found that every mahout villain from both Avatar series are listed there. Can Knight of Cerebus apply when Cerebus Syndrome doesn't? Also, can Knight of Cerebus still work when applied tot he majority of villains, even ones that show up very early?

MisterApes-a-lot Since: Mar, 2018
#28905: Aug 10th 2023 at 10:48:44 PM

On YMMV.Five Nights At Freddys 2023, we have this entry:

  • Tainted by the Preview: The teaser trailer for the most part left a very promising and faithful first impression, but some fans criticized the animatronics' glowing red eyes, feeling that there not as effectively creepy as the natural endoskeleton eyes — black with tiny white pupils — in the games.

Doesn't this sentiment fit They Changed It, Now It Sucks! better? A similar-sounding entry was originally under just that, before it was changed to a Narm entry, then I changed that back to TCINIS since it fit the former better and Narm has to be a specific moment. Then someone changed it to Tainted by the Preview with no edit reason.

Should I swap it back?

Ferot_Dreadnaught Since: Mar, 2015
#28906: Aug 11th 2023 at 9:36:57 AM

[up]Tainted by the Preview is better as "It Sucks" is about the final product (it might be seen as not as problematic in the final product).

YMMV.Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

While a fan disliked what became of him, I'm not sure if it counts as an Explanation which is how/why. Thoughts?

Edited by Ferot_Dreadnaught on Aug 11th 2023 at 9:37:14 AM

MisterApes-a-lot Since: Mar, 2018
#28907: Aug 11th 2023 at 12:21:30 PM

[up] I agree, that's not really an explanation for anything.

Coachpill Taxidermy (he/him) from Gen Z Since: Aug, 2022 Relationship Status: Baby don't hurt me!
Taxidermy (he/him)
#28908: Aug 11th 2023 at 4:29:03 PM

Should the PlayingWith.Made Of Iron page include this:

Justified: Not applicable. The trope itself relies on there being no explanation for the inhuman toughness, otherwise it counts as a different trope.

For the record, the original justifications were Bob training using the Charles Atlas Superpower shtick, him being too drugged to feel pain, and Cartoon Physics. This was edited to the current more than two years ago, but I don't know if I should just put "???" in its place or if the trope has some sort of meta-justification, like:

Justified: Bob needs to go back in time, but he thinks the Ben Franklin kite experiment was done with a weather balloon instead of a key, so he uses the balloon as a jacket, which causes him to walk in slow motion and never feel pain as a result.

Your goateed philistine is sashaying towards us. | 🧱
Noaqiyeum we must dissent (it/they) from across the gulf of space (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
we must dissent (it/they)
#28909: Aug 11th 2023 at 6:43:56 PM

I want to add an entry for Recap.Star Trek Lower Decks S 3 E 05 Reflections -

Is this the right Double Meaning subtrope? Mariner probably isn't thinking about what she's saying (she doesn't want to be at the booth but her enthusiasm for Starfleet is genuine), and no one in-universe reacts or draws attention to it - it's a passing joke for the audience, not the characters.

ERROR: The current state of the world is unacceptable. Save anyway? YES/NO
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#28910: Aug 12th 2023 at 3:48:03 AM

Is this shoehorning? I thought But for Me, It Was Tuesday was for characters who can't remember because it's either too common/trivial an act to stand out from a sea of similar acts. However, this entry is about a hero who has zero reason to expect anyone to blame her for Torchwick's death. She didn't kill him (he was Eaten Alive; Neo doesn't know this) and Neo is The Speechless who only targets Ruby after The Heavy convinces her to (Ruby doesn't know this). Ruby therefore only learns Neo's motive when Neo creates talking clones of Roman.

Entry for Ruby Rose, RWBY:

  • But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Neo has spent a long time hunting down Ruby for her role in Torchwick's death. For her part, Ruby has no clue why Neo is after her, and has to be reminded during their confrontation in the Ever After.

Edited by Wyldchyld on Aug 12th 2023 at 12:17:36 PM

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
Tropiarz Since: Sep, 2022
#28911: Aug 12th 2023 at 5:26:45 AM

Continuing with YMMV.Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny:

So does it properly cover how/why now?

Adept (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#28912: Aug 12th 2023 at 6:05:34 AM

Does The Faceless apply to characters who wear a full-face mask, so they technically have a "face", but we never see what their real face looks like? e.g. V from V for Vendetta?

Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#28913: Aug 12th 2023 at 7:04:45 AM

[up][up] All that entry tells us is that Indy becomes a Grumpy Old Man. It doesn't tell us why, and it seems to be complaining that he's a Grumpy Old Man instead of a Cool Old Guy.

[up] The Faceless does state that a face that is always obscured by a mask or helmet is an example of the trope. Dramatic Unmask, Anti-Climactic Unmasking and some forms of Stranger Behind the Mask tend to depend on a character being The Faceless via a mask or hood or helmet until the dramatic reveal of their face and identity.

Edited by Wyldchyld on Aug 12th 2023 at 3:14:51 PM

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
Tropiarz Since: Sep, 2022
#28914: Aug 12th 2023 at 8:13:39 AM

Ok, let's try this one.

And it's kind of the point that he's a Grumpy Old Man (for the most part just because) instead of being Cool Old Guy. But I guess that just falls under trivia entry of Writer Conflicts with Canon, given how the scenario pretty much ignores all the pre-existing canon and goes its own way.

Edited by Tropiarz on Aug 12th 2023 at 5:15:27 PM

WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#28915: Aug 12th 2023 at 10:07:09 AM

Either way it's not an "explanation" for anything. There's no question being answered — Indy's just a grump.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
dsneybuf (Not-So-Newbie)
#28916: Aug 12th 2023 at 12:23:14 PM

NVM

Edited by dsneybuf on Aug 12th 2023 at 4:53:53 AM

CompletelyNormalGuy Am I a weirdo? from a place where folks put cream cheese on hot dogs (Oldest One in the Book)
Am I a weirdo?
#28917: Aug 12th 2023 at 1:27:32 PM

Noa: I get the impression a False Reassurance has to be intentional on the part of the speaker. That example seems to be a Double Meaning that doesn't fit into any of the subtropes.

Wyldchyld: I agree that But for Me, It Was Tuesday example seems shoehorned.

Bigotry will NEVER be welcome on TV Tropes.
Tropiarz Since: Sep, 2022
#28918: Aug 12th 2023 at 1:48:26 PM

The question was "so what Indy did once he got old/after Kingdom". That's pretty much the official stated reason behind making the film in the first place. But as I've said already when commenting the edit, I don't feel particularly strong about adding the entry, just trying to figure how to make it work within the frame of the trope. Turns out - not possible in the first place. Thanks[tup]

Smashman2893 Since: Sep, 2021
#28919: Aug 12th 2023 at 2:32:23 PM

Would this be an example of Guilt by Association Gag?

  • The Simpsons: In Who Shot Mr. Burns Part One, Mr. Burns steals the oil that was under and to be claimed by Springfield Elementary. As such, not only does he have legal claim over the only, the school had to make layoffs because of the money wasted on building the oil rig, one of which was Groundskeeper Willie. He responds by vowing to kll Burns and then wound his assistant Smithers.
Willie: Argh, I'll kill that Mr. Burns! And, er, wound that Mr. Smithers.

NotGonnaDoALot4 Man in the Yellow Hat from God knows. Since: Feb, 2018 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Man in the Yellow Hat
#28920: Aug 12th 2023 at 4:08:28 PM

I need help with determining whether Nameless is a Corrupted Character Copy of Lars, or if Lars is a Virtuous Character Copy of Nameless. I initially put Nameless as a Corrupted Character Copy (because Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion, Lars's debut, was initially announced on August 28th, 2008 and released in arcades on December 18, 2008, whilst The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match, Nameless's debut, was initially announced at TGS 2008 (which ran from October 9-12, 2008) and released on the PS2 on February 26, 2009), but today I noticed that instead Lars was added as a Virtuous Character Copy, even though judging by the release dates Lars was first and Nameless was second.

There's so much I wish I could take back.
StewieGriffin34 from Sea ice (Season 2) Relationship Status: Buried in snow, waiting for spring
#28921: Aug 12th 2023 at 4:09:29 PM

[up][up]I would say yes, since he had no other reason to be mad at Smithers (who was also against the idea)

He/they | Mostly here on my free days
Tehrannotaur Since: Mar, 2013
#28922: Aug 12th 2023 at 4:29:53 PM

[up][up]It was my mistake for thinking that Lars came after Nameless so Ill fix the edit

NotGonnaDoALot4 Man in the Yellow Hat from God knows. Since: Feb, 2018 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Man in the Yellow Hat
#28923: Aug 12th 2023 at 4:30:45 PM

I'm glad we sorted that one out quickly.

There's so much I wish I could take back.
Noaqiyeum we must dissent (it/they) from across the gulf of space (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
Oddman Since: Jul, 2022
#28925: Aug 12th 2023 at 7:36:19 PM

There's a family of 5 consisting of a father, mother, their first son, their second son and their only daughter. Now the tallest members of the family are the father and the eldest son, both of whom are about 5'7. The eldest son is the snarkiest member of the family. Would Tall, Dark, and Snarky apply to him within the context of his family, or is 5'7 still too short for the trope to apply to him?


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