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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

BoltDMC Since: May, 2020
#30976: Mar 12th 2024 at 6:55:58 PM

Both pronunciations of “apricot” are correct. I support removing the bolded part as both rude and incorrect.

Edited by BoltDMC on Mar 12th 2024 at 9:56:18 AM

Nethilia Girl Gang Disaster (she and zie) (Life not ruined yet) Relationship Status: A gay little love melody
Girl Gang Disaster (she and zie)
#30977: Mar 13th 2024 at 12:05:13 AM

My Final Edits: thanks. I'll add that to the trope definition.

I focus on obscure 1990s or graphic Middle Grade Literature novels and dolls. (She or zie, not they.)
Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Enid Sinclair
#30978: Mar 13th 2024 at 2:12:35 AM

I found this DieForOurShip.Live Action TV:

  • Interestingly, Elizabeth Weir, who had quite a bit of (deliberately played by the actors) UST with the other half of the main slash pairing, John Sheppard, doesn't seem to get this nearly as much — probably because she as a character is so well-liked. Instead she is usually paired off with another male cast member — Radek Zelenka and Steven Caldwell are popular, particularly as there's at least slight evidence for both in canon — and is frequently portrayed as a Shipper on Deck for John/Rodney, or at the very least quietly, unobtrusively supportive of them. These stories also tend to keep the very close relationship Sheppard and Weir have in canon, simply without a romantic element.

Is it just me or is this entry saying that it is not an example?

Fan-Preferred Couple cleanup thread
CanuckMcDuck1 PEPSIMAN from Japan Since: Sep, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
PEPSIMAN
#30979: Mar 13th 2024 at 10:44:39 AM

[up]Yeah parts sound like whoever wrote it wishes it was this trope, and also just tropes in fanfics. It might need a rewrite or a different explanation.

Edited by CanuckMcDuck1 on Mar 13th 2024 at 11:44:50 AM

Do not mess with creatures which you do not understand.
skewview Since: Jun, 2013
#30980: Mar 13th 2024 at 12:41:42 PM

Hello everyone,

I'm having a bit of trouble with a few examples for Samurai Fiction. These examples cross the lines between YMMV and Trivia. While I am a big fan of this movie and had a Making-of DVD at some point, I was unable to find it and to properly reference my entries, and well, I bought another DVD on e-bay that seems to have been lost in the mail... But anyway, here are the tropes:

on YMMV (this was removed entirely by someone else):

  • Aborted Arc: It is possible that the plot involving Shintaro Suzuki and Kurosawa Tadasuke was more elaborate but ended up on the cutting room floor. Because as this film was in production, Akira Kurosawa had passed away and in the final version of the film, the Memorial Character — Kurosawa Tadasuke, dies early on. Leaving the other of Those Two Guys, Shintaro Suzuki to be Put on a Bus instantly. It is a bit jarring because the sequence that has Mizoguchi telling Suzuki to leave and not to return — is an insert composed of close-ups that manage to hide the fact that they might of been filmed at a later date. Also, the following scene with Heishiro's finding out about his friend's passing could have similarly been set up at a later date — since this scene introduces the incense as a visual landmark, accomplishes to inform Heishiro by inference of Tadasuke's death, and have Mizoguchi tell him that Suzuki survived but had minor injuries and was taken care of by another household, he got better so he went home. This scene also ends with Heishiro crying for his fallen friend. No other mention of Shintaro Suzuki and Kurosawa Tadasuke are ever made in the rest of the film.

Please note, it was on YMMV because it is my theory as a fan that has watched the film several times and enjoy it greatly. I've not seen many people in the western world talking about it too much. This theory is based on the fact that the Memorial Character is named after Akira Kurosawa who unfortunately died during the stages of production of this film.

Not only that, there are a few more entries that are just my theories, but with more hints of veracity from the available material (these were moved to Trivia, however, I still think they are not Trivia material):

  • What Could Have Been:
    • Among the film's DVD Bonus Contents, there are a few scenes from the final movie but instead they are in color — this posits the possibility that the final product could of been entirely in color too but was converted to black and white in post-production as an homage to Akira Kurosawa. Indeed, certain scenes lack the typical contrast in shades of black and white usually associated with the single silver halide crystals layer of BW photography film.
    • A prequel with Kanzen and Kagemaru and the history of The Sword; A sequel with Falcon and Red Shadow and maybe a romance between them; A sequel involving Kazamatsuri, because this film leaves open the possibility that he might not have died. These could all have been possibilities in the eyes of many fans — even after Red Shadow was made.
  • Referenced by…: Ghost of Tsushima, the developers included the Kurosawa mode that is in black and white, this is an interesting choice because in honor of the famed director, Samurai Fiction was also made in black and white.

Thank you for your help!

AFK with issues, will return
Arawn999 Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
skewview Since: Jun, 2013
#30982: Mar 13th 2024 at 2:04:54 PM

[up] Yes, Hulking Out seems far better. The alter personas are not necessarily evil in my opinion.

AFK with issues, will return
Zaperex Since: Oct, 2021
#30983: Mar 13th 2024 at 2:51:15 PM

Is it Vitriolic Best Buds if one side genuinely dislikes the other side?

  • Vitriolic Best Buds: Gojo teases Iori relentlessly and Iori can barely stand to be in Gojo's presence. However, they've known each other since high school and find each other reliable. While Gojo dismisses the possibility of Iori being a traitor because of she's "too weak", it's clear that he is just messing with her, and when Gojo uses code to discuss how to weed out the real traitor, she follows along without missing a beat.

I'm looking at this entry and it seems kind of iffy to me, because while they work together to seek out the traitor, there's not really any indication that Utahime is friends with Gojo. She seems genuinely incensed by him and the volume 5 extras state that she hates him most of the time.

Edited by Zaperex on Mar 13th 2024 at 7:41:17 AM

Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Enid Sinclair
#30984: Mar 13th 2024 at 4:34:50 PM

[up][up][up][up][up] I have not interacted with the Stargate fandom for a while. Should I hide it until someone else can rewrite it or just remove it?

Edited by Bullman on Mar 13th 2024 at 6:35:16 AM

Fan-Preferred Couple cleanup thread
Libraryseraph uu~ from Canada (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: Raising My Lily Rank With You
uu~
#30985: Mar 13th 2024 at 6:47:47 PM

Those Samurai movie examples are all almost entirely speculation. Also, that's not what YMMV is for

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FOR MARIA
skewview Since: Jun, 2013
#30986: Mar 14th 2024 at 3:55:53 AM

^ I'd say the first is 70-80% speculation, the rest is more like 45% speculation or even less. That is not "entirely" in my humble opinion. They are based on messages on forums and such that are in Japanese however. As some other entries go on to detail, the movie was shot in color and digitized and then edited and converted (quite a novelty at the time in '97) — some based on the director's still publicly available production diary and info in the credits and the Making-of documentary.

The first has the 30-20% percent veracity because the same diary has pictures of the missing actors in scenes that are not part of the final film. I've received advice here that perhaps the first example could be rephrased within Shrug of God, because, well, it involves the death of a noteworthy person and the subject is quite a sensitive subject of discussion, even to this day. Especially since the director, at the time, was called "the Akira Kurosawa of the MTV Generation", something that the former director, it seems, was aware of and did not dislike.

Frankly I've seen too many speculations that are in YMMV pages and discussions about it, seems like so far there is still a disagreement on this that has not made it on the YMMV description page proper to clarify. Basically, some mileages varying so wildly that they could just as well be WMG, except that at least two contributors agree... Either way, I purposely wrote the examples to sound speculative as to be verified, during sandbox drafting they were slightly different and in Trivia but felt uncomfortable about leaving them there.

My reasoning on YMM Ving them is because I've not spoken extensively with anyone about it that is on here, except off-site. I'm hoping someone with a good familiarity with the film would say something about them.

AFK with issues, will return
Libraryseraph uu~ from Canada (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: Raising My Lily Rank With You
uu~
#30987: Mar 14th 2024 at 5:11:44 AM

Aborted Arc is not a YMMV trope. You can't put it on YMMV pages

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FOR MARIA
BoltDMC Since: May, 2020
#30988: Mar 14th 2024 at 6:07:19 AM

Trying again, as there was no feedback given.

===

Not sure if this qualifies as an example or not — depends on how flexible tropes are.

For The Bolt Chronicles:

  • Humanlike Animal Aging: An analogue appears in "The Coffee Shop." Bolt has begun putting on weight because he has been begging for treats at the title venue and eating discarded food from the trash. His longtime sweetheart Mittens reacts by cracking jokes such as "Q: What's the difference between a boyfriend and a husband? A: Thirty pounds," while adding "That’s 12 in dog pounds."

Thanks again!

Zaperex Since: Oct, 2021
#30989: Mar 14th 2024 at 7:10:55 AM

[up] I don't understand how this example relates to aging at all?

BoltDMC Since: May, 2020
#30990: Mar 14th 2024 at 7:15:09 AM

[up] It's comically using the "dog years" idea analogously to refer to weight. It only works if the trope is very flexible, though, and may not pass muster, which is why I'm asking. I'm fine not adding it if the thinking is that the trope is not flexible enough.

If I don’t get pushback on it, though, I’ll assume the trope is flexible enough and add it.

Edited by BoltDMC on Mar 14th 2024 at 11:07:03 AM

HeyFella Since: Feb, 2015
#30991: Mar 14th 2024 at 7:21:02 AM

In Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, the strike team will scold anyone who grabs too much ammo rather than saving it for those who need it the most, with the Brawler Ogryn personality retorting, "Ammo... Rations... All mine!" if called out. Is this an example of Greed?

Ayumi-chan 3rd happiest man in Connecticut from Iacon City (Experienced Trainee) Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
3rd happiest man in Connecticut
#30992: Mar 14th 2024 at 7:28:11 AM

I found this on Trivia.Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (under Playing Against Type)

It should be noted that the character who embodies this archetype (Astarion) comes from a game that came out in 2023, a year after XC3. Looking at Newborn's page, he doesn't seem to play any characters like before Astarion. Should we remove that example?

She/Her | Currently cleaning: N/A
Nejiiuyn Kaiser der Anonymität from The Mysterious Beyond Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Kaiser der Anonymität
#30993: Mar 14th 2024 at 7:52:59 AM

Does the trope, Flying Brick, count if a character has all the standard powers of the trope but instead of normal flight the character has Not Quite Flight?

My treasure? If you want it, you can have it! Search for it! I left in that place!
Zaperex Since: Oct, 2021
#30994: Mar 14th 2024 at 8:28:13 AM

[up][up][up][up] I got that, but ultimately, that mean it's not about aging. I think it's too much of a stretch.

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?
#30995: Mar 14th 2024 at 11:40:44 AM

[up][up]I'd say it's fine.

Bigotry will NEVER be welcome on TV Tropes.
Kuprin (Apprentice) Relationship Status: Abstaining
#30996: Mar 14th 2024 at 11:49:26 AM

Hello, if a character is exceedingly taciturn, but often his thoughts are reproduced as an Inner Monologue, and inside he often quips and sarcastically jokes, will this be an example of a Silent Snarker?

Edited by Kuprin on Mar 14th 2024 at 11:49:46 AM

dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#30997: Mar 14th 2024 at 12:43:14 PM

[up] I don't think so. Just judging from the description, they have to be basically mute or only speak an unintelligible language but still from body language or the reactions of other you can tell they are snarking.

MathsAngelicVersion Ambassador of Eurogames and Touhou Music from Gensokyo Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
Ambassador of Eurogames and Touhou Music
#30998: Mar 14th 2024 at 12:53:05 PM

Found two dubious examples on Lies, Damn Lies, And Statistics:

  • FreedomToons: Often, the videos will point out how some statistics that could be seen as a good thing give off a false impression.
    • This is the bread and butter of "The Debunkers" series, which stars two men living in a bomb shelter who spend their free time debunking YouTube videos. If a video they're analyzing gives a statistic, they'll cite the full context of the statistic which usually gives off a different impression than the out-of-context statistic implies:
      • "Debunkers vs. Medicare for All" goes into detail about the Canadian Healthcare System, and the myth that universal healthcare would fix everything. While it does have a universal healthcare system, there's so much red tape and bureaucracy that people can end up waiting months for emergency surgery, and citizens end up leaving Canada to find better healthcare in other countries. It also notes that despite the problems with America's healthcare system, the nation ranks first in the world in terms of quality, whereas Canada is ranked seventh.
      • "Debunkers vs. Abolishing the Electoral College" makes a statement that a pure popular vote is a bad idea. Claiming that it would lead to a case where states with large cities (Chicago for Illinois, Los Angeles for California, etc.) would eclipse the voices of less populated states.

Despite their length, both of these fail to explain how bad statistics are supposedly involved. Is it safe to just remove them? If there are valid examples in the Debunkers series, they should probably be rewritten from scratch anyway (as they are, they mostly serve to promote the opinions the FreedomToons creator).

Or should we remove all the Lies, Damn Lies, And Statistics examples for FreedomToons because it seems to be just the creator's actual political opinions presented with an excuse Framing Device?

Zarina Since: Aug, 2014
#30999: Mar 14th 2024 at 2:18:50 PM

Moving from the content violation thread because these are individual entries and not a work or whole page. I stumbled across some entries on The Chipmunk Adventure that feel questionable since the characters are children:

  • Fanservice:
    • The Chipettes get many Panty Shots and spend the last third in Belly Dancer outfits that show their midriffs. Also, Brittany wears a very skimpy bikini in the underwater scene.
    • Alvin and Simon in loincloths for the entire last act is this or Fan Disservice, depending on your point of view.

  • Incest Subtext: Klaus and Claudia are siblings, but sometimes they make you wonder if there isn't anything more going on between the two of them. Though they're probably just that close. Alvin and Simon are probably worse about this, if we're being entirely fair.
(Bolding mine.)

  • Intercourse with You: The song "Getting Lucky". Here the Chipettes have to get past a swarm of snakes and charm them with this song (that sounds as if it has them propositioning snakes!).

I think these entries are somebody reading a bit too much into a children's movie that was definitely not trying to titillate adults, but I wanted to check before removing them.

Edited by Zarina on Mar 14th 2024 at 5:19:11 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?
#31000: Mar 14th 2024 at 2:38:24 PM

[up][up]I agree those are misuse. There's no mention of using statistics to lie.

Bigotry will NEVER be welcome on TV Tropes.

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