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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

Tylerbear12 What you see is what you get, just a guy. from The Green Hills. Since: Apr, 2015 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
What you see is what you get, just a guy.
#32176: Jul 17th 2024 at 1:34:17 PM

On YMMV.Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius

  • Values Dissonance: An inoffensive example. Sheen freaks out when Cindy tricks him into opening his Ultralord action figure box. This viewpoint is not quite as common as it was in the 2000s, as many action figure collectors now open their boxes. This is because having a figure complete in box is still considered valuable, albiet less so than if it was mint.

Beyond the spelling issues, self contradiction, and word cruft (an inoffensive example directly violates "This is an Example"), maybe it's just me, but I feel this is really stretching the definition of Values Dissonance to the point of borderline misuse, as it is not about something common then or in a certain country that does not translate well today or in other countries. I get tropes are flexible, but this is stretching it I feel

Especially since many action figure collectors today still prefer to keep them in the boxes. It's not a trend that was only existent in the 2000s and isn't quite as common today. It's still very common.

Edited by Tylerbear12 on Jul 17th 2024 at 10:39:38 AM

Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#32177: Jul 17th 2024 at 1:38:10 PM

"is still considered valuable"

I'm more concerned that the example contradicts itself.

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
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)
#32178: Jul 17th 2024 at 1:39:00 PM

Yeah, that's a nothingburger

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
AegisP Kindhearted SSSSSNAKE Man Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Kindhearted SSSSSNAKE Man
#32179: Jul 17th 2024 at 2:57:14 PM

[up][up][up] Chainsaw that ASAP.

As long as this flower is in my heart. My Strength will flow without end.
randomtroper89 from The Fire Nation Since: Nov, 2010
#32180: Jul 17th 2024 at 3:23:21 PM

This The Punishment Is the Crime example should be cut for not identifying the forum in question:

  • An Internet message board administrator once joked about the change in moderation policy to a much more laissez-faire one consisting of only deleting obvious trolling and spam as "Under the old system if you posted something ridiculous and/or offensive, the punishment was we'd delete your post. Under the new system the punishment is we don't delete your post." and made the point that leaving such posts up would also bring ridicule and ostracization to those who posted them rather than allowing for cover with them being deleted.

Edited by randomtroper89 on Jul 17th 2024 at 5:37:41 AM

Echidna from Ontario, Canada (Striking Back) Relationship Status: Two-timing
#32181: Jul 17th 2024 at 6:02:16 PM

This example should be cut yes

Edited by Echidna on Jul 17th 2024 at 9:02:25 AM

TurtleFish You've been here for as long as you can remember from United States of— AUUUUURGGH FREEDOM FREEDOM F (The New Person) Relationship Status: I love you for psychological reasons
You've been here for as long as you can remember
#32182: Jul 17th 2024 at 7:32:58 PM

I was fixing up the Webcomics subpage for Memetic Mutation and came across this example that really confused me:

  • While editing the comic with other ones for humorous effect is a proud tradition in the AZ forums, the only one to spread to the rest of the internet are the ones featuring mash ups of Spare the Rod, with the last panel being a spectacular recent failure

Just by itself, I was gonna cut it from the page but after some digging, I think this example might be referring to Awkward Zombie? However, I’m not too sure and if anyone has any knowledge on what the example is talking about (and the meme it’s referring to), it’d be appreciated!

trying my best!
CanuckMcDuck1 PEPSIMAN from Japan Since: Sep, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
PEPSIMAN
#32183: Jul 18th 2024 at 7:07:42 AM

[up]Given how vague it is and admits to the small reach this one webcomic’s forums have, it could be easily cut without being missed.

Do not mess with creatures which you do not understand.
ElBuenCuate Since: Oct, 2010
#32184: Jul 18th 2024 at 11:22:56 PM

I found this example in a BoJack Horseman episode.

Ripped from the Headlines: Herb being Forced Out of the Closet is based off of how George Michael's sexuality was found out when he was caught having sex in a public bathroom.

This is apparently based on an act that happened in 1998. This is nowhere near when the show was made, just when this particular episode is set, since it is a flashback episode. Does this really count as Ripped from the Headlines?

TurtleFish You've been here for as long as you can remember from United States of— AUUUUURGGH FREEDOM FREEDOM F (The New Person) Relationship Status: I love you for psychological reasons
You've been here for as long as you can remember
#32185: Jul 19th 2024 at 7:07:41 AM

[up][up] Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. Still, I wanted to give the example a chance to live on u_u... I’ll delete it.

trying my best!
AegisP Kindhearted SSSSSNAKE Man Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Kindhearted SSSSSNAKE Man
#32186: Jul 19th 2024 at 7:42:56 AM

[up][up] No, this isnt an example

As long as this flower is in my heart. My Strength will flow without end.
Echidna from Ontario, Canada (Striking Back) Relationship Status: Two-timing
#32187: Jul 19th 2024 at 7:48:38 AM

x3[up]I don't see it as an example

NotGonnaDoALot4 Man in the Yellow Hat from God knows. Since: Feb, 2018 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Man in the Yellow Hat
#32188: Jul 19th 2024 at 10:36:52 AM

This example on Franchise Killer openly admits that the franchise is still running, but certain aspects aren't, so would it count as Trend Killer or Genre Killer?:

There's so much I wish I could take back.
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#32189: Jul 19th 2024 at 11:15:51 AM

[up] All of these are just misplaced and don't sound like either trope.

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
CanuckMcDuck1 PEPSIMAN from Japan Since: Sep, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
PEPSIMAN
#32190: Jul 19th 2024 at 11:17:44 AM

[up][up]Franchise Killer usually means that era of the franchise is done if it’s not completely killed. That said, none of them fit either trope, and seem to have bare-bones explanations why. Splash Star could work as End of an Age given the shift to an ensemble, but that’s the best it could be salvaged.

Edited by CanuckMcDuck1 on Jul 19th 2024 at 12:18:06 PM

Do not mess with creatures which you do not understand.
Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Enid Sinclair
#32191: Jul 19th 2024 at 11:32:26 AM

So, on Trivia.Ahsoka:

My question is if the last sentence belongs? I don't see a) how that puts it into question or b) how that is relevant to the example as a whole.

Fan-Preferred Couple cleanup thread
rasterax Since: Sep, 2023
#32192: Jul 19th 2024 at 12:18:05 PM

Is Unexpected Virgin flexible enough to include instances of a character not being experienced in a particular way, to the surprise of another character? For instance, an openly bisexual woman admitting she's never had a female partner before. Or (the scenario I'm thinking of), a straight guy finding out his gay friend has never bottomed before (which is the first thing he relates to gay sex). Or is that beyond the scope of the trope?

AegisP Kindhearted SSSSSNAKE Man Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Kindhearted SSSSSNAKE Man
#32193: Jul 19th 2024 at 12:29:05 PM

[up] I dont think it does but its very worth to pursue as a trope-

As long as this flower is in my heart. My Strength will flow without end.
Pyhrrous Since: Apr, 2022
#32195: Jul 19th 2024 at 9:53:01 PM

[up] I'd say non-anglosphere stereotypes for national animals are a valid example. It's not like the whole world is the US and Commonwealth.

From Smiling Friends S2E2 "Mr. President":

  • Misaimed Fandom: Due to the rise of aggressive politics and creators inserting their beliefs into the media they create, a lot of people online have been arguing that Jimble and Mr. Frog are meant to be direct intentional parodies of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. When in actuality the idea of "the President doesn't know what he's doing" is a joke as old as politics. In fact the show goes out of its way to not tie Jimble or Mr. Frog to any political party and the few political acts shown are very generalnote .
I think the second sentence should probably be thrown out — "the president is stupid" is an old joke, yes, but anyone who has this criticism usually has a specific president in mind. It's a bad illustration of the point, if nothing else.
That, or cut the entire example, since there are elements of Jimble and Frog that are too alike to Biden and Trump to be coincidental (the recap of that episode lists off examples for each), therefore it wouldn't be misaimed unless the creators come out and say otherwise.

Nejiiuyn Kaiser der Anonymität from The Mysterious Beyond Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Kaiser der Anonymität
#32196: Jul 20th 2024 at 5:35:48 AM

Would the trope, I Believe I Can Fly, count as an example if a character in a team is able to fly by using an aircraft? The trope description mentions that Gadgeteer Geniuses using Jetpacks qualify but I wanted to make sure whether or not aircraft count as well before adding an example.

My treasure? If you want it, you can have it! Search for it! I left in that place!
randomtroper89 from The Fire Nation Since: Nov, 2010
#32197: Jul 20th 2024 at 10:35:00 AM

I am going to contest Shut Up, Hannibal!'s place at This Index Is Not an Example:

Literature:

  • Red Dragon:
    • Will Graham calls one of Lecter's bluffs by walking away when he tries to get a lecture rolling.
    • He later comes about as close as anyone gets to giving Hannibal Lecter himself this treatment. Granted, he says it out loud to a written letter, but it shows exactly what he thinks about having the same motivations as a deranged serial killer.

Live-Action Films:

  • Hannibal Lecter: Hannibal Lecter did indeed get this reaction a couple of times.
    • Clarice Starling gets off a fairly low-key one in The Silence of the Lambs, and it's framed as the moment Starling earns Lecter's respect.
      Lecter: You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well-scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste. Good nutrition's given you some length of bone, but you're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Agent Starling? And that accent you've tried so desperately to shed: pure West Virginia. What is your father, dear? Is he a coal miner? Does he stink of the lamp? You know how quickly the boys found you. All those tedious, sticky fumblings in the back seats of cars, while you could only dream of getting out, getting anywhere, getting all the way to the F-B-I.
      Starling: You see a lot, Doctor. But are you strong enough to point that high-powered perception at yourself? What about it? Why don't you look at yourself and write down what you see? Or maybe you're afraid to.
    • In Red Dragon, Hannibal tries to pull his trope on Will. Will simply wishes him goodnight and leaves the room. This might be the only way to win (or draw) against the great Hannibal Lecter; he fancies himself being able to understand anyone, so simply ignoring him and his 'genius' is the best possible retort.
    • Hannibal:
      • Ironically, the most literal example was not as dramatic as many other examples for this Trope:
      Lecter: Good evening, Clarice! Just like old times.
      Starling: Shut up.
      • Hannibal himself does in in response to Mason's To the Pain speech. Obviously, it was neither the time nor the place for his usual Trope. (Crazy doesn't mean stupid.)

Edited by randomtroper89 on Jul 20th 2024 at 12:38:03 PM

king15 Have Faun Since: Mar, 2024
Have Faun
#32198: Jul 20th 2024 at 5:48:01 PM

For Even Better Sequel, could Frasier count in comparison to Cheers? Spinoffs (such as Better Call Saul) are used as examples, so I think Frasier, which is a spinoff of Cheers, should meet that requirement (it's also chronologically set after Cheers, though that doesn't really affect whether it applies for this trope or not).

As listed on it's entry for More Popular Spin-Off, while it's hard to say which had more of an impact on pop culture, Frasier had more acclaim (including 9 more Primetime Emmys than Cheers), has a larger fanbase today and, unlike Cheers, has received a revival/sequel series, demonstrating perhaps a better renown than Cheers. Therefore, I think Frasier should apply for Even Better Sequel (though, as with the entry for Better Call Saul, perhaps it should be mentioned that this isn't a universally held belief).

taotruths Live Jet Reaction (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: I sleep in a big bed with my wife.
Live Jet Reaction
#32199: Jul 21st 2024 at 6:55:46 AM

moving this to the dedicated thread

Edited by taotruths on Jul 21st 2024 at 9:03:20 AM

Eggy0 Wizards Don't Own Cats (she/her) (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Wizards Don't Own Cats (she/her)
#32200: Jul 21st 2024 at 8:24:55 AM

I recently added this to Recap.The Smurfs S 2 E 12 Squeaky:

* An Aesop: As Papa Smurf puts it, "death eventually comes to all living things". Death is a natural part of life; everything has to die someday, and though seeing a loved one die is a sad and painful event, one needs to eventually move on with their own life.

Off the top of my head, I was under the impression that an aesop was an important lesson being taught (in this case, death is something that happens and needs to be accepted) so I added it to the page. Then I looked at the article and went to the linked TRS page, and found the post specified moral lessons; would this mean that the example I added is misuse since it's more about dealing with a hard situation than moral choices, or am I taking the phrase "moral lesson" too literally?


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