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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

Malady (X-Troper)
#34101: Feb 24th 2025 at 7:36:54 AM

Pinball Scoring:

Edited by Malady on Feb 24th 2025 at 7:37:06 AM

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
BKelly95 Tame Racing Driver (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Tame Racing Driver
#34103: Feb 24th 2025 at 9:13:01 AM

I found this on the Live-Action TV subpage for Dying Clue:

  • Walker, Texas Ranger:
    • The episode "Legends" counts as both Type 1 and Type 5. The Big Bad of the episode, Michael Viscardi, strangles his middle man, Dean Scaggs, to death when the latter ends up being followed to the former's office by Gage and Sydney, who had a warrant for his arrest. Gage and Sydney search the office to find Scaggs's lifeless corpse and the message written with Scaggs's blood reading "D.A. Walk", which signifies that in Michael's Roaring Rampage of Revenge against those who convicted his father, his final target is the prosecuting attorney, Alex. Alex's surname is incomplete when it is found written in blood, which makes it Type 1, but it counts as Type 5 for Alex and Walker to be named Michael's final targets after the he kills Scaggs.

Since the message was written by Viscardi and there's no indication that they thought it was written by Scaggs, wouldn't that disqualify it from Dying Clue?

There are other issues as well, but the question of it being an example is most relevant to this thread.

I should also note that Dying Clue is under discussion in Soft Split Cleanup.

FSharp Resisting a rest Since: Jan, 2019 Relationship Status: I wanna know what love is
#34104: Feb 24th 2025 at 4:10:40 PM

[up][up] For me, that doesn't "stretch Willing Suspension of Disbelief" as the trope requires. It could be a lampshaded example of Symbolism instead of Rule of Symbolism.

I don't just Wiki Talk the talk. I Wiki Walk the walk.
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
#34106: Feb 24th 2025 at 7:58:01 PM

In response: yes, he did hunt down the group in his route.

She/Her | Currently cleaning: N/A
underCoverSailsman Peeks from Under Rocks from State of Flux Since: Jan, 2021 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Peeks from Under Rocks
#34107: Feb 24th 2025 at 8:01:35 PM

[up]Then the example should make that clear.

Wafer Troy Verde from the Banjo-Tooie world, meditating (Life not ruined yet) Relationship Status: Non-Canon
Troy Verde
#34108: Feb 24th 2025 at 8:32:45 PM

Bumping

Guys how cool would it be if Super Megaforce had a green ranger...
ascriptmaster Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
#34109: Feb 24th 2025 at 8:53:33 PM

In the El Goonish Shive strip from last Friday, Hope remarks that Jay reminds her of how she (or rather, her previous incarnation Pandora) was when she first met her late husband Blaike. This leads to a Jaw Drop moment because this cranks her Ship Tease with Susan up through the roof by comparing them to a married couple, but Hope misunderstands and believes they're shocked at the revelation that she even had a husband to begin with (as confirmed in The Rant of today's strip). Is this an example of Comically Missing the Point? Her character page lists this as an example of No Social Skills, possibly because (as The Rant mentions) her reaction seemed to be easily misunderstood, although that trope might still count to some degree.

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
#34110: Feb 25th 2025 at 12:55:24 AM

[up][up][up] Should I hide it because I don't know the full context of the route.

She/Her | Currently cleaning: N/A
Lermis Purposefully Untitled from Out of touch with reality Since: Nov, 2018 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Purposefully Untitled
#34111: Feb 25th 2025 at 5:39:47 AM

[up][up][up] Yes, Fandom-Specific Plot is better.


Is it an Adaptation Name Change is the original name is expanded upon? For example, the adaptation adds a middle name that wasn't there in the source material.

Edited by Lermis on Feb 25th 2025 at 3:39:56 PM

SpaceBattles.com fanworks (now oficial) index in my Sandbox.
bwburke94 I am mad scientist! It's so cool! from 1.048596% (Y2: Electric Boogaloo) Relationship Status: She does the things you do, but she is an IBM
I am mad scientist! It's so cool!
#34112: Feb 25th 2025 at 5:53:49 AM

[up] Downplayed, but yes.

2025: the year it all ends?
VulgarBee I AM KING OF THE BEACH!! from End of the Other Side Since: Jun, 2016 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
I AM KING OF THE BEACH!!
#34113: Feb 25th 2025 at 8:54:02 AM

Just watch X-Men: Apocalypse and I think that Magneto counts as a Tragic Bigot.

Grey-ghost Since: May, 2021
#34114: Feb 25th 2025 at 11:14:49 AM

This part from The Wrong Trousers:

  • Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Although the Techno-Trousers's wall and ceiling walking functions are impressive, the heist Feathers McGraw conducts with them goes wrong since the museum's ceiling consists of old tiles only held in with fixative, which causes the heavy Techno-Trousers to nearly fall down after tearing one off and subsequently triggers the alarm.
Sounds to me more like Spanner in the Works, but that doesn't sound entirely correct either, since that trope covers characters and not literal spanners. What tropes do you goyd think it is?

petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
#34115: Feb 25th 2025 at 12:49:57 PM

[up]I think it's fine. At the very least, it doesn't sound like Spanner in the Works to me at all.

Edited by petersohn on Feb 25th 2025 at 9:50:38 PM

Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
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
#34116: Feb 26th 2025 at 7:08:06 AM

A few examples of Turn the Other Cheek (which were moved from Easily Forgiven since that is now a YMMV trope) but they don't seem to explain the "forgiveness and kindness" part of the trope. For a few examples:

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky:

  • Turn the Other Cheek: The worst any of the people involved in the coup in FC get hit with is a few months of prison time followed by dismissal from government service. If Olivier is in the party when they first encounter Duke Dunan in SC, he'll tell the man to stop whining about his luxurious house arrest - if he'd tried that stunt in Erebonia, he'd have already been executed.

Characters.Trails Series Erebonia Thors Class VII New

  • Turn the Other Cheek:
    • Rean, Elise, and Alfin don't hold her kidnapping of the latter two during the Civil War against her too much. Juna, likewise never brings up her role in assisting in Crossbell's annexation against her, in contrast with Rean who she gave the cold shoulder towards at first.
    • Chapter 1 of Rean's route in Reverie has her apologizing to Teo and Lucia Schwarzer for kidnapping their daughter and Princess Alfin during the Civil War. Like their children, the couple hold no ill will towards her as they recognize that she had only been a child that was Just Following Orders.

She/Her | Currently cleaning: N/A
king15 Have Faun Since: Mar, 2024
Have Faun
#34117: Feb 26th 2025 at 9:52:12 AM

The examples of Fake Brit:

From the One Day trivia page:

  • Fake Brit: Anne Hathaway is American, playing the Yorkshire native Emma Morley. She was criticised heavily for her attempt at the accent. Patricia Clarkson, who plays Dexter's mother, fares a little better.

From the Frasier trivia page:

From the creator page for Cillian Murphy:

  • His Birmingham accent in Peaky Blinders was shaky during the first season, but spot-on in season two.
As the Fake Brit page says this: 'Please note that "British" here actually indicates "Southern English", not Northern English, Scots, Welsh or Northern Irish', should these be removed? The first 2 are Northern English. I suppose some count cities in the Midlands like Birmingham to be in the South, but I think most would consider the Midlands to be separate, so the Murphy one could probably be removed to.

Edited by king15 on Feb 26th 2025 at 5:53:57 PM

TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit The clown of STEEL from Ichnusa Since: Mar, 2024
The clown of STEEL
#34118: Feb 26th 2025 at 10:37:04 AM

[up]I personally think that Fake Brit should be brought to the Repair Shop; that aside, you could cut them for now, to fit with its strangely-narrow description.

Oo oo ah ah
TroperNo9001 Dragon in Waiting from the Dollhouse (Wise, aged troper) Relationship Status: I turn to stone when you are gone
Dragon in Waiting
#34119: Feb 26th 2025 at 3:37:24 PM

Is there a romantic equivalent of Friendship Trinket, or can it also be used for romantic couples?

Still waiting for someone to break him free...
AwkbutTVT Nyan-Binary (The picture, not me) from Gaia, in no current need of help Since: Sep, 2023
Nyan-Binary (The picture, not me)
#34120: Feb 26th 2025 at 3:43:09 PM

Would in-game scratch cards count for Betting Mini-Game? It's usually considered gambling, I'm pretty sure it's regulated as such in some places

Ey, migi vuru?
MyFinalEdits Delete message from Parts Unknown (Spin-off Series) Relationship Status: Cast away
Delete message
#34121: Feb 26th 2025 at 10:45:28 PM

[up]Maybe, yes.

135 -> 180 -> 273 -> 191 -> 188 -> 230 -> 300 -> 311
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
#34122: Feb 27th 2025 at 12:47:07 AM

Regarding the Pants Pulling example: here's the part in question. Also I misread and I thought you meant the longer one, since you were unsure whether the first part was ok.

Also bumping.

Edited by Ayumi-chan on Feb 28th 2025 at 4:49:18 AM

She/Her | Currently cleaning: N/A
NotGonnaDoALot4 Man in the Yellow Hat from God knows. Since: Feb, 2018 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Man in the Yellow Hat
#34123: Feb 27th 2025 at 10:10:41 AM

I have a clear case for these examples from DownerEnding.Video Games being misuse — both sound more akin to Alas, Poor Villain.

  • The end of Kirby's Dream Land sees Dedede flung from his castle and falling to the ground. You're then shown the code for the "Extra Game". Completing that shows Dedede thrown to land on his head. He then runs around the screen crying in pain before collapsing. It's a wonder he ever "plays" with Kirby ever again.
    • Similarlynote , after clearing the Revenge of the King game in Kirby Super Star Ultra, instead of showing Kirby's victory, the ending cinematic shows a defeated, depressed King Dedede walking a lonely road. At least his Waddle Dee friends come one by one to walk beside him. Yes, the game actually makes you feel guilty for winning, although seeing a Downer Ending for your opponent might be satisfying.

There's so much I wish I could take back.
randomtroper89 from The Fire Nation Since: Nov, 2010
#34124: Feb 27th 2025 at 10:35:06 AM

This entry from This Index Is Not an Example seems misplaced, just because Homer's temptation is the focus of the episode does not mean that is what the trope namer is talking about.

WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (10,238/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (10,238/50,000)
#34125: Feb 27th 2025 at 10:37:40 AM

That's been there since the beginning of the TLP so yes it is the trope namer; the sponsor themselves wrote that.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall

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