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Laconic Description Improvement

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For a list of bad laconics, see Sandbox.Pages Needing Better Laconics.

For generally accepted guidelines for laconics, see Sandbox.Laconic Wiki Template.


Today I found out an interesting fact from troper Ironeye:

Don't ever make the mistake of using the Laconic version as the canonical trope meaning—the laconics are often written by people who don't actually understand the drop. In this case, the laconic only corresponds to one possible cause of Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy.

The Laconic Description for DIAA states as follows:

The thing is, these descriptions are supposed to make it easier to understand what the page is about. If they can't be accurate as well as short and sweet, then there's a problem.

So for starters, what would be a better description for DIAA?

Edited by MacronNotes on Jan 29th 2023 at 6:23:45 AM

wingedcatgirl mys. minty from the silly dimension from lurking (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Oh my word! I'm gay!
mys. minty from the silly dimension
#1301: Dec 4th 2021 at 4:13:58 PM

Laconic.Written In Absence: "Actor's unavailable; so's the character."

That doesn't seem to match the definition, should we rewrite it?

Suddenly I'm... still rotating Fallen London in my mind even though I've stopped actively playing it.
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#1302: Dec 10th 2021 at 9:21:56 AM

Original post on the Five-Man Band clean-up thread.

I flagged the Laconic as being more related to the original trope, prior to clean-up, so it doesn't really reflect the current trope, and it's a potholing nightmare.

I've suggested the following Laconic replacement, based on the trope description's very last line (which seemed to be a good summary of the trope, with emphasis on the bit people tend to ignore when misusing it).

A group of exactly five people, where the bonds between them and the way they are explored elevates them from an ordinary team into a five-man band.

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.
wingedcatgirl mys. minty from the silly dimension from lurking (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Oh my word! I'm gay!
mys. minty from the silly dimension
#1303: Dec 10th 2021 at 9:26:46 AM

Looks good to us.

Suddenly I'm... still rotating Fallen London in my mind even though I've stopped actively playing it.
Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#1304: Dec 10th 2021 at 9:37:32 AM

[up][up][up]"The characters say why a character is not currently present when they logically should be."

Edited by Weirdguy149 on Dec 10th 2021 at 12:37:55 PM

The legend has returned.
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#1305: Dec 11th 2021 at 10:49:39 AM

It looks like someone has just changed the Laconic.Five Man Band, although using different wording to the one I've suggested.

Shall I change it, or leave it?

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.
Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#1306: Dec 17th 2021 at 8:47:23 AM

I prefer the new take honestly.

I'm dissatisfied with the laconic for You Have to Have Jews, which is about lampshading/discussing how there are a lot of media creators and characters who are Jewish compared to real-life Jewish population. The laconic is instead about shoehorning Jewish characters.

How about:

Comments about how there are a lot of media creators who are Jewish.

mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#1307: Dec 17th 2021 at 11:12:17 AM

You Have to Have Jews is about lampshading? Oy, it's never used for that. It's always (mis)used to just point out Jewish characters in a work, much less where they don't belong.

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#1308: Dec 17th 2021 at 12:13:03 PM

The page actually clarifies it's No Straight Examples, Please!.

As it's a Trope in Aggregate, please add examples only where this trope is lampshaded, or possibly averted if it's really incongruous.

good-morning Lord Something, Forgetter of Cool Titles from Brazil Since: Nov, 2021
Lord Something, Forgetter of Cool Titles
#1309: Dec 18th 2021 at 6:15:57 AM

[up][up][up] What about something like "over-representation of jewish characters in media due to an relatively unproportional amount of jewish creators in American entertainment industry"? It seems this is what the trope is about, instead of jewish characters simply existing in surprising settings. I'm wanting to avoid the word "over-representation" though, as it can lead to extremely wrong ideas.

Edited by good-morning on Dec 18th 2021 at 2:18:50 PM

oh hey how are you doing?
good-morning Lord Something, Forgetter of Cool Titles from Brazil Since: Nov, 2021
Lord Something, Forgetter of Cool Titles
#1310: Dec 18th 2021 at 6:25:58 AM

I think we can do better in Brain Food. The trope is about brain-eating monsters, but the Laconic says "Brains taste delicious!". Noting serious, but I think this plus the title may make people think the trope is about brains in general being tasty or brain-shaped food instead. What about simply "monsters with a preference to human brains", "brain-eating monsters" or something?

Edited by good-morning on Dec 18th 2021 at 2:26:18 PM

oh hey how are you doing?
TheLivingDrawing Lucas the Dreamer from The Town of Clayton Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Lucas the Dreamer
#1311: Dec 19th 2021 at 10:26:32 PM

Someone changed Anvilicious from

An unsubtle Aesop
(which I wrote) to
An Aesop that is shoved into the audience's collective face with next to no subtlety.
I reverted it with the edit reason that the old Laconic said the exact same thing while being neutral. What do you think?

Edited by TheLivingDrawing on Dec 19th 2021 at 1:26:50 PM

Once Upon A Time.
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#1312: Dec 20th 2021 at 4:23:57 PM

Edit: Ignore my post, I completely misunderstood which one was the original and which was the replacement.

Yes, I think what you did is fine. The edit was very negatively worded, and the laconic you restored is short and to-the-point.

Edited by Wyldchyld on Dec 20th 2021 at 12:29:23 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.
TheLivingDrawing Lucas the Dreamer from The Town of Clayton Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Lucas the Dreamer
#1313: Dec 20th 2021 at 4:56:57 PM

Also I don’t think the trope is strictly negative anymore, since Some Anvils is now gone.

Once Upon A Time.
TheLivingDrawing Lucas the Dreamer from The Town of Clayton Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Lucas the Dreamer
#1314: Dec 21st 2021 at 2:59:14 PM

I changed the Laconic to “An unsubtly delivered Aesop.”

Once Upon A Time.
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#1315: Dec 22nd 2021 at 1:27:38 PM

That works.

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.
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#1316: Dec 25th 2021 at 7:49:50 AM

Laconic.Gravity Is A Harsh Mistress continues the joke of the trope name, but it's not really explanatory.

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
good-morning Lord Something, Forgetter of Cool Titles from Brazil Since: Nov, 2021
Lord Something, Forgetter of Cool Titles
#1317: Dec 25th 2021 at 7:58:44 AM

Yes, that laconic doesn't explain anything the title doesn't already.

oh hey how are you doing?
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#1318: Dec 27th 2021 at 8:01:59 AM

re: Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress: "Characters and objects don't fall right away when they should."

I'd like to append to Laconic.Healing Hands "as a power", because "being able to heal" is what all medics do.

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
Cutegirl920fire Player 222 from the Squid Games (Five Long Years) Relationship Status: Paris holds the key to my heart
Player 222
#1319: Dec 27th 2021 at 8:06:59 AM

Traumatic C-Section's laconic simply states that it's about c-sections played for drama.

While that's kinda true, the trope is about babies being violently or at least crudly taken out their mother's body.

I wanna propose a rewritten one here since I want to make sure it's not too Squicky:

A child is crudly/violently removed from its mother's womb.

Edited by Cutegirl920fire on Dec 27th 2021 at 8:07:35 AM

CG for short
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#1320: Dec 27th 2021 at 6:20:25 PM

Works for me. That's a grim trope.

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.
Malady (X-Troper)
#1321: Dec 27th 2021 at 6:22:52 PM

Crudly or Crudely?

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#1322: Dec 27th 2021 at 6:25:09 PM

Oh, yes. That'll be 'crudely'.

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.
Cutegirl920fire Player 222 from the Squid Games (Five Long Years) Relationship Status: Paris holds the key to my heart
Player 222
#1323: Dec 28th 2021 at 7:19:42 AM

Alrighty, will change the laconic. About the typo tho, I apologize since I'm a complete idiot and always will be.

EDIT: The Living Drawing has already added it.

Edited by Cutegirl920fire on Dec 28th 2021 at 7:20:38 AM

CG for short
good-morning Lord Something, Forgetter of Cool Titles from Brazil Since: Nov, 2021
Lord Something, Forgetter of Cool Titles
#1324: Dec 28th 2021 at 12:02:34 PM

Laconic.Classical Movie Vampire seems to be rather too humor-focused. How about something more objective, akin to Laconic.Looks Like Orlok? My suggestion is "An aristocratic and charismatic vampire with sophisticated dark clothes, Eastern European accent and a flourishing old-fashioned Ominous Opera Cape, inspired by Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Count Dracula in Dracula (1931)."

Edited by good-morning on Dec 28th 2021 at 8:03:37 PM

oh hey how are you doing?

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