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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

Unicorndance Logic Girl from Thames, N.Z. Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Logic Girl
#1426: Mar 6th 2022 at 11:01:43 PM

Laconic.I Wished You Were Dead is "And now you are and I feel terrible."

I want to change it to "A character wishes something terrible (usually death) on another but regrets it when it actually happens", but I'm worried that I'm being a killjoy because my version is more... I don't know. Dry? Clinical?

For every low there is a high.
mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#1427: Mar 7th 2022 at 2:35:37 PM

Laconic.Older Than The Demographic is overly narrow, referring to preschool shows with older main characters when it isn't restricted to preschool shows.

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
jandn2014 SMILE! from somewhere in Connecticut Since: Aug, 2017 Relationship Status: Hiding
SMILE!
#1428: Mar 7th 2022 at 2:41:42 PM

How about this?

The protagonist of a work is older than its target audience.

Edited by jandn2014 on Mar 7th 2022 at 5:42:02 AM

mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#1429: Mar 7th 2022 at 2:52:37 PM

[up][tup] Straightforward and to the point.

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
spyland2 Since: Jun, 2021
#1430: Mar 8th 2022 at 8:52:35 AM

So the laconic description for House of Cards (US) reads "Richard III meets The West Wing and The Sopranos". Since that would require knowing about the works in question, why not something like this "A Corrupt Politician does whatever he can to become the President of the United States."

Wafer Troy Verde from the Banjo-Tooie world, meditating (Life not ruined yet) Relationship Status: Non-Canon
Troy Verde
#1432: Mar 8th 2022 at 11:54:17 AM

Laconic.My Fair Lady: Pygmalion: The Musical.

Laconic.Shes All That: My Fair Lady in a high school. Or, the film that sent everything to Hell for Miramax.

Pygmalion doesn't have a laconic, so I know even less about what these are talking about.

Guys how cool would it be if Super Megaforce had a green ranger...
spyland2 Since: Jun, 2021
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#1434: Mar 8th 2022 at 10:00:53 PM

Laconic.Go Go Loser Ranger is a near All-Blue Entry that relies on The Boys (2019).

How does this sound out of context?

A shapeshifting Mook infiltrates the rangers's recruitment center, who have secretly already killed their masters and are running a weekly Monster Protection Racket.

Edited by Amonimus on Mar 9th 2022 at 1:15:05 PM

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#1435: Mar 9th 2022 at 7:54:18 AM

Laconic.Midsommar is a rather textbook lazy X Meets Y entry. How does this sound? "A few Americans take part in a once-in-a-lifetime Swedish festival… which happens to be run by a cult."

Edited by Weirdguy149 on Mar 9th 2022 at 10:54:44 AM

The legend has returned.
MyFinalEdits Delete message from Parts Unknown (Spin-off Series) Relationship Status: Cast away
Delete message
#1436: Mar 9th 2022 at 8:02:03 AM

I support the suggestion.

135 -> 180 -> 273 -> 191 -> 188 -> 230 -> 300 -> 311
Wafer Troy Verde from the Banjo-Tooie world, meditating (Life not ruined yet) Relationship Status: Non-Canon
Troy Verde
#1437: Mar 10th 2022 at 12:59:36 PM

Bumping. Is anyone going to do anything with the bad laconics at [up]x5?

Guys how cool would it be if Super Megaforce had a green ranger...
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#1438: Mar 10th 2022 at 1:01:15 PM

If nobody have seen the works, it's unlikely. I can suggest summarizing the summary though.

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
Wafer Troy Verde from the Banjo-Tooie world, meditating (Life not ruined yet) Relationship Status: Non-Canon
Troy Verde
#1439: Mar 10th 2022 at 1:04:10 PM

I haven't seen any of them so unfortunately I can't help with that. All I know is that these need fixing because I don't know what any of these are talking about.

Guys how cool would it be if Super Megaforce had a green ranger...
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#1440: Mar 13th 2022 at 12:38:49 PM

I've seen them both, although many years ago. Here's an attempt:

Laconic.My Fair Lady:

Based on Pygmalion, a feisty Cockney flower girl seeks elocution lessons with a misogynistic phonetician, leading to a wager with his best friend that he can transform her into a proper lady in time for the Embassy Ball, six months away.

Laconic.Shes All That:

Based on both Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, a newly single high school jock bets his best friend that he can transform any girl into the Prom Queen within six weeks, even if she's the most awkward and unpopular girl in school.

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"
#1441: Mar 13th 2022 at 2:32:34 PM

Laconic.Master Computer: "A powerful supercomputer."

How much powerful? How much super? Isn't it "One computer with control over the entire facility. Typically sentient."

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
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
#1442: Mar 13th 2022 at 5:08:56 PM

[up] Change “sentient” to “self-aware” and its good to go.

Once Upon A Time.
Malady (X-Troper)
#1443: Mar 13th 2022 at 5:26:05 PM

[up][up][up] - Seems long? Maybe cut transition words like "leading" and say "bet" instead of "wager"? For fewer syllables?

Edited by Malady on Mar 13th 2022 at 5:27:03 AM

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
Adept (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#1444: Mar 13th 2022 at 10:11:56 PM

The laconic for Malevolent Mutilation is wrong, since most examples are definitely not voluntary:

When someone agrees to have a body modification. No, not the "piercing the ear" kind.

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
#1445: Mar 14th 2022 at 9:51:05 AM

This Laconic for Why Waste a Wedding? is so vague I have no idea what its supposed to mean.

No wedding? No problem!

Once Upon A Time.
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
#1446: Mar 14th 2022 at 10:07:14 AM

*looks at who made it* Oh, that name again.

Uhhh how about "The original couple isn't getting married, but the wedding is still gonna happen without them" as a starting point.

Suddenly I'm... still rotating Fallen London in my mind even though I've stopped actively playing it.
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
#1447: Mar 14th 2022 at 11:34:14 AM

[up] What did they do?

Once Upon A Time.
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
#1448: Mar 14th 2022 at 11:48:43 AM

Long history of miscellaneous not-super-great editing, ended up getting banned over it.

Suddenly I'm... still rotating Fallen London in my mind even though I've stopped actively playing it.
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
#1449: Mar 15th 2022 at 7:12:32 AM

Both captions for The Handmaid's Tale are terrible.

Nineteen Eighty-Four: Feminist Edition.

The Hunger Games, but with rape.

Once Upon A Time.
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#1450: Mar 15th 2022 at 7:44:08 AM

[up] I don't know the book but from the description I take: "A Breeding Slave's struggle in a theocratic No Woman's Land America."

Laconic.Codename Kids Next Door doesn't narrow down what the cartoon is about. I raise "An international spy organization for kids fights teenage and adult supervillains".

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup

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