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(NOTE: Keep it civil, try not to get into any Flame Bait-y territory.)

One thing I've noticed is that for all how the page for They Might Be Giants claims them to be the unofficial official band of this wiki, there's relatively few people on this site who seem to ever reference them.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Oct 13th 2024 at 12:59:03 PM

ReginaldOgron5 Est Ut Squimplex Ut from Two blocks down from the Undead Burg Since: Mar, 2022 Relationship Status: I want you to want me
Est Ut Squimplex Ut
#23301: Jun 12th 2025 at 6:22:42 PM

[up] It basically existed before, just as The Blacksmith (one of those tropes that got split up because people kept slapping it onto any blacksmith character ever).

Edited by ReginaldOgron5 on Jun 12th 2025 at 6:23:11 AM

Wenn sie die Ente hierein lassen, lasse ich das Wasser hieraus!
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)
#23302: Jun 12th 2025 at 6:50:42 PM

I know. But I very much do not count the existence of The Blacksmith for Burly Blacksmith because the other was so broad. It's basically a different trope entirely as far as I care

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
BackSet1 I <3 Zinnia from I'm sure you'd love to know that, wouldn't you? (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
I <3 Zinnia
#23303: Jun 12th 2025 at 9:22:16 PM

Remember when Just for Fun pages could have moment pages? That was fun.

Read Pokemon Ultimate Emerald
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)
#23304: Jun 12th 2025 at 9:23:04 PM

I don't know if they ever could rule-wise, but I know what you mean.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
loserswithwifi (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#23305: Jun 13th 2025 at 2:34:24 AM

Re 23298; seeing if people like the image before getting permission seems like a good plan to me.

TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit The clown of STEEL from Ichnusa Since: Mar, 2024
The clown of STEEL
#23306: Jun 13th 2025 at 7:39:37 AM

Apparently there was a time where tropes — at least ones about specific character types — were given "esoteric" names?

I'm talking about Slimeball, The Imp, and Pet Rat: their names do have some logic, and aren't just references to specific work which casual users wouldn't recognize, like older tropes used, but I wouldn't call them straightforward names either.

Oo oo ah ah
BackSet1 I <3 Zinnia from I'm sure you'd love to know that, wouldn't you? (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
I <3 Zinnia
#23307: Jun 13th 2025 at 11:28:37 AM

Slimeball, at least, is common enough slang that its probably easily recognized by most people.

Read Pokemon Ultimate Emerald
themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#23308: Jun 13th 2025 at 11:52:33 AM

I use slimeball in my own vernacular sometimes. It is definitely not esoteric.

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
BackSet1 I <3 Zinnia from I'm sure you'd love to know that, wouldn't you? (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
I <3 Zinnia
#23309: Jun 13th 2025 at 1:14:25 PM

Relatedly, the Imp should probably get a new image since it requires the caption for you to actually understand it (without the caption one might think Jabba the Hutt was an example, since he is the focus of the image and much larger than the monkey lizard).

Read Pokemon Ultimate Emerald
Bluethorn CHOMPION from Partash Since: Jan, 2018 Relationship Status: Star-crossed
CHOMPION
#23310: Jun 13th 2025 at 2:16:03 PM

Not really sure how these names are esoteric? Slimeball and imp are actual words you can find in a dictionary.

Tbh I never really hated his minigames in the original, but they did make them better in the remake.
TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit The clown of STEEL from Ichnusa Since: Mar, 2024
The clown of STEEL
#23311: Jun 13th 2025 at 2:55:58 PM

It's the choice of these words as trope names that I called esoteric, not the words themselves.

Sure, if I called a small, weak villain an imp, everybody would understand what I mean; but actually using "The Imp" for the trope's name, that I find curious. Especially nowadays, when tropes go the Clear, Concise, Witty route.

I can only think of one of these tropes that had to be renamed, and that's The Ogre, also-known-as Smash Mook.

Oo oo ah ah
BackSet1 I <3 Zinnia from I'm sure you'd love to know that, wouldn't you? (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
I <3 Zinnia
#23312: Jun 13th 2025 at 3:21:32 PM

Imp could be easily confused with literal imps, I'll give you that one.

Read Pokemon Ultimate Emerald
themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#23313: Jun 13th 2025 at 3:31:23 PM

Prehistoric TV Tropes had like no standards for names. Super Grape was the most ridiculous, but there were other obtuse ones like The Niles too.

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
Ultimatum Disasturbator from The Wiggle Room (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#23314: Jun 13th 2025 at 3:45:32 PM

Replacement Flat Character's image is a terrible example of the trope and im familiar with the show

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
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)
#23315: Jun 13th 2025 at 4:04:47 PM

Then make your case in IP

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Ultimatum Disasturbator from The Wiggle Room (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#23316: Jun 13th 2025 at 4:06:42 PM

gladly,but I don't have a replacement image on hand aaand image pickin's full right now

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
NitroIndigo ♀ | Small ripples lead to big waves from West Midlands region, England Since: Jun, 2021 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
♀ | Small ripples lead to big waves
#23317: Jun 13th 2025 at 9:55:21 PM

I was just reminded of the glitch where backslashes disappear from TLP drafts.

Eisner 🏳‍⚧she/they pronouns please🏳‍⚧ from the Deepsea Metro (Private) Relationship Status: Chat, is this real?
🏳‍⚧she/they pronouns please🏳‍⚧
#23318: Jun 13th 2025 at 10:26:57 PM

[up]for some reason, when i hit the "View Markup" button on any post, a similar issue occurs where only one backslash appears if i want to do a quick line break

it's weird =P

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GastonRabbit C'est la vie. (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
C'est la vie. (he/him)
#23319: Jun 14th 2025 at 7:34:24 AM

Prehistoric TV Tropes had like no standards for names. Super Grape was the most ridiculous, but there were other obtuse ones like The Niles too.

I've lost track of how many times Super Grape has come up in this thread, at least since I started posting in it. I feel at this point, that So Bad, It's Good trope name is more legendary than any of the Tropes of Legend due to how hilariously non-indicative it was.

I got a rock for Halloween.
TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit The clown of STEEL from Ichnusa Since: Mar, 2024
The clown of STEEL
#23320: Jun 14th 2025 at 8:10:43 AM

What even was "Super Grape"? Clicking on the red link gives no cut reason, almost as if the trope never existed. Was it lost in an archive crash or something?

Oo oo ah ah
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
ReginaldOgron5 Est Ut Squimplex Ut from Two blocks down from the Undead Burg Since: Mar, 2022 Relationship Status: I want you to want me
Est Ut Squimplex Ut
#23322: Jun 14th 2025 at 8:18:03 AM

[up][up] It was the old name for Ascended Extra. According to Renamed Tropes, it was supposed to be, like, a single grape out of a bunch that...became...more prominent...?

Speaking of renamed tropes, what was it with early TV Tropes and making really, really obscure MST3K in-jokes the names of tropes (to the point that even fans of the show would be hard-pressed to figure out what it's talking about)?

Edited by ReginaldOgron5 on Jun 14th 2025 at 8:18:11 AM

Wenn sie die Ente hierein lassen, lasse ich das Wasser hieraus!
Malady (X-Troper)
#23323: Jun 14th 2025 at 8:54:05 AM

Names were First Come, First Served? There wasn't TLP, anyone could make any page in any namespace?

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
Coachpill Taxidermy (he/him) from Gen Z Since: Aug, 2022 Relationship Status: Baby don't hurt me!
Taxidermy (he/him)
#23324: Jun 14th 2025 at 9:06:20 AM

I actually think Fat Monica, which was apparently the old name for Unintentionally Unsympathetic, might outdo Super Grape in terms of the most utterly bizarre and unintuitive trope name. It's one of the few cases where not knowing the reference and knowing the reference leaves you in the exact same boat of confusion, because the trope seemed to start off as one troper's complaint about how Monica from Friends was the source of gags about her being Formerly Fat that failed to land due to her being an unrealistic and thus unrelatable stereotype. SG at least only has about three different hoops of logic to jump through; FM has like six or sevennote .

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Mildude A Member of the Midnight Crew from the you-know-what Since: Sep, 2021 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
A Member of the Midnight Crew
#23325: Jun 14th 2025 at 9:26:42 AM

That reminds me: What in the world was Penis And Vagina Shipping, besides being an apparent troll page?

Déjà vu, tell you what I'm gonna do, when they reminisce over you, my God

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