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Have an idea for a new trope, but don't know for sure if it's a good idea? Did Trope Finder give you similar concepts, but not exactly what you wanted? Are you just looking for a focus to a broader idea?

You've come to the right place!

On this thread, you can share your ideas with the masses before making that TLP draft, so if there's any lingering uncertainty about the validity of your idea or you just want some help pinning down a good idea, ask away and help others out, too!

A related sandbox I need to pitch is the Trope Idea Salvage Yard. If you've an idea but can't personally work on it, you can add it to the yard and let someone else create the draft. Or you can browse it yourself if you need more draft ideas, whether or not you feel they should be mentioned here first.

Got ideas for non-trope pages you need help with? Never fear, the New Page Workshop Thread is here!

With that out of the way: Let's discuss some ideas.

Edited by MacronNotes on Feb 27th 2022 at 1:49:11 PM

ilovewildkratts1 Local Odd Squad Connoisseur from a nice breezy expansive meadow (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Local Odd Squad Connoisseur
#8051: Feb 15th 2024 at 6:01:30 AM

Wondering if there's merit for a trope similar to Godiva Hair, but for when a character's knee or leg covers their privates, like when they lay down on the ground.

Often seen in anime as a way to show that a character is going commando, but I don't know if the concept extends to other mediums. I can't think of any examples outside of anime works.

Wuewuewuewuewueing my way to the bank.
deerhornsaresopretty Since: Jun, 2023
#8052: Feb 15th 2024 at 6:47:02 AM

Is my Lions Represent Africa idea tropeworthy or not?

IronAnimation Since: Jan, 2012
#8053: Feb 15th 2024 at 6:48:32 AM

I'm personally skeptical of it, but it's worth a shot at TLP I think. Do we have other tropes of animals representing cultures? That would probably help sell it.

I think part of my iffy-ness is that I think a lot of animals are associated with Africa besides just lions. "African Shorthand" or "standard regional animal" might be a more general concept.

Edited by IronAnimation on Feb 15th 2024 at 7:07:57 AM

Malady (X-Troper)
#8054: Feb 15th 2024 at 7:42:14 AM

[up][up][up] - Hand-or-Object Underwear?

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
jandn2014 SMILE! from somewhere in Connecticut Since: Aug, 2017 Relationship Status: Hiding
SMILE!
#8055: Feb 15th 2024 at 8:25:38 AM

[up][up] We have National Animal Stereotypes and several subtropes, though I do agree that Africa has a variety of animals associated with it beyond just lions (elephants, hyenas, warthogs, etc.) so just “lions represent Africa” may be a bit flimsy. And we have King of Beasts for when lions are represented as rulers.

deerhornsaresopretty Since: Jun, 2023
#8056: Feb 16th 2024 at 10:22:36 AM

I was inspired by Kangaroos Represent Australia to make Lions Represent Africa.

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)
#8057: Feb 16th 2024 at 10:34:01 AM

There's logic there, but yeah Africa has so many other animals that come to mind, moreso than Australia where the Kangaroo does tend to be the most famous (outside of I guess the Koala). Besides that, your examples don't necessarily seem to say "lions are used as a symbol for Africa", moreso than they say that people in Africa like lions or keep them as pets or something. The last one incorporates another animal, and the mythology one is a specific tribe, not the entire continent (it'd be like using the myth of Romulus and Remus to say that wolves represent all of Europe).

Edited by WarJay77 on Feb 16th 2024 at 1:34:23 PM

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
deerhornsaresopretty Since: Jun, 2023
#8058: Feb 16th 2024 at 10:37:11 AM

The Kangaroos Represent Australia trope does have some koala examples. Can my trope also be expanded to include elephants, then?

Personally I associate elephants with India, but I guess it's different for everyone.

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)
#8059: Feb 16th 2024 at 10:40:36 AM

I mean, I don't think Koalas should be under the Kangaroo trope. That sounds like misuse, unless it's just a terrible title. Allowing your trope to include elephants then raises questions like... what about gorillas, or giraffes, or gazelles, or rhinos, or hippos, or hyenas, or...

Point is, Africa is associated with many, many animals because of the savannah and jungle. Personally if I think of Africa I tend to think more of grazing giraffes and gazelles over lions, possibly because I think lions have transcended into a much more commonly used animal in pop-culture. (And don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore lions.)

Edited by WarJay77 on Feb 16th 2024 at 1:42:02 PM

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#8060: Feb 16th 2024 at 11:18:05 AM

Though there may be something about how showing the wildlife is a standard way of establishing you're in Africa - sort of a visual version of Regional Riff.

deerhornsaresopretty Since: Jun, 2023
#8061: Feb 16th 2024 at 11:36:35 AM

Is Exotic African Animals a trope then?

IronAnimation Since: Jan, 2012
#8062: Feb 16th 2024 at 11:58:19 AM

Maybe "Safari Zoo Africa" if the idea is that africa is understood as just a bunch of wild exotic animals.

ilovewildkratts1 Local Odd Squad Connoisseur from a nice breezy expansive meadow (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Local Odd Squad Connoisseur
#8063: Feb 16th 2024 at 12:21:41 PM

[up] x9: I'd say Tropes Are Flexible enough to where knees and legs can also be used to cover up, yeah.

Wuewuewuewuewueing my way to the bank.
deerhornsaresopretty Since: Jun, 2023
#8064: Feb 16th 2024 at 12:55:21 PM

Okay, I'll keep that in mind.

Another trope draft I was unsure about publishing was this:


  • Trope Name: Rejected Roses (better name?).
  • Laconic: A common situation in rom coms where a guy presents a girl with flowers, but the girl doesn't reciprocate so she destroys them (often over the guy's head)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sfs.png
Bob just loves Alice, and because he loves her so much, he's prepared some delicate flowers to give to her! Look over there, here comes Alice! It's time for Bob to go up to her, give her the flowers and-

WHAM!

Uh oh. Looks like Alice doesn't reciprocate Bob's feelings! And even worse, it turns out that she views Bob as an Abhorrent Admirer. Bob may or may not get the hint - he'll either come back strong and try again, or cut his losses and accept she doesn't like him.

This often Played for Laughs and the rejected person is Always Male. In some cases, the girl rejecting him is a tsundere who did so to show how much she totally doesn't like him (while secretly hoping he tries harder), or just a plain jerk. If done regularly, this can fall into an Overly Long Gag.

Very, very common in Western Animation where "Bob" is often portrayed as a Butt-Monkey.

Sister Trope to Ill-Fated Flowerbed.

The flowers don't necessary have to be roses - the name was chosen for alliterative reasons.

Examples

    open/close all folders 
    Advertising 
  • A commercial back from The '90s (when rollerblades were the Next Big Thing) shows a woman reading a letter from her boyfriend, explaining that while he wishes to visit her, her sidewalk is to steep so he can't. The scene cuts to the woman throwing out the bouquet of flowers he had delivered. Her boyfriend suddenly glides by in rollerblades, screaming her name. Then four other men, all holding bouquets and wearing rollerblades with advanced braking technology, stop right in front of her house. So, remember to buy their rollerblades, or your supermodel girlfriend might dump you.

    Anime & Manga 
  • Isabelle of Paris: Jean has a ritual of "daily marriage proposals" where he asks for Isabelle's hand in marriage, even though she's made it clear she doesn't like him. When Jean proposes to her with a bouqet of flowers right before they leave for Versailles, Isabelle throws them back in his face and kicks him out, yelling:
    You're ten years too young to be hitting on me!
  • Lady!! has a platonic example with Lynn and Sarah Russell. When Lynn shows up to the Marble Mansion for the first time, Sarah refuses to acknowledge her as her little sister. Lynn decides to earn Sarah's friendship by surprising her with some flowers and spends the day in the Russell's garden picking out the prettiest ones. When she gives them to Sarah, Sarah, who at this point is angry that Lynn won't take the hint, smacks them away and causes them to burst all over room. Lynn is so hurt she runs away crying, while Sarah tries to hide her own shame. When Arthur retrieves a fainted Lynn, Lynn once again presents Sarah with the flowers she picked. This time, Sarah accepts.
    Fan Works 
  • A variant in My Immortal. Hargrid gives Ebony a bouquet of flowers that enrages her, since they are pink. Seeing her displeasure, Hargrid then casts a spell (by singing My Chemical Romance lyrics combined with broken Latin) to turn the roses into balls of black fire.
    Live - Action Series 
  • A Running Gag in Sadakatsiz is Volkan trying to win Asya back by giving her a bouqet of white roses. She always throws them in the trash.

Tropeworthy or not?

Edited by deerhornsaresopretty on Feb 17th 2024 at 8:36:01 AM

IronAnimation Since: Jan, 2012
#8065: Feb 16th 2024 at 2:35:12 PM

Sounds tropeworthy if we can find more examples.

Although it kinda seems like a subversion of a different trope of being gifted flowers as an apology. That would probably be easier to collect examples for if we don't already have that.

Edited by IronAnimation on Feb 16th 2024 at 2:35:50 AM

Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Enid Sinclair
#8066: Feb 16th 2024 at 3:32:49 PM

Okay I have an idea for a trope that I am unsure of. Adaptational Friendship. When an adaptational make people who don't interact or are enemies in the original close friends. Would that be worth trying or is that already covered somewhere else.

Edited by Bullman on Feb 16th 2024 at 5:33:43 AM

Fan-Preferred Couple cleanup thread
jandn2014 SMILE! from somewhere in Connecticut Since: Aug, 2017 Relationship Status: Hiding
SMILE!
#8067: Feb 16th 2024 at 3:49:03 PM

We already have Adaptation Relationship Overhaul, but it may be worth splitting off.

Siliwatson12 Since: Jan, 2019 Relationship Status: Abstaining
#8068: Feb 17th 2024 at 12:13:10 AM

I'm surprised there isn't a trope about picking up a seashell that happens to have a hermit crab in it.

Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#8070: Feb 17th 2024 at 2:40:29 AM

Agent of Chaos: A character who opposes laws and social norms conceptually.

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
deerhornsaresopretty Since: Jun, 2023
#8071: Feb 17th 2024 at 7:32:27 AM

@Iron Animation, should I post my Break the Bouqet draft in the TLP so I can get more examples or not?

IronAnimation Since: Jan, 2012
#8072: Feb 17th 2024 at 8:12:25 AM

I mean, it doesn't have a 3rd example. What I suggested was that "being gifted apology flowers" might be a more broad way to approach the concept.

Edited by IronAnimation on Feb 17th 2024 at 8:13:42 AM

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)
#8073: Feb 17th 2024 at 8:15:22 AM

We also have a trope somewhere, perhaps not launched yet, for spiteful destroy gifts.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
deerhornsaresopretty Since: Jun, 2023
#8074: Feb 17th 2024 at 8:23:34 AM

I'm not sure where "apology" comes into this since my OG draft didn't mention it. I mean, I can weave it under my draft, but I wouldn't call it the focus.

Edited by deerhornsaresopretty on Feb 17th 2024 at 8:23:52 AM


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