TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Hey, guys, guess what this means?: The Worm Guy

Go To

Lullabee Chuft-Captain (Searching for Spock) Relationship Status: Halfway to Pon Farr
Chuft-Captain
#1: Oct 16th 2010 at 12:39:44 PM

I'm always mixing The Worm Guy up with The Worm That Walks. And I bet you can't guess what The Worm Guy is about, at all, from the title. Apparently, it's more or less a Cunning Linguist, except one who's useful for his expertise in one of the natural sciences. Worms are nowhere near a necessary component...

I guess we could rename it Unwilling Scientific Consultant... if you want to be a bit dry and longwinded about it.

Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
I see the Awesomeness.
#2: Oct 16th 2010 at 1:01:27 PM

We've already got this discussion somewhere.

Fight smart, not fair.
Lullabee Chuft-Captain (Searching for Spock) Relationship Status: Halfway to Pon Farr
Chuft-Captain
#3: Oct 16th 2010 at 1:05:07 PM

Oops. You know, I really did look for it, and I couldn't find it anywhere.

Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
I see the Awesomeness.
#4: Oct 16th 2010 at 1:38:38 PM

'sokay. Lock please.

Fight smart, not fair.
Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#5: Oct 16th 2010 at 2:08:38 PM

It's here. Take a look at that thread, but I'm going to leave this one open because the old one doesn't place the discussion tag, and the old mark-up doesn't work anymore.

In fact, I'm going to lock the old one.

edited 16th Oct '10 2:09:23 PM by Madrugada

Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
Meophist from Toronto, Canada Since: May, 2010
#7: Oct 16th 2010 at 2:32:29 PM

"And I bet you can't guess what The Worm Guy is about, at all, from the title."

I did, actually, but bad name.

Helpful Scripts and Stylesheets here.
Prfnoff Since: Jan, 2001
#8: Oct 16th 2010 at 6:15:07 PM

I suggest Taken Out Of Their Field. (It's probably not good to name a character trope after a less memorable part of a commonly reviled movie.)

HappyMaskMan Rock Solid! Since: Aug, 2009
Rock Solid!
#10: Oct 16th 2010 at 7:35:53 PM

I feel like this is related to Call to Adventure. Maybe Call To Science?

nonpalindromic Since: Dec, 1969
#11: Dec 31st 2010 at 7:24:45 PM

How about Dragooned Scientist? The phrase seems to fit.

Regarding Call to Adventure and Call To Science mentioned above, that sounds like a term that would be more appropriate for cases where the person being "called" is the main or viewpoint character as a narrative device for kicking off a story, but seems less appropriate for a character that's not at the center of the narrative.

edited 31st Dec '10 7:28:42 PM by nonpalindromic

Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
I see the Awesomeness.
#13: Dec 31st 2010 at 10:11:23 PM

What does dragooned in this instance mean? Is there an aspect I'm not getting?

Fight smart, not fair.
Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#14: Dec 31st 2010 at 10:30:20 PM

The verb definition #2, specifically "to compel by threats, coerce":

tr.v. dra·gooned, dra·goon·ing, dra·goons
1. To subjugate or persecute by the imposition of troops.
2. To compel by violent measures or threats; coerce.

Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
I see the Awesomeness.
#15: Dec 31st 2010 at 10:38:23 PM

Ah, I was misremembering the trope. I was thinking "a scientist from a barely related field brought in" because of the example.

Fight smart, not fair.
Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#16: Jan 1st 2011 at 1:11:11 AM

I've never heard the word dragooned used like this, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt since that's just me.

However, based on the definition given, it doesn't seem quite appropriate. These aren't just scientists being coerced by force, they're scientists being coerced by force to work with the coercer for some plan (as opposed to just being coerced to stop their research or keep quiet or whatever). It's much more specific. I think something like Drafted Scientist would be much more appropriate.

edited 2nd Jan '11 4:24:52 AM by Clarste

shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#17: Jan 1st 2011 at 11:07:31 AM

I like Dragooned better than Drafted. Drafted implies a pool that they can use. Most of the time with this trope there is only one person with the skills they need.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
nonpalindromic Since: Dec, 1969
#18: Jan 2nd 2011 at 4:01:26 AM

Now that you mention it, "Drafted" sounds like a nice alternative to "Dragooned", particularly since it's more common and more immediately recognizable, while capturing the general idea.

Also, I was thinking that it might be appropriate to use "Specialist" rather than "Scientist", (i.e. "Drafted Specialist" or "Dragooned Specialist") since there are a number of technical workers who might get pulled in this way who are not specifically scientists. Hackers or other computer specialists, as is the case in movies like "Swordfish" or "Sneakers", for example.

Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
troacctid (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#20: Jan 2nd 2011 at 2:53:06 PM

How about "Shanghaied"? Too strong?

Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
I see the Awesomeness.
#21: Jan 2nd 2011 at 3:12:37 PM

Without getting into any connotations, I'm still going to favor Drafterd over Shanghaied due to being easier to spell.

Fight smart, not fair.
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#22: Jan 2nd 2011 at 3:17:07 PM

Amusingly Drafted was the one you misspelled there. That said, Drafted just sounds like the wrong word. You draft from a pool. It obfuscates the very important bit of the trope that the reason that they pulled this person in is because they're the only one who can do the job. There isn't a pool. That's why they forced this specific specialist to help them.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
I see the Awesomeness.
#23: Jan 2nd 2011 at 3:21:30 PM

Hijacked then. Co-opted, coerced, conscripted. I should go to an online thesaurus or something.

Fight smart, not fair.
nonpalindromic Since: Dec, 1969
#24: Jan 2nd 2011 at 11:21:54 PM

The point about "drafted" is well taken, it does cloud the intended meaning of the trope.

I like the sound of "Conscripted Specialist", as it emphasizes the specific intent of appropriating the particular individual to render a particular service, as opposed to simply kidnapping someone to simply confine them because they witnessed a crime or something.


Total posts: 58
Top