History Main / ThingOMeter

* Wiki/RationalWiki's [[http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Irony_meter Irony Meter.]] Irony Meters are often mentioned on {{FSTDT}}, usually in in a ReadingsAreOffTheScale ExplosiveInstrumentation way.

* Perhaps the most pervasive example ever would be the speedometer in your car. Sure, it's not pronounced the same, but...

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* ''{{Ghostbusters}}''. When the team goes after the library ghost Egon Spengler has a meter that reads PKE (Psycho Kinetic Energy) valences, which are apparently given off by ghosts. It's the one that has the "arms" go up when the PKE increases.

* In the ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode featuring ''Angel's Revenge,'' Tom Servo invents a Shame-O-Meter (pronounced "shuh-MAH-meh-ter") to measure the shame the actors in the film are feeling.

** Originally found on [=P3X=]-584 in [[StargateSG1 SG-1]], the device was named as such by Cameron Mitchell, leaving Samantha Carter wishing she had thought of it first.
** Assumably the very same device was used in [[StargateAtlantis Atlantis]] when they were monitoring how near to ascension Dr. Rodney [=McKay=] was during the events of 'The Tao of Rodney'.

* During his reign as {{WWE}} Intercontinental Champion, Santino Marella would rate himself against the longest-reigning IC champ in history, The Honky Tonk Man, using the "Honk-A-Meter".

* How do ''{{Homestuck}}'' trolls know how effective their trolling is? Kanaya uses the "[[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004595 Flighty Broads and Their Snarky Horseshitometer]]" in an exchange with Rose. It ends up exploding (after Rose goes OffTheRails and blows up her gate), because it simply couldn't take that much horseshit.

* On ''{{Futurama}}'' Professor Farnsworth once pulled out a "cool-o-meter" which apparently measured coolness in [[HappyDays MegaFonzies]].

A speedometer measures how fast you go, a radiometer measures the radiant flux of electromagnetic radiation, and the ThingOMeter measures everything else.

[[AC:Advertising]]

* ''[[{{Film/MenInBlack}} Men In Black]]''. Not a literal device, but
--> Jay: This definitely rates about a 9.0 on my weird-shit-o-meter.

* The Summarize Proust Competition on ''MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' uses a graph gauge to determine who can summarize MarcelProust's ''A La Recherhe du Temps Perdu'' best. (No one can, so the prize goes to the girl with the [[FanService biggest tits]].)

* A laugh-o-meter features prominently in a the ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries Batman: The Animated Series]]'' episode "Almost Got 'Im," where Joker rigs one up to an electric chair, straps Batman to it, and lets laughing gas leak into a studio audience.
* The CareBears have, of course, the Caring Meter, which monitors how much caring is going around on Earth.

** Martin once built a device that accurately measured surprise as a school project. People learning what the device did registered "mild surprise". When they found out that Lisa had successfully turned Groundskeeper Willie into a gentleman, it went higher.

* As mentioned in the description, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clap-o-meter Clap-O-Meter]], which was a feature on many game shows in the 60s and 70s. It was supplanted by more accurate forms of audience voting, like keypads.

* British election coverage always features the Swingometer, a needle that is turned from one major party to the other to indicate how many voters have switched their allegiance. Originally a cardboard prop (which was parodied in the election night sketch on ''MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' as spinning crazily around), it has more recently taken the form of CGI.

* How do ''Webcomic{{Homestuck}}'' trolls know how effective their trolling is? Kanaya uses the "[[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004595 Flighty Broads and Their Snarky Horseshitometer]]" in an exchange with Rose. It ends up exploding (after Rose goes OffTheRails and blows up her gate), because it simply couldn't take that much horseshit.

** ''Discworld/MovingPictures'' has the resograph, a device designed by a wizard named [[PunnyName Riktor]] the Tinkerer to measure changes in the fabric of reality. On the Discworld, said fabric is a lot more flexible thanks to [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve the power of belief]] and the TheoryOfNarrativeCausality.

** Assumably the very same device was used in [[StargateAtlantis Atlantis]] when they were monitoring how near to ascension Dr. Rodney McKay was during the events of 'The Tao of Rodney'.

** In another episode, Joel invents the Steve-O-Meter, which measures whether a given idea [[ItsBeenDone has already been thought up by Steve Allen]]. Everything he uses it on has apparently already been done by him. [[MindScrew Including the Steve-O-Meter.]]

** In another episode, Joel invents the Steve-O-Meter, which measures whether a given idea [[ItsBeenDone has already been thought up by Steve Allen]].

* WebOriginal/RationalWiki's [[http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Irony_meter Irony Meter.]] Irony Meters are often mentioned on {{FSTDT}}, usually in in a ReadingsAreOffTheScale ExplosiveInstrumentation way.

* RationalWiki's [[http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Irony_meter Irony Meter.]] Irony Meters are often mentioned on {{FSTDT}}, usually in in a ReadingsAreOffTheScale ExplosiveInstrumentation way.

* On an episode of ''ImSorryIHaventAClue'', the round of MorningtonCrescent ended with Humph announcing "According to our clapometer, Tim is the winner". Barry Cryer then added "Report to the clinic immediately".

* An Ascendometer is a self-contained, portable unit from the ''Stargateverse'' used to analyze neural activity in the brain. This allows people to judge how close to ascension someone is.
** Originally found on P3X-584 in [[StargateSG-1 SG1]], the device was named as such by Cameron Mitchell, leaving Samantha Carter wishing she had thought of it first.

Not to be confused with any of the meters used in games (like KarmaMeter). Compare TropeOMatic, TheLittleDetecto, EverythingSensor and TwentyPercentMoreAwesome.

* ''StargateAtlantis'' has a device nicknamed the "ascendometer".

* ''{{Discworld}}'''s thaumometer, which measures a magical field in "thaums". Mind you, this is just a perfectly sensible piece of equipment for a wizard on a world run by magic.

* ''{{Homestuck}}'' had the "Flighty Broads and Their Snarky Horseshitometer" in an exchange involving Rose and Kanaya. It too ends up exploding (after Rose goes OffTheRails and blows up her gate), because it simply couldn't take that much horseshit.

* A laugh-o-meter features prominently in a the ''Batman: The Animated Series'' episode "Almost Got 'Im," where Joker rigs one up to an electric chair, straps Batman to it, and lets laughing gas leak into a studio audience.

* ''TheSimpsons'': Professor Frink's Sarcasm Detector.

** Also from ''TheSimpsons'', in the "[[ShowWithinAShow spinoff]]" ''The Lovematic Grandpa'', wherein Grandpa Simpson dies and is reincarnated as a love testing machine at Moe's.

Not to be confused with any of the meters used in games (like KarmaMeter). Compare TropeOMatic, TheLittleDetecto, EverythingSensor.

* ''{{Homestuck}}'' had the "Flighty Broads and Their Snarky Horseshitometer" in an exchange involving Rose and Kanaya. It too ends up exploding, because it simply couldn't take that much horseshit.

* ''{{Homestuck}}'' had its "Flighty Broads and Their Snarky [=HorseshitOMeter=]". It too ends up exploding.

* British election coverage always features the Swingometer, a needle that is turned from one major party to the other to indicate how many voters have switched their allegiance. Originally a cardboard prop (which was parodied in MontyPython's election night sketch as spinning crazily around), it has more recently taken the form of CGI.
** The Summarize Proust Competition used a graph gauge to determine who could summarize Marcel Proust's ''A La Recherhe du Temps Perdu'' best. (No one could, so the prize went to the girl with the [[FanService biggest tits]].)

* In the ''{{MST3K}}'' episode featuring ''Angel's Revenge,'' Tom Servo invents a Shame-O-Meter (pronounced "shuh-MAH-meh-ter") to measure the shame the actors in the film are feeling.

Though popularized by game shows and the like, this trope is [[OlderThanRadio]] at the very least: William Hogarth's 1727 satirical engraving ''Masquerade Ticket'' features "a pair of lecherometers, showing the company's inclinations as they approach 'em."