History Main / TwoOutOfThreeAintBad

[[folder: Advertising ]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Fan Works ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Music ]]

[[folder: Radio ]]

[[folder: Sports ]]

[[folder: Web Animation ]]

%%[[folder: Webcomics ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* A ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' episode had Jon complaining about food prices. Garfield stated Jon would rant about how life at farm used to be cheaper because his family cultivated their own food there. Jon proved him right. Garfield then said Jon would suggest growing their own food in their yard and Jon (again) proved him right. Garfield stated Jon would then forget it all. One GilliganCut later revealed them working at the yard and Garfield stating two out of three wasn't bad.

[[folder: Other ]]

* In the 2007-08 UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague season, the New England Patriots became the first team to attain a perfect 16-0 regular season record, securing the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs in which they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round and the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship, before finally being defeated by the New York Giants at UsefulNotes/SuperBowl XLII, thus being denied a completely perfect NFL season.

[[folder: Sport ]]

* A community college course list once had an English course called "Writing For Fun And Profit ... Or One Out Of Two Isn't Bad".

->''During World War III, we were able to save Russia and China, but we couldn't save the United States. Oh well, two out of three ain't bad!''

Also, usually the one that went wrong was the most important one, e.g. "Well, he's got SuperToughness all right, and he [[{{Determinator}} doesn't give up]], but the [[AxeCrazy controllable part...]] well, Two Out Of Three Aint Bad."

# This is TVTropes Millionth Trope! Congratulations! You've won [[EleventyZillion one gazillion]] dollars!

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Bolin guesses that his captor, Ghazan, was raised by an older sister, started growing his BadassMustache at ten, and has an [[MinionShipping unspoken attraction to his partner-in-crime Ming-Hua]]. Ghazan replies with this trope, though he doesn't state ''which'' two are correct.

* ''Film/MarsAttacks'': Shortly after Congress is blown up, the President (played by JackNicholson) reminds the American people that "we still got two outta three branches of the government workin' for us, and that ain't bad."

->''I want you,''

->'''Cause two out of three ain't bad.''
-->-'''MeatLoaf''', ''Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad''

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

%%* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' has Helix saying [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00137.htm this]].

[[/folder]]

[[AC:{{Advertising}}]]

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* Played with in the English dub of ''Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico'', when Ryoko reports that two members of her [[AmazonBrigade three-woman squad]] are accounted for, and even says the line. She is immediately countered by the missing Izumi (who ended up in the giant toolbox Ryoko was towing), who chimes in: "It is if you're the ''third!''"

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:FanWorks]]
* Played for drama in ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji''. When Asuka fights the nine [[EldritchAbomination MP-Evas]] she kills eight. While [[spoiler:she dies at the hands of the ninth,]] she thinks that “eight out of nine isn’t so bad.”
-->Eight out of nine… that's not bad…

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* In ''Series/TheGeorgeLopezShow'', this is used when George finds out that Benny lied to him, and his dad is actually alive.

[[AC:{{Music}}]]

[[AC:{{Radio}}]]

[[AC: Sport]]

[[AC:WebAnimation]]

%%[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]

[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]

[[AC:Other]]

* In ''TheGeorgeLopezShow'', this is used when George finds out that Benny lied to him, and his dad is actually alive.

* In the ''GilligansIsland'' episode "The Hunter", the Castaways are trying to reassure themselves that Gilligan will escape from the [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame eponymous character]].

* Subverted in ''QueerAsFolk'', when Lindsay tells the others that her childhood dream was to fall in love, get married and have a baby. When Michael says that two out of three isn't bad, Lindsay says that three out of three is even better, since she and Melanie have decided to get married.

* NPR's ''ThisAmericanLife'' once followed a Jewish advertiser who was working with a Muslim client. The client, in idle political conversation with the ad-man, quoted a prophecy that said "there will never be peace within Islam until Islam rules over the three holy cities of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem". The advertiser responded "Two out of three ain't bad".

* A witch tried to turn ScoobyDoo, Scrappy and Shaggy into frogs. Shaggy was the only one she hit and the witch invoked the trope to show how satisfied she was for having at least one frog.

* In 2003, AustralianRulesFootball team the Brisbane Lions were going for their third consecutive premiership. At the Grand Final Breakfast, when Lions coach Leigh Matthews was introduced, they played Meat Loaf's "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad". [[spoiler: The Lions won.]]

* A ''GarfieldAndFriends'' episode had Jon complaining about food prices. Garfield stated Jon would rant about how life at farm used to be cheaper because his family cultivated their own food there. Jon proved him right. Garfield then said Jon would suggest growing their own food in their yard and Jon (again) proved him right. Garfield stated Jon would then forget it all. One GilliganCut later revealed them working at the yard and Garfield stating two out of three wasn't bad.

* Played with in the English Dub of ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'', when Ryoko reports that two members of her [[AmazonBrigade three-woman squad]] are accounted for, and even says the line. She is immediately countered by the missing Izumi (who ended up in the giant toolbox Ryoko was towing), who chimes in: "It is if you're the ''third!''"

* ''MarsAttacks'': Shortly after Congress is blown up, the President (played by JackNicholson) reminds the American people that "we still got two outta three branches of the government workin' for us, and that ain't bad."
* The {{tagline}} for the movie ''MadeInAmerica'':

Also, usually the one that went wrong was the most important one, e.g. "Well, he's MadeOfIron all right, and he [[{{Determinator}} doesn't give up]], but the [[AxeCrazy controllable part...]] well, TwoOutOfThreeAintBad."

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' has Helix saying [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00137.htm this]].

* Another "pick any two": "Good grades. Enough sleep. A social life."
** Although for most students, it's more like one out of two.
* Rule of thumb for warship design: "Speed, Armor, Firepower". Notwithstanding GameBreaker tech advancements that screw up the play balancing, such as torpedoes.
** The same thing goes for tanks.