| 1 | ''Tropes specifically having to do with use of language, including translations.'' |
| 2 | |
| 3 | See also: {{Dialogue}}, InnuendoTropes, OralTradition, IncoherenceIndex, the Language UsefulNotes, and Administrivia/HomePagesByLanguage (for this site in other languages). |
| 4 | ---- |
| 5 | !!Tropes: |
| 6 | [[index]] |
| 7 | [floatboxright: |
| 8 | '''Categories:''' |
| 9 | + AccentTropes |
| 10 | + ArtisticLicenseLinguistics |
| 11 | + BodyLanguage |
| 12 | + {{Dialogue}} |
| 13 | + {{Engrish}} |
| 14 | + GratuitousForeignLanguage |
| 15 | + IncoherenceIndex |
| 16 | + NamingConventions |
| 17 | + PoetryTropes |
| 18 | + ThePowerOfLanguage |
| 19 | + {{Pun}} |
| 20 | + TranslationTropes |
| 21 | ] |
| 22 | * AccentUponTheWrongSyllable: A character emphasizes the wrong parts of a word when pronouncing it. |
| 23 | * AcquiredErrorAtThePrinter: A minor mistake in a printed sign renders the meaning completely different, usually something inappropriate. |
| 24 | * AcronymConfusion: One abbreviation is mistaken for another. |
| 25 | * AcronymAndAbbreviationOverload: A character has a tendency to use acronyms and abbreviations constantly. |
| 26 | * AcronymsAreEasyAsAybeecee: A character mishears or miswrites an acronym as if it's a normal word. |
| 27 | * AICronym: AI/Robots/machines are often given names. These names are typically an acronym for a phrase at least tangentially related to their purpose. |
| 28 | * AliensSpeakingEnglish: Aliens are already able to speak English in spite of never visiting Earth before. |
| 29 | * TheAllConcealingI: A story is in a first-person narrative so that the protagonist's true nature can be revealed in a twist ending. |
| 30 | * {{all lowercase letters}} |
| 31 | * AlternateCatchphraseInflection: When a character says their catchphrase in a different tone of voice than normal. |
| 32 | * AlternateCharacterReading |
| 33 | * AmbiguousSyntax: The phrasing of a sentence allows for more than one interpretation of what the sentence means. |
| 34 | * AnimalTalk: All animal species can communicate with each other, except for humans. |
| 35 | * AntiquatedLinguistics |
| 36 | * ArabBeobleTalk |
| 37 | * ArtificialScript |
| 38 | * AsianSpeekeeEngrish: East Asian people speaking in broken English. |
| 39 | * AsLongAsItSoundsForeign |
| 40 | * AtomicFBomb: Someone hollers the word "fuck" or another swear word as loud as they can. |
| 41 | * AuthorVocabularyCalendar |
| 42 | * AutoIncorrect: Autocorrect or speech-to-text software screws up a statement. |
| 43 | * BabyLanguage: Babies have their own language. |
| 44 | * BabysFirstWords: A baby's first words, which are often heartwarming or funny. |
| 45 | * BabyTalk: Babies and toddlers speak, but have speech impediments because of their age. |
| 46 | * BilingualAnimal: An animal that speaks both a human language and its animal language. |
| 47 | * BilingualBackfire |
| 48 | * BilingualBonus: A work has some untranslated words in a different language. |
| 49 | * BilingualDialogue |
| 50 | * BilingualRhyme |
| 51 | * BiteTheWaxTadpole |
| 52 | * BlackSpeech: An evil language that hurts non-evil listeners. |
| 53 | * BlindIdiotTranslation: Something ends up translated too literally. |
| 54 | * TheBodyPartsThatMustNotBeNamed: People avoid directly naming the genitalia. |
| 55 | * BrandNameTakeover: A brand becomes the generic word for something. |
| 56 | * BuffySpeak: Someone doesn't know the word for something and does things like add "Y"s on the end, call it a "thingy", etc. |
| 57 | * BusmansVocabulary: Someone's vocabulary coincides with their job. |
| 58 | * ByNoIMeanYes |
| 59 | * CalculatorSpelling: Using the seven-segment display on a calculator (usually turned upside-down) to spell out something. |
| 60 | * CallAHumanAMeatbag: A slur that means "human". |
| 61 | * CallAPegasusAHippogriff |
| 62 | * CallARabbitASmeerp: A mundane animal is given an unusual name. |
| 63 | * CallASmeerpARabbit: A bizarre creature is given the name of a mundane animal. |
| 64 | * CanisLatinicus: Butchered Latin. |
| 65 | ** BinomiumRidiculus |
| 66 | * ClassicalTongue |
| 67 | * {{Cloudcuckoolanguage}}: A goofy character has their own language. |
| 68 | * ClusterFBomb: Someone repeatedly uses cuss words (commonly the F-word, hence the name) in a single sentence. |
| 69 | * CommonTongue: Disparate groups, which might have their own cultural languages, nevertheless use a shared language to communicate. |
| 70 | * CongestionSpeak: A character's written dialogue is misspelled (for instance, replacing "N"s with "D"s) to indicate they have a stuffy nose. |
| 71 | * ConLang: A language that has been intentionally designed instead of developing organically. |
| 72 | * ConvenientlyPreciseTranslation |
| 73 | * ConversationHog: When a character keeps another from getting a word or a defense in-edgewise. |
| 74 | * CountryMatters: The infamous "C word" (cunt) and its effects in different cultures. |
| 75 | * {{Crunchtastic}}: An ad uses nonsense adjectives that sound positive, either as WeaselWords or for comedy. |
| 76 | * CunningLinguist: A linguist who's strategic (not related to the dirty joke). |
| 77 | * CurseOfBabel: A character loses the ability to speak intelligibly. |
| 78 | * CurseOfTheAncients: Elderly people shout old-timey exclamations. |
| 79 | * CypherLanguage |
| 80 | * DeadlyEuphemism: Killing is referred to using other words, so as to sound less brutal or conceal the intent from those not in the know. |
| 81 | * DelusionsOfEloquence |
| 82 | * DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch: A work imported to the United Kingdom causes controversy over using words that are unintentionally offensive towards Britons. |
| 83 | * DinnerOrderFlub: A waiter gets an order wrong. |
| 84 | * {{Dissimile}} |
| 85 | * DoesNotSpeakCommon: A character mostly speaks in a different language from the rest of the cast. |
| 86 | * DontCallMeSir: A person doesn't like formal titles. |
| 87 | * EitherWorldDominationOrSomethingAboutBananas: A character translates another character as having said either a logical phrase or a silly one. |
| 88 | * ElectiveBrokenLanguage |
| 89 | * ElectiveUnintelligible |
| 90 | * ElNinoIsSpanishForTheNino |
| 91 | * ElmuhFuddSyndwome: A speech impediment where Ls and Rs are pronounced as if they were Ws. |
| 92 | * EloquentInMyNativeTongue |
| 93 | * ElSpanishO: Butchered Spanish. |
| 94 | * EnslavedTongue |
| 95 | * EntendreFailure: The more risque meaning of a DoubleEntendre is lost on someone. |
| 96 | * EternalEnglish |
| 97 | * EvenTheSubtitlerIsStumped: When subtitles show up to translate the dialogue of someone speaking a foreign language, there will eventually be subtitles left blank because it's become impossible to translate the current saying. |
| 98 | * EveryoneKnowsMorse: All the characters know Morse Code. |
| 99 | * EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench: The French language is sexualized. |
| 100 | * ExpositoryPronoun |
| 101 | * FamiliarSoundtrackForeignLyrics |
| 102 | * FanSub: A foreign work is unofficially given translating subtitles by fans. |
| 103 | * FangThpeak |
| 104 | * FanTranslation |
| 105 | * FantasticMeasurementSystem |
| 106 | * FantasticSlurs: Slurs aimed at people who are discriminated for their species rather than their ethnicity. |
| 107 | * FauxFluency |
| 108 | * {{Fictionary}} |
| 109 | * FloweryElizabethanEnglish |
| 110 | * FloweryInsults: Someone uses a well-developed and highly detailed insult. |
| 111 | * FontAnachronism |
| 112 | * ForeignCussWord |
| 113 | * ForeignersWriteBackwards |
| 114 | * ForeignLanguageTirade: When the Bilingual Bonus is an angry rant. |
| 115 | * ForeignLookingFont |
| 116 | * FormalCharactersUseKeigo: The association with formal UsefulNotes/{{Japanese|Language}} speech with people who are polite, old-fashioned, mild-mannered, refined, or a combination thereof. |
| 117 | * FromTheLatinIntroDucere |
| 118 | * FunWithAcronyms: Acronyms that stand for or spell out something funny. |
| 119 | * FunWithForeignLanguages |
| 120 | * FunWithHomophones: Confusion between two different words that sound the same. |
| 121 | * FunWithPalindromes |
| 122 | * FunWithSubtitles: The subtitles are used in humorous ways. |
| 123 | * FutureSlang: The future has new slang words. |
| 124 | * GayEuphemism: Avoiding directly using homosexuality-related terms. |
| 125 | * GenderVocabularySlip |
| 126 | * {{Gesundheit}}: Mistaking a word for a sneeze. |
| 127 | * GetTheeToANunnery: Things that were meant to sound dirty in the past, but sound clean now. |
| 128 | * GoodBadTranslation |
| 129 | * GoshDangItToHeck: Non-profane exclamations stand in for profanity. |
| 130 | * GotMeDoingIt: A character complains about slipping into the vocabulary habits they just berated another person for using. |
| 131 | * GoToTheEuphemism: A character uses a euphemism for "bathroom" or what you do there. |
| 132 | * GratuitousIambicPentameter |
| 133 | * HashHouseLingo: Restaurants have their own slang for menu items. |
| 134 | * HaveAGayOldTime: Phrases that sound dirty now because of the evolution of language. |
| 135 | * HidingBehindTheLanguageBarrier |
| 136 | * HoldYourHippogriffs: A work of fiction has the characters use different versions of familiar phrases and figures of speech due to the setting preventing the normal versions of the statements from making any sense. |
| 137 | * HollywoodSpelling |
| 138 | * HowDoYouSay |
| 139 | * HulkSpeak: A character speaks in third person and uses incomplete sentences. |
| 140 | * HurricaneOfPuns |
| 141 | * IDoNotSpeakNonverbal |
| 142 | * IJustLikeSayingTheWord |
| 143 | * IncidentalMultilingualWordplay |
| 144 | * InconsistentSpelling: A name or term from a work doesn't have a consistent official spelling. |
| 145 | * InexplicableLanguageFluency: A character understands a language they've never seen/heard before. |
| 146 | * InexplicablySpeaksFluentAlien |
| 147 | * InMyLanguageThatSoundsLike |
| 148 | * IndoEuropeanAlienLanguage |
| 149 | * InformedObscenity: A nonsensical or innocuous word is treated as if it were a profanity. |
| 150 | * InherentlyFunnyWords |
| 151 | * InsultingFromBehindTheLanguageBarrier: A character insults another in a language they don't understand. |
| 152 | * IntentionalEngrishForFunny: Bad English is put in for comedy. |
| 153 | * IntentionallyAwkwardTitle |
| 154 | * InternationalPopSongEnglish |
| 155 | * InTheLocalTongue |
| 156 | * InventedLinguisticDistinction |
| 157 | * ItIsDehumanizing: Calling a person "it" to show that you do not consider them human. |
| 158 | * JapaneseRanguage: The stereotype that Asians can't distinguish between "L" and "R" sounds. |
| 159 | * JiveTurkey: A character speaks in jive. |
| 160 | * LanguageBarrier: Trouble arises because people don't speak the same language. |
| 161 | * LanguageDrift |
| 162 | * LanguageEqualsThought |
| 163 | * LanguageFluencyDenial |
| 164 | * LanguageFluencyReveal |
| 165 | * LanguageOfMagic |
| 166 | * LanguageOfTruth |
| 167 | * LastSecondWordSwap: Replacing the last word you intended to say at the last minute. |
| 168 | * LearntEnglishFromWatchingTelevision: Non-humans learn to speak English from watching television broadcasts. |
| 169 | * LeastRhymableWord: Someone tries to find a rhyming word to a word that has little or no known rhymes. |
| 170 | * LeetLingo |
| 171 | * LeftFieldDescription: Describing important bits in unconventional ways that don't necessarily jump out to the reader. |
| 172 | * Letters2Numbers |
| 173 | * LikeIsLikeAComma: A character says, "like" in between every other word. |
| 174 | * LostLanguage |
| 175 | * LuckyCharmsTitle |
| 176 | * LyricalTic |
| 177 | * MagicalForeignWords |
| 178 | * MagicalProfanityFilter: A magic spell or other in-universe effect that prevents characters from swearing. |
| 179 | * {{Magick}} |
| 180 | * MametSpeak |
| 181 | * MedievalUniversalLiteracy: Most people in a MedievalEuropeanFantasy setting seem to know how to read and write (in contrast to the real-life medieval era where the opposite was true). |
| 182 | * {{Metaphorgotten}}: A character starts off with a metaphor or analogy, but then gets sidetracked by what the metaphor or analogy implies. |
| 183 | * {{Microts}} |
| 184 | * MilitaryAlphabet: Words used instead of letters to spell another word out. |
| 185 | * MisspellingOutLoud: A character tries to spell a word out loud, but either gets it wrong or unintentionally spells a completely different word. |
| 186 | * MixedMetaphor |
| 187 | * MondegreenGag: A statement is misheard. |
| 188 | * MouthingTheProfanity |
| 189 | * MultilingualSong |
| 190 | * MultipleLanguagesSameVoiceActor: The different dubs of a work have one actor reprising their role for the translations. |
| 191 | * MultipleReferencePun |
| 192 | * MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels: A character attempts to speak a foreign language, but ends up getting someone mad by unintentionally saying an insulting phrase or embarrassing themselves because their statement translates as meaningless nonsense or a humiliating phrase. |
| 193 | * NarrativeProfanityFilter: The narrator implies or outright confirms that a character swore when the audience doesn't hear the character use profanity. |
| 194 | * {{Neologism}}: A made-up word. |
| 195 | * {{Neologizer}} |
| 196 | * NerdsSpeakKlingon |
| 197 | * NeverLearnedToRead: A character is illiterate. |
| 198 | * NobleTongue |
| 199 | * NoLongerWithUs: A common euphemism for death turns out to be meant literally or is mistaken for being literal by a naive listener. |
| 200 | * NonIndicativeName: A character's name does not match who they are. |
| 201 | * NoPunctuationIsFunnier |
| 202 | * NoPunctuationPeriod |
| 203 | * NuSpeling: In the future, words are spelled as if they were written or typed by barely-literate children. |
| 204 | * ObligatorySwearing: A work features profanity just because it's an adult story. |
| 205 | * OhMyGods: Parodies of religion-related expressions like "Oh my God!" or "Saints alive!". |
| 206 | * YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe |
| 207 | * {{Omniglot}}: A character who can speak many languages. |
| 208 | * OnceForYesTwiceForNo |
| 209 | * OneTwoThreeFourGo |
| 210 | * OrphanedEtymology |
| 211 | * OtherworldlyCommunicationFailure: Speaking a language not known to humans may be the cause of this trope. |
| 212 | * OverlyLiteralTranscription |
| 213 | * PardonMyKlingon: Alien swear words. |
| 214 | * PerfectlyCromulentWord: People using made-up words. |
| 215 | * PeriodPieceModernLanguage: The production is a posh historical one, the language is not. |
| 216 | * PersonAsVerb: A person's name is used as a verb pertaining to an action appropriate to the person's behavior and reputation. |
| 217 | * PhantasySpelling |
| 218 | * PigLatin: A language where you move the first consonant or consonants at the beginning of every word to the end followed by "ay", or just "ay" if the first letter is a vowel. (example: "I-ay ould-way ike-lay o-tay ing-say.") |
| 219 | * {{Pluralses}} |
| 220 | * PointOfView |
| 221 | * PoirotSpeak: A character has difficulty properly speaking the English language. |
| 222 | * PokemonSpeak: A character never says anything other than their own name. |
| 223 | * PopularSayingBut |
| 224 | * {{Portmanteau}}: A word that is a combination of two or more individual words. |
| 225 | * ThePowerOfLanguage |
| 226 | * PrecisionFStrike: A character who doesn't usually swear ends up saying a curse word out of the blue, or a work that usually doesn't feature profanity features some at one point (or alternatively, a work that usually features mild profanity features a case of strong profanity). |
| 227 | * PrepositionsAreNotToEndSentencesWith: The misconception that ending a sentence with a preposition (a direction-related word like "to" or "through") is grammatically incorrect. |
| 228 | * PretentiousLatinMotto |
| 229 | * PretentiousPronunciation: A word gets pronounced in a pseudo-foreign manner in an attempt to sound fancy. |
| 230 | * TheProblemWithPenIsland: Because website [=URL=]s do not have spaces between words, certain website names can be misread as something else. |
| 231 | * PronounTrouble |
| 232 | * PropheciesRhymeAllTheTime: Prophecies are in rhyme. |
| 233 | * PsmithPsyndrome |
| 234 | * PrimordialTongue: One language spoken by the first humans that is the ancestor of all existing languages. |
| 235 | * {{Pun}}: A play on words. |
| 236 | * PunctuationChangesTheMeaning |
| 237 | * PunctuationShaker: Names with punctuation marks in them. |
| 238 | * TheQueensLatin |
| 239 | * RapidFireDescriptors |
| 240 | * RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic: Fictional characters speak without using [[LikeIsLikeAComma filler words]], tripping over words, awkward pauses or interrupting each other mid-sentence. |
| 241 | * RecursiveAcronym |
| 242 | * RecursiveTranslation |
| 243 | * RepeatedRehearsalFailure |
| 244 | * RichLanguagePoorLanguage: Rich and poor characters are distinguished by their accents and/or dialects. |
| 245 | * {{Riddle}}: Word puzzles with nonintuitive answers. |
| 246 | * RoboSpeak |
| 247 | * RomanticHyperbole |
| 248 | * RougeAnglesOfSatin: A spelling mistake results in a whole different word. |
| 249 | * RoyalWe: Using "we" instead of "I", famous for being how the Queen talks. |
| 250 | * SacredLanguage |
| 251 | * {{Scanlation}} |
| 252 | * ScareQuotes |
| 253 | * ScaryScienceWords: A character is intimidated by technical-sounding words. |
| 254 | * SdrawkcabSpeech |
| 255 | * SeparatedByACommonLanguage: American English and British English have certain differences in the terms used. |
| 256 | * SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: A character tends to use big words. |
| 257 | * SexualEuphemism |
| 258 | * ShoehornedAcronym: A poorly-constructed acronym. |
| 259 | * ShoehornedFirstLetter |
| 260 | * SingleLanguagePlanet |
| 261 | * SmartPeopleKnowLatin |
| 262 | * SommelierSpeak |
| 263 | * SonOfAnApe |
| 264 | * SophisticatedAsHell: A character who usually speaks sophisticated and politely suddenly resorts to using slang and profanity. |
| 265 | * SpaceX |
| 266 | * SpeechImpededLoveInterest |
| 267 | * SpellMyNameWithAThe: A character is frequently addressed with "The" in front of their name. |
| 268 | * SpeakingLikeTotallyTeen |
| 269 | * SpeakingSimlish |
| 270 | * SpeaksInBinary |
| 271 | * SpeaksInShoutOuts |
| 272 | * SpeechCentricWork |
| 273 | * SpellingForEmphasis: Spelling out a word to emphasise it. |
| 274 | * SpockSpeak |
| 275 | * {{Spoonerism}}: Switching the first letters of two words (e.g. saying "whack and blight" instead of "black and white") |
| 276 | * {{Sssssnaketalk}}: Snakes and snake-like characters emphasize their Ss by hissing. |
| 277 | * StarfishLanguage |
| 278 | * StealthPun: A play on words that is subtle. |
| 279 | * StrangeSyntaxSpeaker |
| 280 | * StupidlyLongFillerSound: A ditzy character exaggerates their speech disfluency when ask even in the simplest of questions. |
| 281 | * StutterStop: A character who usually stutters doesn't when things are serious. |
| 282 | * SuddenlyBilingual |
| 283 | * SuddenlyFluentInGibberish: It's suddenly revealed that a character SpeaksFluentAnimal or can speak a made-up language. |
| 284 | * SuddenlySpeaking: A silent character finally talks. |
| 285 | * SugarWiki/SurprisinglyGoodForeignLanguage |
| 286 | * SwitchToEnglish |
| 287 | * TWordEuphemism: Referring to a word as "the [letter] word". |
| 288 | * TactfulTranslation |
| 289 | * TalkingIsAFreeAction |
| 290 | * TalkLikeAPirate: Pirates use expressions like "Arrr!", "Shiver me timbers", "ye", "me hearties", and "be" in the place of "is". |
| 291 | * TeasingFromBehindTheLanguageBarrier |
| 292 | * TechnicalEuphemism: Speaking euphemistically using technical language. |
| 293 | * UsefulNotes/{{Tenses}} |
| 294 | * TerseTalker |
| 295 | * ThatSoundsFamiliar |
| 296 | * TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: A character insists on being addressed formally. |
| 297 | * ThievesCant |
| 298 | * ThirdPersonPerson: Somebody refers to themself in the third-person. |
| 299 | * TongueTwister |
| 300 | * TotallyRadical: Cheesy slang. |
| 301 | * TranslatedCoverVersion |
| 302 | * TranslateTheLoanwordsToo |
| 303 | * TranslationByVolume |
| 304 | * TranslationConvention |
| 305 | * TranslationCorrection |
| 306 | * TranslationMatchmaking |
| 307 | * TranslationPunctuation |
| 308 | * TranslationStyleChoices |
| 309 | * TranslationTrainWreck: A translation that fails miserably. |
| 310 | * TranslationWithAnAgenda |
| 311 | * TranslationYes: A long statement made in a foreign language becomes ludicrously brief when translated. |
| 312 | * TranslatorMicrobes |
| 313 | * TrollingTranslator: The translator intentionally mistranslates what the foreign language speaker is saying. |
| 314 | * TropeNamesFromOtherLanguages |
| 315 | * TropeNamesFromTheFrench |
| 316 | * TrrrillingRrrs: A character tends to emphasize their Rs. |
| 317 | * TwoOfYourEarthMinutes |
| 318 | * TwoWordsAddedEmphasis: A character says "Two words" or any other number of words and immediately follows it with the two words they intend to use to make their point clear. |
| 319 | * TwoWordsICantCount: An attempt at TwoWordsAddedEmphasis is flubbed when the person gets the number of words wrong. |
| 320 | * TyopOnTheCover |
| 321 | * {{Uncoffee}}: A fictional drink that acts like coffee. |
| 322 | * UntranslatedCatchPhrase |
| 323 | * UnusualDysphemism: Foul language is used to refer to innocuous things. |
| 324 | * UnusualEuphemism: Bizarre words or phrases are used in place of profanity. |
| 325 | * VerbalTic: A character has a specific way they talk, such as adding a specific word at the end of all their sentences. |
| 326 | * VerbalTicked: A character with a verbal tic suddenly talks normally. |
| 327 | * ViewerPronunciationConfusion: People have trouble pronouncing something even when the official pronunciation is available. |
| 328 | * WantonCrueltyToTheCommonComma |
| 329 | * WeaponsGradeVocabulary |
| 330 | * WhatSongWasThisAgain |
| 331 | * WhenIsPurple |
| 332 | * {{Wingdinglish}} |
| 333 | * {{Woolseyism}}: A translation alters the work's dialogue so it works better in the new language. |
| 334 | * WordSaladPhilosophy |
| 335 | * WritingLines: A character is punished by being forced to repeatedly write a sentence promising they'll never do what they did wrong again. |
| 336 | * XtremeKoolLetterz: Misspelling words to be cool. |
| 337 | * YiddishAsASecondLanguage |
| 338 | * YouAreTheTranslatedForeignWord |
| 339 | * YouKeepUsingThatWord: A character uses a word constantly, but it is apparent that they don't know what the word actually means. |
| 340 | * YouKnowTheOne |
| 341 | * YouNoTakeCandle: Bad grammar. |
| 342 | * YouSayTomato: More than one accepted way to pronounce a term. |
| 343 | [[/index]] |
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