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"Metaphor" Is My Middle Name

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"I thought Danger was your middle name."
"I have lots of middle names..."

Jamie: Trouble is my middle name.
Kari: Really? I thought it was Earl.
MythBusters note 

A difficult situation presents itself, or the protagonists find themselves in a bad situation. One of them says something about the situation, like how dangerous it is. And then another character, showing how tough they are, takes that description and says it's their middle name.

On the lighter side of this trope, it may be when a character states that they're up to a task, and to prove it, that the nature of the task just happens to be part of their name.

Often played with these days, such as having another character then say they thought their middle name was something else (almost invariably embarrassing), or pointing out how silly it would be if that was really part of their name. Or that they have Only One Name, so can't have a middle. Or, conversely, having it actually being their real middle name.

A Stock Phrase.

Examples

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    Advertising 
  • An Old Spice commercial has a man who claims "impeccably smooth and great-smelling hair" is his middle name. It really is, and it gets him in trouble with customs officials.
  • "Entertainment" is literally Chuck E. Cheese's middle name.

    Anime & Manga 
  • In the English dub of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Joey Wheeler once claimed that Risk is his middle name. A later episode had him claim that Careful was his middle name.

    Asian Animation 
  • Gaju Bhai: In "Thumkanand", Gaju is surprised to hear about the people of Gajrajpuri dancing without him and agrees to go there for the entertainment, saying "entertainment" is his middle name.

    Audio Drama 
  • In the Big Finish Doctor Who story 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men, the drummer of the not-the-Beatles group offers to let Nyssa sleep in his bed and he'll sleep on the floor.
    Nyssa: I can't make you do that.
    James: You can't make him not. Chivalry's his middle name.
    Mark: Generosity's his first name. That's why we call him Corky. "Generosity Chivalry Goldsmith", bit of a gobful.

    Comic Books 
  • Played with in All-New Wolverine when Gabby meets Danger, the AI who operates the Blackbird. Gabby asks her if it's this trope, at which point Danger responds it's her only name. Gabby throws her hands up in exasperation and rants about her own lack of a "cool" superhero name.
  • Convergence: The Jay Garrick of the Earth 2 continuity jokes that "careful" and "lucky" are his middle names.
  • In one The Fairly OddParents! comic printed in Nickelodeon Magazine:
    Cosmo: "Answer" is my middle name!
    Wanda: Your middle name is Julius.
    Cosmo: Close enough!
  • In Justice League International #56, Guy Gardner declares that trouble is his middle name. The Martian Manhunter replies "I've seen your records, Guy — Your middle name is Darrin."
  • Spider-Man: Lampshaded by the second Kraven in a Marvel Comic.
    Deathlok: Don't fly, it attracts trouble.
    Kraven: Trouble's my middle name!
    Pause while Deathlok, Gravity, Medusa, Firebird, Hank Pym, Wasp, and Hood stare at him
    Kraven: Okay I don't have a middle name but if I did wouldn't trouble be cool? Alyosha Trouble Kravinoff. It almost makes up for Alyosha.
  • In The Ren & Stimpy Show comic of "The Maltese Stimpy", Ren as Sam Spayed narrates, "Danger's my middle name! (I blame Mom for that one.)"
  • In Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics) volume 0, Sonic says, "Ha! 'Speed' is my middle name! Actually, it's 'Maurice', but don't tell anyone, OK?", in response to Princess Sally asking him if he could keep up with her.
  • Snooper and Blabber answer a call to a jewelry store theft (story "Air Tight Mystery"). As they arrive:
    Manager: Wow, you got here fast!
    Snooper: "Speed" is our middle name, sir!
    Blabber: We even slow down fast!
  • The seventh issue of the Superboy (2011), Conner states that caution is his middle name.
  • In The Transformers (Marvel) UK-exclusive story "Break-Away" (issue 263), Optimus Prime appoints Grimlock as Autobot Leader of Earth, but tells him that he only has this position on the condition that he show some restraint. Grimlock replies that restraint is his middle name.
  • In Fozzie's issue of the Meet the Muppets miniseries that preceded The Muppet Show Comic Book, Gonzo states that overconfidence is one of his middle names. Kermit quips if it comes right after "Reckless", which Gonzo confirms.

    Comic Strips 
  • Garfield, who declares that Halloween is his middle name, and then realizes it doesn't work very well: "Gar-Halloween-field." In another storyline, Jon is boasting that Garfield can't hide forever. "You may be sneaky, but I'm sneakier. Sneaky is my middle name." While Garfield is walking around with the sofa, in which Jon is sitting, on his back. Garfield plays it for laughs after Liz scolds him for eating popcorn meant for everyone. "And "everyone" is my middle name, baby!"
  • In an early Phoebe and Her Unicorn strip, Phoebe tells Marigold her middle name is Danger. Marigold uses her unicorn powers to learn its actually Grizelda.
  • Subverted in Crankshaft, when Lillian is concerned that Ed is using a chainsaw near a power line:
    Ed: "Caution" is my middle name.
    Lillian: I didn't know that.
    Ed: That's because I never use it.

    Fan Works 
  • In The Announcement Harry, forced to marry seven women due to having multiple titles, decides that Hermione can be Lady Black.
    Ragnok: A fine choice. A little predictable though.
    Harry: What can I say, that's my middle name. Even though Hermione swears it's 'oblivious'.
  • In the Dragon Age: Inquisition story All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird, Victoria's middle name is Hope, as revealed by the court herald at Halamshiral. It later overlaps with Literal Metaphor, when her Love Interest comments on the fact that she gives him hope and she invokes this trope to make him laugh.
  • In Christmas Memories Draco tries to talk Harry into going for a sleigh ride.
    Draco: Look, when I was small, this was my favourite part of the season. We'll take the horses out for a ride — which will make them happy and get them exercise — and then we'll cut find and cut our Christmas tree. And best of all, you don't have to be around any crowds shopping for a tree.
    Harry: Mmm, well, when you put it like that, it almost sounds sensible.
    Draco: Right? That's my middle name. Draco Sensible Malfoy.
  • Dragon Singer:
    Charlie: This is a disaster waiting to happen. I hope you know that when you both get caught, I'm going to say that I told you so.
    Singer: Won't get caught, Char. We'll both be careful. Won't we?
    Sirius: Careful is my middle name!
  • A Dreary Tale of Katelyn Potter:
    George: And about the bullies, if anyone's giving you grief ...
    Fred: Reckon they might also find themselves subjected to some signature Weasley magic.
    Katelyn: You don't have to do that. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble.
    George: Well, trouble is our middle names, you know.
    Fred: I thought it was Fabian and Gideon.
    George: Oh, you're right. Nevermind then.
  • Earth and Sky: When getting ready to test Twilight Sparkle's flight harness for the first time, Pip Squeak assures Twilight "Danger would be my middle name, if me uncle Algy hadn't taken precedence."
  • Family Tree:
    Ron: What we need is a decoy. And luckily, decoy is my middle name.
  • For Better, or Worse, we Change:
    Ginevra: If anyone asks where I am, I've returned to Hogwarts.
    Ronald: I understand. Don't get into trouble, sister.
    Ginevra: What? It's my middle name!
  • Fortune Favors the Bold:
    Harry: I genuinely can't tell if you're being sarcastic right now.
    Daphne: No, I'm being serious. I'm an adrenaline junkie but sometimes we do things that are just so stupid. Danger is my middle name and all that, but Stupid is yours.
  • A Future of Friendship, A History of Hate: When Raindrops calls out Rainbow Dash for pulling a dangerous stunt to clear up a thunderstorm in Episode 3, Dash replies that danger is her middle name. Another pegasus watching the conversation points out that Dash's middle name is actually Miriam.
  • Harry Potter and bravery and - oh Harry - be careful!:
    Hermione: I am happy too, Harry, because together we saw our future family in that mirror.
    Harry: Yes, our family. Dumbledore told me how the mirror worked. It showed our deepest desires. The first time I saw it, it showed my parents and the family I had lost. I thought it would show them again until I saw you standing behind me in the mirror. I so desperately wanted you to be there with me, but I didn't want to put you in danger.
    Hermione: Danger is my middle name. The other children at school used to tease me with Hermione Danger Granger. So you better get used to it.
  • In Harry Potter and the Lady of the Lake Ginny stares at Harry after undressing him.
    Ginny: Beautiful. You're blushing.
    Harry: So are you.
    Ginny: I'm a red-head. Blushing is my middle name.
  • In the Steven Universe fic Henry Garnet Universe, they once get into a situation where Garnet is needed and is unavailable. While commenting on it, ASBusinessMagnet has this to say:
    Disappointingly, Henry does not make a corny remark like “If you need Garnet, baby, I’m right here. Garnet is my middle name.”
  • Hoofstuck: Pinkie Pie claims in this page that Pink would be her middle name if it wasn't already her first name.
    • A bit earlier, in this page, Pinkie claims that hysterical is her middle name, though she quickly says it isn't.
  • In It Never Gets Any Easier Harry asks Ollivander to add the phoenix feather from his (destroyed) old wand to an ancestor's wand.
    Ollivander: I would like to add that since the wand was previously made I couldn't add the ministry tracking charm to your wand without damaging it in some way. I do hope that you will act responsibly.
    Harry: No need to worry then, since 'responsible' is my middle name.
  • Little Hands, Big Attitude: Sonic's attempt to comfort Shadow backfires when he uses this trope.
    Sonic: Careful is my middle name!
    Shadow: Really?
    Sonic: Em... No, not really.
  • Paper Mario X 2: In chapter 32, Sonic states that extreme is his middle name. Spike then asks if it isn't "the".
    • Sonic's middle name actually is "the", according to Sonic himself:
      Bobbery: It's still a rather suspicious building... wouldn't you say, old boy? Do be careful, eh?
      Kirby: Psh, careful is our middle name!
      Sonic: Actually, my middle name is "the"...
      Kirby: You're ruining my point!
  • As part of his Memetic Badassery, Gary Oak from Pokémon is often given the middle name 'Motherfucking'.
  • Reparations:
    Harry: People change.
    Hermione: Sometimes. Please be careful, Harry.
    Harry: Don't worry. Caution is practically my middle name.
  • Scarlet Lady: After Marinette returns the Cat Miraculous to Plagg and says it was fun, Plagg says "Fun" is his middle name.
  • Played with in The Snow Has Stopped The Rain:
    Rukia continued to look at the little group, trying to figure out why Ichigo 'what's subtlety?' Kurosaki would be trying the legal route to get her out.
  • Throwing Away a Hero:
    Harry: I think you're enjoying your job a little too much. I'm headed for the water.
    Mark: Careful this is the ocean. They have slightly bigger things to take bites out of you.
    Harry: Being careful is my middle name.
  • In Trouble is My Middle Name Trouble literally is Mack's middle name - in Gaelic.
  • Turnabout Storm: Rarity claims that multitasking is her middle name. According to Pinkie, it apparently is Tabitha, the name of her voice actress in the actual show.
  • In Violence Inherent in the System Chibi-Usa teases Usagi by standing close to Harry.
    Chibi-Usa: Hi, Meatball Head. I've got your ma - an. Nya-nya-nya-nya-nyaaa-nyaaa!
    Usagi: Hey! Shut it spore. To the victor go the spoils and right now my middle name is Spoils.

    Film — Animated 
  • In Aloha, Scooby-Doo!, Fred says Danger is his middle name. Velma reminds him that it's actually Herman.
  • Antz:
    Z: Well, Trouble is my middle name. Actually, my middle name is Marion, but I don't want you spreading that around.
  • Cars right before the final race:
    Lightning McQueen: Mack, thanks for being my pit crew today.
    Mack: Ah, don't worry about it, kid. It's the least I could do. After all, "Gas Can" is my middle name.
    Lightning McQueen: It is?
    Mack: Ah, not really.
  • Cats Don't Dance: When T.W. performs his part during "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now", he sings that "the smell of danger is my middle name".
  • Flushed Away:
    Whitey: Are you sure about this, Spike? These things are supposed to be dangerous.
    Spike: Danger is my middle name!
    Whitey: I thought it was "Leslie".
  • In Gnomeo & Juliet, Gnomeo confidently says that Juliet's father can't possibly find him, because "Stealth" is his middle name.
  • Similar to Gnomeo and Juliet above, in Kubo and the Two Strings, while approaching a floating skeletal hand that seemingly holds the Sword Unbreakable, Beetle claims that “Stealth” is his middle name. A decidedly sceptical Monkey has this to say on the matter:
    Monkey: You don’t even have a first name.
  • Moshi Monsters: the Movie: When Katsuma is talking to himself about why he should be in the in-universe movie Roary Scrawl is making, he says to himself, "Versatility's my middle name!".
  • Rugrats in Paris:
    Stu: I'll have it working in no time. "Mechanical Expertise" is my middle name.

    Film — Live Action 
  • Austin Powers — his name really is Austin Danger Powers. In this case, the trope is played with: Some paperwork mistakenly identifies him as "Danger Powers". He protests:
    Austin: No, no, no, no, no... Danger's my middle name.
  • In Back to the Future, both in 1985 and 1955, there's an election van driving around telling everyone to re-elect the mayor because progress is his middle name. Mayor Goldie Wilson uses the slogan in 1985, presumably having picked it up from Mayor Red Thomas in 1955.
  • Used in Deadpool 2 by a very unexpected character.
    Russell: Let's fuck some shit up.
    The Juggernaut: "Let's Fuck Some Shit Up" is my legal middle name.
  • The Goonies — Mouth.
    Mrs. Walsh: You are so fluent in Spanish. That was so nice of you.
    Mouth: "Nice" is my middle name, Mrs. Walsh.
  • The Last Boy Scout:
    Jimmy: Danger's my middle name.
    Joe: Mine's Cornelius. You tell anybody, I'll kill you.
  • In Lethal Weapon, Murtaugh says that "thin" is his middle name; Riggs uses it as an opportunity to insult his wife's cooking.
  • In Manhattan, Ike (Woody Allen) jokingly tells "Trouble is my middle name" to Mary (Diane Keaton).
  • Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult
    Ed: If Rocko finds out you're a cop, you might end up dead!
    Frank: "You might end up dead" is my middle name.
    Ed: What about Jane?
    Frank: ...I don't know her middle name.
  • Rocket Man - "Fun" isn't actually his middle name, it's the middle name of his Chinese neighbor.
  • Romancing the Stone: When Joan asks Jack T. Colton what the T stands for, he replies seriously, "Trustworthy."
  • In Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed:
    Shaggy: Then again, "creepy" is my middle name.
  • Used for a Brick Joke in The Predator, after Nebraska cops to the Embarrassing Middle Name of Gaylord. Later when this trope comes up...
    Casey: "Getting the fuck out of here" is my middle name.
    Nebraska: And I thought Gaylord was embarrassing.

    Literature 
  • In the Young Amelia Bedelia book Amelia Bedelia Hops To It, when Amelia tells the veterinarian Dr. Wiggins that she's devoted to her puppies, Wiggins agrees that 'dedication' is her middle name. Naturally, Amelia's response is "It is?"
  • Artemis Fowl had one character who went a step further and had his first name legally changed to "Trouble". He's tough enough to live up to it most of the time.
  • Lawrence Block's The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart:
    Tiglath: I need the documents. You may retain the rest, I want only the documents, and I will pay well, whatever you ask if only it is within reason. I am a reasonable man, and I believe you are a reasonable man yourself, yes?
    Bernie: Reason is my middle name.
    Tiglath: I thought 'Grimes.' Is it not so?
  • The Cat Who... Series: Book #14 (The Cat Who Wasn't There) has a variant in that the speaker is talking about someone else — Qwill says of Yum Yum at one point that "Yes, propinquity is her middle name...".
  • As with many other tropes, it shows up for its turn(s) at being skewered in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series.
    • From Interesting Times:
      "Luck is my middle name," said Rincewind, indistinctly. "Mind you, my first name is Bad."
    • Detritus also prefaced a question with "I know 'thick' is my middle name-" to which Vimes responded, "I didn't know you had a first name."
    • From Soul Music:
      Glod: "I'm a dwarf. We know about money. Knowing about money is practically my middle name."
      Lias: "That's a long middle name."
    • From Hogfather.
      DEATH: IF I HAD A FIRST NAME 'DUTY' WOULD BE MY MIDDLE NAME.
  • A very early use in the Purgatory section of Dante's The Divine Comedy: as the Pilgrim and Virgil ascend the mountain, they come across a group of shades lounging in the shade of a boulder. Dante singles out a particularly exhausted-looking sinner and tells his guide, "See that man? Lazier he could not look, not even if 'Lazy' were his middle name."
  • In her first appearance in the Doctor Who New Adventures, Benny tells the Doctor "Surprise is my middle name. Bernice Surprise Summerfield. My poor Mum wanted to hammer the point home." Later books make it clear that this is, in fact, the case.
  • Maximum Ride has the characters chastise the titular Max for charging off, even giving her the name of Max "Charging Off" Ride.
  • Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Ponypalooza Party gives us Pinkie Serious Pie.note 
  • The preview for the fourth book in the Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain series reveals that this is the literal truth. Penelope's middle name actually is Justice, which she lampshades. Crosses over into Embarrassing Middle Name, of course.
  • In Sig's Secret, a Puyo Puyo light novel, Amitie tries to balance puyos on her head and proclaims, "Balance is practically my middle name! ...or so I think."
  • Witch & Wizard has Wisteria "Wisty" Allgood say "'Careful' is my middle name," while telling her brother in mouse form.
  • The Star Trek Expanded Universe trilogy My Brother's Keeper, exploring the friendship between James T. Kirk and Gary Mitchell, says that Kirk once told a girl "Racquetball is my middle name" despite having never played, and Mitchell teased him about this, later claiming Kirk's middle name was "Rhinoceros" because he was trampling over a conversation. This is, apparently, why when Gary creates a headstone for the captain in "Where No Man Has Gone Before", it reads "James R. Kirk".

    Live-Action TV 
  • Arrow. In "Dead to Rights", Felicity Smoak says that codebreaker is her middle name. "Actually, it's Megan."
  • Averted by Eddie Izzard: "Danger could be my middle name. But it's John."
  • Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory. "'Trouble' is my middle name, Leonard. Actually, it's 'Lee', but I prefer 'Trouble'."
  • In the "Shoe Shop" sketch of A Bit of Fry and Laurie, a very strange shopkeeper promises: "'Discretion' is my middle letter."
  • The Brittas Empire: Brittas does this in “Curse of the Tiger Women” after it is noted that Brittas kicked out the first entry to the leisure for wearing water wings...
    Mr. Brittas: Attention to detail, my middle name!
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
    • "Teacher's Pet":
      Xander: Forgiveness is my middle name. Well, actually it's Lavelle, and I'd appreciate it if you guard that secret with your life.
    • In a later episode:
      Willow: Danger is my middle name. Or at least it would have been if my parents hadn't settled on Danielle.
  • An early teaser for Chuck in the UK involved Chuck saying to the audience, "Hi, I'm Chuck Bartowski, and danger is my middle name. (Beat) Actually, it's not..."
  • Crossing Jordan:
    Nigel: Woody, Woody, Woody… I promise that I will keep an open mind, okay? And anyway, "sensitivity" is my middle name. [opens the door] SWEET MARY IN THE MANGER!
  • Diff'rent Strokes: Blair says beauty is her middle name. Natalie says hers is Latisha.
  • Doctor Who: At the end of "The God Complex", the Doctor drops off his companions on Earth.
    "You haven't seen the last of me. Bad Penny is my middle name. Seriously, the looks I get when I fill in a form..."
  • Family Matters: Urkel says his middle name is "Danger", but then immediately admits that it's actually "Quincy".
  • Friends, with Chandler.
    "Handle is my middle name. Actually, it's the middle part of my first name."
  • Home Improvement, though they spoof it like the Discworld example:
    Tim: My middle name is "Subtle".
    Jill: Yeah. And your first name is "Not".
  • The Monkees:
    Micky: Don't worry, my middle name is Danger. [Werewolf howls outside.] Of course, my last name is chicken!
  • There's an adaptation of an Agatha Christie story on Mystery! in which a man says "Dorian Gray's my middle name." (He probably meant that he looks younger than he is.)
  • MythBusters does this often enough that the Discovery Channel even sells "DANGER IS MY MIDDLE NAME" t-shirts.
    • Tory uses a rare variation at one point:
      Tory: I think Grant should do it, 'cause he just had his middle name legally changed to Danger.
      Grant: Danger Imahara...I like the sound of that.
    • Also, reversed in the MacGyver special when Adam has to handle sodium, and Tory tells him to be careful.
      Narrator: Hey, Adam's middle name is careful! Then again, his last name is...note  Well, let's get on with it.
  • My Wife and Kids has a variation where Honest is Tony's real first name while Tony is actually his middle name.
  • In the NCIS episode "Iceman", Tony admits that tardiness is his middle name while chiding Ziva for being late.
  • In an episode of the American Office, Dwight gets a concussion and Michael has to fill in the hospital admission form.
    Michael: Dwight... Schrute... and what's your middle name?
    Dwight: [groggy] ...Danger...
  • Paradise Hotel: Charla claims that "pinky swear" is her middle name.
  • Power Rangers:
  • In the Red Dwarf episode "Back To Reality", when Kryten describes the Cat as "mind-meltingly shallow", the Cat cheerfully agrees "Superficial is my middle name!"
  • Rizzoli & Isles: In "Two Shots: Move Forward", Korsak tells Jane to be careful. Jane replies, "My middle name is Caution". Korsk's response: "I know your middle name. I wish it was Careful."
  • She Spies has:
    Cassie: Careful is my middle name. Changed it from Lillian.
    Shane: Good thinking.
  • The West Wing:
    Sam: Done! The draft is done and done on time. Cathy, I'm having my middle name legally changed to "On Time". Cathy: What was it before?
    Sam: Norman.
  • There's a brilliant episode of UK panel show Would I Lie to You? where Reginald D. Hunter tries to claim that his middle initial stands for "Delicious" because his impoverished black ancestors thought it would bring him prosperity. No one is buying it, despite his poker face:
    Reginald D. Hunter: It was the late '60s when I was born - 1969. There were a lot of black men at that time around my age being given names like Reginald, and Winston, and Delicious. Because at that time in America Affirmative Action has just started, so black women saw an opportunity for their children to get more jobs, so what they did was give them a name that was recognisable yet dignified to potential employers.
    Fern Britton: And "Delicious" is dignified?
    Reginald D. Hunter: Well, er, you have to understand how... It's very different in the black community to your white world! So... um... the name Delicious commands great respect in the ghetto. You probably don't listen to much rap music, do you, Fern?
    • If you're curious, the D really stands for Darnell.

    Music 
  • "Nasty" by Janet Privacy Control. Ms. Jackson, if you're nasty.
  • One of Bonnie Raitt's songs is "The Road Is My Middle Name".
  • Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons" gives us this lovely gem: “IIIIII was born one mornin’, it was drizzle and rain / Fightin’ and trouble are my middle name…”
  • Elvis Presley's "Trouble":
    'Cause I'm evil, my middle name is misery
    Yes I'm evil, so don't you mess around with me

    Puppet Shows 
  • Bear in the Big Blue House:
    • In "Home is Where the Bear Is," Pop claims that "Fun" is his and Pip's middle name. Pip replies that "Fun" is Pop's middle name and that "Mine is Angelica, remember?"
    • In "Welcome to Woodland Valley, Pt. 2," Doc Hogg tells Bear that he has everything under control, and tells him that "Control" is his middle name.
  • In Dinosaurs:
    Earl: Sorry, Roy. It's too dangerous.
    Roy: Danger is my middle name. Originally it was my mother's maiden name and they gave it to me to keep it in the family; of course it really never came in handy until tonight.
  • In "The Fastest Fetcher" from Donkey Hodie, Bob Dog claims that "Fetching" is his middle name, then admits that it's actually "Jim."
  • Fraggle Rock: When Boober tells Wembley that Convincing John convinced him to wear a clown nose...
    Wembley: He convinced you, Boober Doom-Is-My-Middle-Name Fraggle to wear that?
    Boober: Well, you know Convincing John. He could convince a Gorg that he was a Doozer.
  • Sesame Street:
    • In a Very Special Episode when Big Bird's nest gets destroyed by a hurricane, his friends rebuild it and Snuffy blows air from his trunk to dry the mud they used to stick it together. He claims that his middle name is "Help" and his full name is "Aloyscious Help Snuffleupagus".
    • Herry did this once. Before singing "A Song for Two" with an Anything Muppet girl, he says "Cooperation" is his middle name. "Herry Cooperation Monster."

    Radio 
  • Part 1 of the Alien Worlds episode "Keeper of Eight" has Dr. Valerie Reed state that danger is her middle name.
  • Adventure is Giles Wemmbley-Hogg's middle name!
    Well, between St. John and Leonard.

    Theatre 

    Video Games 
  • Played with in an early version of Adventure Chef.
    Chef Barnaby: What?! Adventures?! Why, adventures are my middle—no, wait, I don't have a middle name any more. But yes, I agree!
  • Afterlife (1996)
    Jasper Wormsworth: My dear, "Helpful" is my middle name.
  • Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise:
    Agent A: So you want to dance do you Ruby? Well Tango just happens to be my middle name!
  • Atlantis Odyssey's 2021 Valentine's Day event:
    Mi'ara: This must be the Obsession Tree.
    Franco: Did you know "obsession" is my middle name? So it'll be fair if I collect these fruits!
  • Battlefield: Bad Company: Haggard says, "My middle name's 'Not Safe'. Well, actually it's Gordon..."
  • Borderlands 3: Zane Flynt has at various times claimed that his middle name is Ferocity, Deathwish, Careful, Charisma, and Charm. "I've got a lot of middle names." Considering his family's infamous naming sense (such as his brothers Baron and Captain), it's entirely possible that those are actually all his middle names.
  • Bully: When Mr. Burton asks Jimmy Hopkins to go on a panty raid that's very... "discreet", Jimmy replies, "Discretion is my middle name, sir."
  • In The Darkside Detective, Emily the girl scout claims that Danger is her middle name. One of the other scouts retorts that it isn't, it's just what people always write on her paperwork.
  • In Evermerge: Once Upon a Merge Sleeping Beauty comments that finding a stone mine was lucky.
    Puss in Boots: Luck is my middle name, princess.
    Sleeping Beauty: I thought it was "in."
  • Played for Laughs in the second Galaxy on Fire:
    Keith T. Maxwell: "Dangerous" is my second middle name.
    Thomas Boyle: Oh, and what's your first then?
    Keith T. Maxwell: T.
  • Heroes of the Storm: If you poke Valeera enough, she'll say this:
    "Stealth is my middle name. Valeera Stealth Sanguinar. Thank the stars I didn't become a merchant or something."
  • Hotel Dusk: Room 215 has Kyle claiming that "moderation" is his middle name.
  • In Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance], Lea (the resurrected Axel) claims "Dark Rescue" is his middle name when he tells Riku he will bail him out if the darkness gets the latter while he tries to save Sora.
  • Rob from Knytt Underground apparently was given the middle name "Party" just so he could invoke this trope. However, he isn't fond of parties at all.
  • Lock's Quest has a guard saying the classic "Danger is my middle name" line... then following it up by lamenting that his first and last names are "Runsfrom" and "Swiftly"...
  • In Lost Horizon an Indian villager tells Fenton the mushrooms he found in the swamp are used to anesthetize animals for medical treatment, then warns that too large of a dose could knock out a water buffalo.
    Fenton: No problem. Caution is my middle name.
  • In Medieval Cop 8: DeathWish Tira, while investigating Dregg's imaginary murder in her mindscape, comments that Amber might've been the killer because he gave her menial jobs and paid little attention to her otherwise.
    Dregg: That would be a pathetic reason to die. Oh, wait, pathetic is supposed to be my middle name.
  • Merge Friends:
    Mayor: Mayor Mega Money Mike. Money is my middle name.

    Alex: Me, procrastinating? Why, yes, 'procrastination' is my middle name. Alex Procrastination...
  • In Sea of Stars, Yolande has "[X] is my middle name!" as a catchphrase. As a Brick Joke, she has to register with her full name late in the game, and they really are all her middle names.
  • StarCraft II gives us this gem:
    Matt Horner: Sir, parts of the facility seems to be scan shielded... our signals are breaking up left and right. Be careful in there.
    Jim Raynor: Hey, careful's my middle name.
    Horner: Thought it was Eugene.
    Raynor: Shut it, Matt.
  • Star Wars: The Old Republic:
    Smuggler: "Amply rewarded" is my middle name!
    Doctor Vernan: Your parents must have been fascinating people.
  • Happens in Tokyo Beat Down:
    Crime Lord: You cops don’t have any evidence on me!
    Lewis Cannon: "Have" is my middle name!
    Crime Lord: [clueless] Um, what?
  • West of Loathing has several of these gags, all of which actually change your middle name to match. Except the one chance you get to claim your middle name is "Murder" — you get "Edgelord" instead.
  • In Wildstar Agent Lex brags that efficiency is his middle name. As in, it is his actual middle name (his full being Lethality Efficiency eXperiment).

    Web Animation 
  • Bonus Stage:
    Elly: Clever is my middle name...no really, it is. I had terrible parents.
  • Homestar Runner:
    • In the short "2 Part Episode: Part 2":
      Blue Laser Commander: "Evil scheme" is quite literally my middle name! It's Slovenian.
    • Senor Cardgage puts a bizarre twist on the trope in "Senorial Day":
      Strong Bad: Yes, excuse me, sir. Can I have some tremendous savings? And your autograph?
      Senor Cardgage: My left name is "tremendous savings", Miss America.

    Web Comics 
  • Bug: "My middle name is 'Cautionary Discretion'."
  • This The Hero of Three Faces strip explains the headstone Gary Mitchell creates in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" reading "James R. Kirk" by saying that whenever Gary is mad at Jim, he says his middle name is "Regulations".
  • In one Housepets! strip in which Grape is Tempting Fate to an absurd degree, the Alt Text is "MY MIDDLE NAME IS HUBRIS! GRAPE HUBRIS JELLY SANDWICH THEY CALL ME".
  • Irregular Webcomic! uses this trope in this MythBusters-themed comic.
    Adam: Danger is my middle name.
    Jamie: It is? Really?
    Adam: There was a mysterious explosion right in the middle of my christening.
  • Nedroid: Reginald's full name: Reginald Danger Safety.
  • In Skin Horse Unity assures Sweetheart that "Random Assault" is her middle name. Sweetheart is less than assured by this and tells Unity not to randomly assault people. Unity then says she's got to change her middle name and it involves all this paperwork.

    Web Original 

    Western Animation 
  • 3-2-1 Penguins!:
    Zidgel: Adventure is my middle name! Well no, actually it's Lloyd.
  • In 101 Dalmatians: The Series, Spot claims that "Mystery" is her middle name as part of a spoof Private Eye Monologue.
    Spot: Mystery is my middle name.
    Rolly: I thought it was Irma.
  • The Addams Family (1992) episode "Dead and Breakfast" had Uncle Fester claim that crime was his middle name. Wednesday remarked that last week his middle name was fungus.
  • Aladdin: The Series. Lampshaded.
    Genie: Adventure is his middle name...If he had a last name!
  • American Dragon: Jake Long: In "Shapeshifter", Jake's grandfather insists that he take the mission seriously, and he says that "serious" is his middle name.
  • In "Yesterday" from Beat Bugs, when the group hears a teddy bear crying in a trash heap at night, Crick says that they can't just go charging off into the dark without a plan. Jay replies that "charging off into the dark" is his middle name, to which Walter replies that Jay doesn't even have a last name.
  • The Beetlejuice episode "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" has Clearance Sale (a parody of Clarence from It's a Wonderful Life) state that Solving Problems is his middle name, then correcting himself that the words are his two middle names.
  • Parodied in the Ben 10: Omniverse episode "Rad", wherein the eponymous claims his middle name first to be "Trouble", then "Danger", then finally "Profit". Naturally, Ben doesn't buy any of this, until Rook looks up some information on the guy and discovers that his full name really is "Captain Rad Profit Danger Trouble Dudesman".
    Rad: (smugly) Told you.
  • In the Biker Mice from Mars episode "Rock and Ride", Vinnie remarks "Who's gonna make me is my middle name" when Greasepit remarks "Who's gonna make me?" in response to Vinnie ordering him to leave Charley alone.
  • Tina does this in an episode of Bob's Burgers followed by her revealing her actual middle name.
    Tina: "Danger" is my middle name, but I spell it R-U-T-H.
  • Code Lyoko's Jeremie says that Odd's middle name should be "Braggart," for all the times he had bragged.
  • Darkwing Duck, "Something Fishy": When Launchpad asks if they're in a dangerous situation, Darkwing answers that "danger" is his middle name. Launchpad notes it's funny he only now finds out Darkwing's middle name.
  • On Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, according to the "Tigey the Adventure Tiger"'s theme song, Adventure is Tigey's middle name.
  • Dinotrux:
    Revvit: Are you ready, Ton-Ton?
    Ton-Ton: Ready is my middle name!
    Skya: "Ton Ready Ton"?
    Ton-Ton: It sounded cooler in my head...
  • In "Doug's Doodle" Doug imagines using a Grappling-Hook Pistol to scale the school as Smash Adams. He says the mission would be dangerous but danger is his middle name. He slips before admitting Yancey is his middle name but his nickname is danger.
  • In one Ed, Edd n Eddy episode, Ed randomly remarks "Service is my middle toe!" In another episode, he says, "Pronto's my middle name! No, wait, it's Horace."
  • Futurama, when Bender declares that "Bending" is his middle name. As it so happens, that actually is his middle name, and remains so for the rest of the series. His full name is Bender Bending Rodriguez.
  • One of the lines in the Garfield and Friends song "I'm In Charge" is "Responsible is my middle name, I can not trust to luck!"
  • In the Gravedale High episode "Monster on Trial", Miss Fresno hires a lawyer who claims that whiplash is his middle name.
  • In The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode "Scary Poppins"
    Billy: Be careful, Grim.
    Grim: "Careful" is my middle name. Oh, I never forgave Mom for that one.
  • In Kick Buttowski:
    Gunther: It seems a little too extreme.
    Kick: "Extreme" is my middle name.
    Gunther: I thought your middle name was Francis.
  • In LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales, R2-D2 apparently says this, with C-3PO immediately objecting.
    C-3PO: Danger is not your middle name! Your middle name is "hyphen"!
  • From the first episode of Lilybuds:
    Daffodil: Sorry to worry you, Thistle.
    Thistle: Oh, that's all right. "Worry" is my middle name.
    Cap: I thought it was "Clumsy"?
    Thistle: That was last week.
  • Littlest Pet Shop (2012), episode "Blythe's Crush":
    Penny Ling: Ooh! It sounds dangerous.
    Esteban: Haha! Danger is my middle nombre! Danger is also my last name. And... my nickname.
    Vinnie: So, your friends call you Esteban Danger "Danger" Danger?
    Esteban: Si.
    • At the beginning of the episode, he introduces himself as "Esteban Banderas", and by the ending, we learn that his middle name is "Marion".
    • In "Frenemies", they pull this out twice, confusing Penny Ling both times:
      Vinnie: You're gonna need some entertainment. And "Entertainment" is my middle name.
      Penny Ling: I thought you told me your middle name was "Alfonso".
      Vinnie: Eh, never mind that.
      Zoe: I'm game if she is.
      Pepper: "Game" is my middle name!
      Penny Ling: I thought you told me your middle name was "Mildred".
  • The Loud House: From "Selfie Improvement":
    Lori: Cute, lovable animals are my middle name!
    Leni: I thought it was Marie.
    Lori: (pats Leni's head before walking off)
  • Milo Murphy's Law:
    Elliot: Besides, there's only one person in this town I need to stop, and his middle name is "Danger."
    Zack: Is that true?!
    Melissa: (scoffs) No—it's pronounced "Dawn-jé."
    Milo: It's my grandmother's maiden name.
  • Miraculous Ladybug'': From the episode "Deflagration (The Kwami's Choice - Part 2)"
    Plagg: Panache and repartee, you have my congratulations! You only lack one thing keeping you from being the perfect holder: a cheese cellar.
    Zoé: Then, you'll be happy, Plagg! I live in a hotel! And the restaurant has the largest cheese cellar in Paris! But you have to be very careful!
    Plagg: Careful is my middle name!
  • The Mr. Men Show: Mr. Grumpy says "Tickle" and "Hug" are his middle names in "Hotels". He also has "Charming" as his middle name in "Shoes".
  • In Muppet Babies (1984), Gonzo says "weird" is his middle name.
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
    • "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well" has "Danger is my middle name: Rainbow Danger Dash!"
    • "Baby Cakes" has Pinkie Pie claiming that Responsibility is her middle name: "Pinkie Responsibility Pie!" According to a flashback in "The Cutie Mark Chronicles", her actual middle name is Diane.
    • In "Flight to the Finish", Dash became "Rainbow Professionalism Dash".
  • The New Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Show episode "Scooby-Doo and Cyclops, Too" had Scrappy claim that Courage was his uncle Scooby's middle name.
  • In the Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero episode Be My Ghost, when cautioned by Rippen, Larry comments that Careful is his middle name. He then immediately makes a beeline for a rickety elevator that plummets to the ground the second he enters it.
    Larry: Don't worry! "Miraculously Unharmed" is my mother's middle name.
  • The character of Lulu "Busting" Jones from Phineas and Ferb. Her license reveals "Busting" is literally her middle name.
  • In one episode of Planet Sheen, Sheen not only makes several claims of what his middle name is, but he also produces several (presumably fake) birth certificates to prove it. (It's technically Juarrera)
  • Pound Puppies (2010):
    • In the episode "Zoltron", Captain Randy claims that Believing is his middle name.
    • The episode "The Pups Who Loved Me" has Bondo and Patches both claim that Danger is their middle name. On both occasions, Cupcake misses the point that they aren't literally saying that they have Danger as their middle name.
  • The Quack Pack episode "Island of the Not-So-Nice" had Huey, Dewey and Louie say that responsible was their middle name in response to Daisy expressing her concern over trusting them with her pet iguana Knuckles.
  • In The Raccoons episode "Power Trip!", Bert looks after Ralph's Aunt Gertie while he and Melissa go on a camping trip. When Cedric comes in to go hiking with Bert, Aunt Gertie plans on going with them.
    Aunt Gertie: "Hiking" is my middle name!
    Cedric: Mine is Sydney!
  • The Random! Cartoons short "Dugly Uckling's Treasure Quest" has the title character say that luck is his middle name, his companion Quiggins replying that he thought his middle name was Larry.
  • In the Ready Jet Go! episode "Total Eclipse of the Sunspot", Jet claims that "Super Smart" is his middle name. He later admits that it isn't, and it's actually a bunch of unpronounceable noises.
  • The Replacements: When Todd tries to get his mother Agent K to face her stage fright, he points out how she's a spy and "Danger is [her] middle name." Agent K says that her middle name is classified and her husband and Todd's father Dick says, "Classified?! But you told me it was Mildred!"
  • Parodied on The Ruff & Reddy Show
    Ruff: Professor Gizmo's in some kind of trouble, Reddy.
    Reddy: Well, let's go. "Trouble" is my maiden name.
  • In one episode of The Simpsons, a man working at the License Bureau refuses to help people until he finishes his Crossword Puzzle. When the clue asks for Franklin Roosevelt’s middle name, he guesses "Excitement."
  • Done in Sonic Boom by the eponymous character.
    Sonic: Capable is my middle name.
    Knuckles: I thought your middle name was The.
  • In an early episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, SpongeBob tries to impress Sandy by telling her that he can breathe oxygen from the air like she can.
    SpongeBob: "Air" is my middle name!
    • Also used in "SpongeBob Meets the Strangler"
    SpongeBob: Quick is my middle name!
  • Steven Universe:
    • In "Future Vision":
      Garnet: [...] you seem to attract a lot of danger.
      Steven: Well, danger is my middle name.
      Garnet: That's a lie. Your middle name is cutie pie. [boops Steven's nose]
    • In reference to the above, Steven Universe: Future has adding "Cutiepie" and several other things to his now Overly Long Name. In full 
  • From the Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures episode, "The Berry Best You Can Bee":
    Katie: What do you know about nice?
    Sadie: Uh, "nice" is my middle name.
    Katie: No it isn't!
    Sadie: Yuh-huh, is!
    Katie: Is not!
    Sadie: Okay, what is my middle name, then?
    Katie: Ladybird! Your name's Sadiebug Ladybird Berrybeetle.
    Sadie: *gasp* How did you know that?!
    Katie: 'Cause maybe I've known you all my life and I'm your twin sister.
  • When it looks like Baloo's plane is going to be flown by a robot in TaleSpin, Rebecca tells Baloo to be nice to the robot and its inventor. Baloo replies that "nice is my middle name," and proceeds to cause the inventor to humiliate himself.
  • Teamo Supremo:
    Skate Lad: Don't worry, Governor Kevin! My middle name is Speed!
    Rope Girl: I thought it was Felipé.
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, of the "I thought your name was" variety.
    • Used and lampshaded in the 1987 series episode "Turtles on Trial"; April is with the Turtles in their Conspicuous Trenchcoat disguises combined with their new human Latex Perfection masks at the pizzeria when she hears an alarm ringing at the jewelry store across the street and comments there's trouble nearby. The Turtles strip of their disguises and spring into action as Raphael tells April not to worry, as "'Trouble' is our middle name!" Donatello comments, "I didn't know we had middle names."
  • The Tick laments some recent acts with the line "Helping people used to be my middle name: The Helping People Tick"
  • Subverted (as it does most tropes) in Tigtone:
    Metal King: You are in for some trouble, Tigtone.
    Tigtone: Good! Tigtone is my middle name!
  • From the Tiny Toon Adventures episode in which Babs is temporarily made Queen of Wackyland:
    Babs Bunny: From now on, self-control is my middle name!
    (Beat)
    Plucky Duck: I thought it was Ann.note 
  • Transformers:
    Blackarachnia: Three mindless drones. Shouldn't be a problem.
    Jetstorm: Only three things wrong with that little theory: one, we're not drones; two, we're not mindless; and three, problem's my middle name!
  • Transformers: Robots in Disguise: In "Guilty as Charged," Strongarm says, "Danger is my middle name... Or it would be if Cybertronians had them."
  • VeggieTales in the House:
    Petunia: We should go on a hike tomorrow.
    Larry: Sure! Physical outdoor cardiovascular activity is my middle name!
    Petunia: That's unfortunate.
    Larry: Eh, it's not so bad.
  • In the What's with Andy? episode "Emergency Spew Relish", when Andy asks a man on the train if he would like a challenge, the man claims that Challenge is his middle name, to which Danny replies, "Mine's Thaddeus."
  • Work It Out Wombats!: In "Game Changer," Zadie boasts that her middle name is "Game Ideas."

    Real Life 
  • While not her actual middle name, Amanda Palmer is also known as "Amanda Fucking Palmer." (It’s actually McKinnon.)
  • American naval officer Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of the War of 1812.
  • Billie Joe Armstrong's son, Jakob Danger Armstrong. Like Austin Powers, Danger is quite literally his middle name.
  • On MasterChef, Monti's son Danger gets mentioned a few times— in the audition episode, Ramsey thinks she's giving the judges a schtick for the show, but her son apparently actually is named Danger.
  • Penn Jillette gave his firstborn daughter the middle name "Crimefighter" in the hope she could invoke this trope later in her life.
  • Long-time Red Sox fans will refer to Yankees Russell Earl "Bucky" Dent and Aaron John Boone as "Bucky Fucking Dent" or "Aaron Fucking Boone" for their key home runs against them.
  • Not Always Right:
    • In this story, invoking this trope gets a guy entry into a club.
    • In another, a parent supposedly gives his kid "Danger" as his middle name in hopes it will help him get laid.


Alternative Title(s): Danger Is My Middle Name, Word You Just Said Is My Middle Name, X Is My Middle Name

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Does anyone actually name their kid Stanley these days?

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