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Your Answer to Everything

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Sid: Oh, come on, am I talking to myself here? I say "They're vegetarians.", you say "Grr!". I say "Can we talk about this?", you say "Grr!" That's not what I call communication.
Momma Dino: [growls]
Sid: See? That's your answer to everything.

A Stock Phrase to note one character's preference for something for any situation.

See also Duct Tape for Everything and Wild Card Excuse. Closely related to The All-Solving Hammer, especially when that's all you've got.


Examples

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    Anime & Manga 
  • Soul Eater: Maka says this to Soul Eater about him using brute force early in the series.
  • In the Seeker Bears: Toklo's Story manga, when the Big Bear roars at Oka to keep her cubs away from him or else, Oka retorts that threats are his answer to everything.
    Oka: Threats. Always threats. That's your answer to everything, isn't it?
  • The Yu-Gi-Oh! dub eventually acknowledged how much they'd ramped up Kaiba's Agent Scully / Flat-Earth Atheist angle. When Kaiba dismisses a filler villain's abandoned body turning to crystal and collapsing as another "cheap trick"... "Is that your answer to everything, Kaiba? You really need a new Catchphrase."

    Comic Books 

    Fan Works 
  • In Yugioh The Abridged Series, Mako has a problem with harpoons.
    Yugi: That's your answer to everything, just throw a harpoon at the problem.
  • In Ultra Fast Pony, Spike advocates solving all problems with tomato juice.
    Twilight: Are you sure tomato juice is good for snake bites?
    Spike: I am a talking dragon.
    Twilight: So is that a yes or a no?
    Spike: Tomato juice is good for everything!
    Twilight: I think I just peed in the tub.
    Spike: More tomato juice, then!
  • Racer and the Geek features Sunny Breeze dealing with absolutely everything by downing prodigious amounts of booze first and going from there.
  • Son of the Sannin: When arguing with Danzo about their respective approaches in regards to Konoha, Jiraiya mentions that the reason he's always been passed over for the title of Hokage is because war is his solution to everything.

    Films — Animation 
  • Implied in The Lion King (1994):
    Pumbaa: Oh... I always thought they were balls of gas, burning billions of miles away.
    Timon: Pumbaa, with you, everything's gas.
  • Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs: Provides the page quote.
    Mother T. rex: [Roars]
    Sid: Am I talking to myself here? I say they're vegetarian, you say "grrr". I say: "Can we talk about it?", you say "grrr". I don't call that communication.
    Mother T. rex: GRRRRRR!
    Sid: See, that's your answer to everything!
  • In Balto, characters are walking in the woods when Balto thinks he sees something moving in the trees.
    Balto: I think we should keep moving.
    Boris: Is that your answer to all problems? Motion?

    Films — Live-Action 
  • The Big Lebowski:
    The Dude: Ah, fuck it.
    The Big Lebowski: Fuck it! Yes! That's your answer. That's your answer for everything! Tattoo it on your forehead!
  • Baby (2000)
    John Malone: Is that what this is about, you blame me for what happened? There was nothing we could do!
    Lily Malone: Oh yeah? What was it then? Fate, kismet? Isn't that your answer for everything?
  • Clerks II: After failing to come up with his usual wisdom-filled speech for the movie, Silent Bob gets rudely yelled at by Jay. And finally tells him off.
    Silent Bob: You know what, that hurts. Like what the fuck do you ever add to the proceedings? You've got like one answer for everything: "Pussy, man."
  • In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Toula's father's solution for everything is Windex.
  • Thor: Ragnarok: A variation, since Hela doesn't say it to Odin, but about him:
    Hela: [to Thor about the hidden mural in Asgard's throne room showing her and Odin] It seems our father's solution to every problem was to cover it up.

    Literature 
  • Wings of Fire: Whenever a dragonet complains, Tsunami tells them to "jump in the river". Clay mentions that whether it be boredom, dry scales, aching bones, or a brain loaded with history lessons, Tsunami will always tell them to jump in the river.
  • Played for drama in Kushiel's Dart: the strait-laced Joscelin is more than a little uncomfortable with the number and variety of problems that Phèdre addresses by offering her services as a masochistic sacred prostitute. If anything, he's even more put off with how often it works.
  • Henry Dean in The Drawing of the Three gave the answer to every question during a Trivial Pursuit game as Johnny Cash, because "Johnny Cash is everything." Eventually the mobsters holding him virtually hostage give a question deliberately evoking Cash as the answer... only for Henry to give the name Walter Brennan.
  • In the second book of Gods and Warriors, the House of Koronos is offered Havoc as a gift. When Pharax suggests sacrificing the lion cub with the dagger of Koronos, his sister Alekto snarks that sticking with a knife is her brother's answer to everything.

    Live-Action TV 
  • Boardwalk Empire: In the series finale, Tommy Darmody to Nucky Thompson.
  • Friends:
    Ross: Well, yeah, I think we should get married!
    Rachel: What? Because that's your answer to everything?
  • Frasier
    • In the episode "Daphne Hates Sherry":
      Daphne: Sex. That's your answer for everything. It's like you're part rabbit. People ought to rub your feet for luck.
    • In "Don Juan in Hell, Part 2", when Frasier is hallucinating his three main exes (Lilith, Nanette and Diane), plus his mother, Hester, Nanette complains that Hester's answer for everything is that she's dead.
  • Will & Grace episode "Lows in the Mid-Eighties":
    Grace: Mom! This isn't fair!
    Bobbi Adler: Well, neither is my cottage cheese ass!
    Grace: Why is that your answer to everything?
  • In an episode of Red Dwarf, "Meltdown", the Dwarfers find themselves on a planet inhabited by droids of famous historical and fictional figures, who are fighting a war between Good and Evil. On the Good side, the Pythagoras droid continually suggests tactics involving triangles, much to the annoyance of the Albert Einstein droid.
    Pythagoras: I still feel there's a solution, probably involving triangles.
    Einstein: Pythagoras, what is it with you? Always with the triangles, your solution to everything is triangles! There are problems that can't be solved by triangles!
  • Scrubs
    • A literal example: J.D. and Turk meet Old MC, a young MC impersonator, who's answer to everything is "Bust a move." At first they have fun with this, asking him different questions, but it quickly gets old.
    • There was a Running Gag for a short that when someone expresses doubt about a relationship, Carla would just tell her to marry the guy so that the four of them could have a double dinner date together.
  • MythBusters:
    "When in doubt, C-4."
  • When Ron decides to go off the grid in Parks and Recreation, he has trouble convincing his wife:
    Ron: Have you considered moving? I hear the school system in the tunnels underneath Yucca Mountain is adequate.
    Diane: I love you, but your solution to everything is to go live inside a mountain.

    Video Games 
  • Legacy of Kain:
    Moebius: Your only solution for every problem: kill...
    Kain: This is not a debate. You see, this time, you have nothing that I want.
  • A commercial for Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure has Stealth Elf asking Boomer if "BLOW IT UP!" is his answer for everything. Unfortunately for her, something exploded as soon as she asked.
    Boomer: I couldn't hear ya, because it got BLOWED UP!
  • Final Fantasy X-2: Shinra always goes "I'm just a kid." whenever he gets stuck with no other answers to give people in order to avoid responsibility. He especially says this after being asked a question he can't answer (or doesn't want to) after he says his other catch phrase: "I know everything."
  • Penny Arcade Adventures: Apparently getting high is Tycho's go-to solution. In this case, though, he meant the team needed to climb on top of something to reach the boss' weak spot.
  • Dragon Age II - This occurs between a Sarcastic Hawke and Fenris if you max out the latter's Rivalry.
    Fenris: I am finally free - but none of it feels like it should. This "freedom" tastes like ashes.
    Hawke: I always thought it tasted like chicken.
  • In Pirate101, whenever you comes across an obstacle you can't get past, Ratbeard will often suggest using a cannon (which is somehow always nearby) to blow a hole in it.
    Bonnie Anne: That's your answer for everything.
    Ratbeard: What do you mean my answer? It's the answer. It always works!

    Visual Novels 
  • Akira from Spirit Hunter: NG is fond of using his physical prowess to solve his problems, something that Seiji calls out when they're up against a security guard and need to hide.
    Seiji: So barbaric. Ever try solving your problems withOUT using your fists?

    Web Animation 
  • Homestar Runner: "The Best Decemberween Ever" features a reference to "In Search Of The Yello Dello" that turns into this.
    Coach Z: Well, Homestar, I'll tell ya. Buying a Decemberween present for Strong Bad is like a great sports play.
    Homestar: Let me guess. I can't just rush into the score zone.
    Coach Z: Hey, that's right!
    Homestar: Coach, that's your answer for everything!
    Coach Z: Oh... Mouthwarsh?
  • In RWBY, Glynda expresses her frustration at General Ironwood, who just proposed to send his fleet to root out a possible criminal base, rather than scouting out the situation beforehand. As the series goes on, this gets less funny, as Ironwood's attempts to solve everything with force repeatedly play right into the enemy's plans and culminate in him going over the Despair Event Horizon and becoming a villain when he learns that Salem is immortal and no amount of military force will defeat her.
    Glynda: Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado!? You treat every situation like it's a contest of measuring di—
    Ozpin: Glynda!
    Glynda: Well, he does.
  • DR. BEES, the bee-themed superhero and star of the titular cartoon, embodies this. No matter what the problem is, no matter what's happening, his solution is to add bees. Handsome family gathering? Release the bees. International Bring a Shit-ton of Bees to Work Day gone out of control? Release more bees. Comic cover overruled? Add more bees. A business gathering with no crime or bees? Yet more bees. Accepting a deal to join with the comfort-based supervillain? You get the idea. The National Bee Convention lacks any and all bees? Well, fixing that one might prove difficult...

    Web Comics 
  • Sluggy Freelance:
    • "GOFOTRON Champion of the Cosmos":
    Random extra #1:No, Lieutenant, the celebrity surprise is not Princess-Princess popping out of a cake. Is that your answer for everything?
    Random extra #2: Only because it solves everything.
    • "Kesandru's Well":
    Riff: Kesandru's precise wards are tied to wood, mortar, plaster... various mundane materials that share one important quality. They all can be blown up.
    Torg: Riff, that's always your plan!
    Riff: It's more of a philosophy.
  • 8-Bit Theater
    • Red Mage's is the following:
    Black Mage: What makes you qualified to make that kind of judgement?
    Red Mage: Mastery of animal husbandry, of course.
    (for reference, they are repairing an airship)
    Black Mage: Why is that your answer for everything? (Beat) How is that your answer for everything?
    Red Mage: There is no problem that cannot be overcome by an imaginative and vigorous use of the animal husbandry skill.
  • Keychain of Creation:
    Marena: How did you avoid getting hurt this time?
    Secret: Dodge Charms.
    Marena: Is that your answer to everything?
    Secret: Because it is the answer to everything.
  • Rhapsodies:
    Fedya: We not have problem if you let me use sledgehammer.
    Shilo: Dude, the sledgehammer’s your answer to everything.
  • Rusty and Co. does it beautifully in the very first strip.
    Rusty: Eat axe?
    Mimic: No, ya whacked-out cock-a-roach. We just get the thing and bring it back.
    Rusty: Eat dwarf?
    Mimic: Lissen, ain't nobody eating nothin', you get it?
  • Schlock Mercenary: Sergeant Schlock apparently forgot how he usually problem solves:
    Thurl: Eat it, kill it, make friends with it, or take a bath in it. Those are the points on your moral compass.
  • xkcd has the beret-wearing existentialist, whose answer to everything is something about baking and/or scones. Best illustrated here:
    Megan: Okay, what airline?
    Beret Man: I'm following you.
    Megan: ...I'm following you.
    Beret Man: I assumed we were walking to a bakery.
    Megan: You always assume that!
  • The 10 Doctors: The Second Doctor to the Third, when he suggests they Reverse the Polarity to solve their current problem.
  • The Daedalus figure in this Oglaf strip.
    Sire, I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese!

    Web Original 
  • Kickassia, Part 1:
    Lee: Maybe we can jump on him and use his turtle shell to get extra points!
    Critic: That's your answer to everything.
    Lee: Well it would work if you gave it a shot!
  • Doctor Moley Can Help: "PILLS!!!!" Doctor Moley was actually offended once when someone asked if he also offered cream.
  • The Brows Held High review of Blood for Dracula applies this to the film's Deus Sex Machina.
    Mario: (in the movie) You oughta lose that, uh, virginity of yours.
    Kyle: (watching the movie) Mario, that's your answer for everything.

    Western Animation 
  • Ben 10 episode "Truth":
    Ben Tennyson: I don't get it. How come you didn't tell Phil about the Omnitrix?
    Grandpa Max: That's on a need-to-know-basis only Ben, the less people who know the better.
    Gwen Tennyson: Guess that's your answer to everything, isn't it, Grandpa?
  • Clerks: The Animated Series episode 3 with the long name:
    Randal Graves: And the lightsaber, you turn it on and it goes yea-high. How does it know when to stop?
    Dante Hicks: The Force?
    Randal Graves: Man, that's your answer for everything.
  • Hypernauts episode "Battle at Vekara":
    Russell 'Ace' Antonov: We've got to get this ship some firepower!
    Noriko 'Max' Matsuda: Is that your answer for everything? Firepower?
  • The Penguins of Madagascar:
    Private: Oh, Rico! Chainsaw's your answer to everything!
  • The Simpsons
    • This exchange from a Halloween special:
      (Maggie has mutated into an alien and Marge and Homer take her to the doctor's office.)
      Homer: Is there anything you can prescribe, Doctor?
      Dr. Hibbert: Fire! And lots of it.
      Marge: (Sighing) Oh, that's your cure for everything.
    • Also Homer's plan to escape being slandered by the media: Start a new life Under the Sea.
      Marge: Homer that's your solution to everything, to move under the sea. It's not gonna happen!
      Homer: Not with that attitude!
    • In "The Old Man and the Lisa", Mr. Burns finally does some research over what happened to his finances after September of 1929 and asks why Smithers didn't warn him about the Great Depression. Smithers says he hadn't been born yet and Burns complains that it's Smithers' excuse for everything.
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: "Suited for Success", Rarity is having a Heroic BSoD because her fashion career seems to be ruined due to a disastrous fashion show. Her friends try to talk to her but Rarity is too caught up in her failure.
    Twilight Sparkle: Now what do we do?
    Fluttershy: Um... panic?
    Rainbow Dash: That's your answer for everything!
  • Spinelli's friends in Recess: School's Out say this about Spinelli threatening to "introduce" the students who aren't cooperating to her "good friend Madame Fist" — a callback to an early episode of the series when she threatens to do the same to anyone who gives Gus a hard time.
  • Futurama:
    • Deep Blue, the world's foremost chess-playing computer, is part of Al Gore's timeline protection team, with predictable results.
    Deep Blue: Bishop to knight 4.
    Al Gore: Not all missions can be solved with chess, Deep Blue. Someday you'll understand that.
    • In a flashback, a hungover scientist at the cryogenics lab where Fry was frozen suggests throwing Fry's dog Seymour in a pod when he keeps barking in a vain attempt to free Fry. His colleague responds that not every problem can be solved by freezing it. The scientist motion to the lab's motto: "You can solve all your problems by freezing them." Pan to another pod, where a nagging housewife has been frozen mid-rant.
  • Drawn Together: Xandir asks why Toot has a tendency to eat anything that doesn't work, up to and including a television.
  • Darkwing Duck
    Gosalyn: Let's blow it up!
    Darkwing: "Blow it up!", that's your answer to everything!
    Gosalyn: It worked when the sink was clogged up.


Alternative Title(s): Your Answer For Everything

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