Big "What?": Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

[[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|As the title should tell you]] (WHAT?!), this trope is about yelling (WHAT!?) a ridiculously long, loud "WHAAAAAT!?" ([[Overly Long Gag|WHAT!?]]) Usually uttered when the character is confused (WHAT!?), annoyed (WHAT!?) or just plain ol' shocked (WHAT!?). May be used in the form of (WHAT!?): "You WHAT?", or when used in anime, NANNIIIII!?!?!?! ([[Flat What|What]]) -- often translated as "Say what?" or [[Curse Cut Short|"What the-"]] to match the two-syllable motion.

A [[Sub-Trope]] of [[Big Word Shout]].

 

 

* Something of a [[Catch Phrase]] of [[Unfazed Everyman|Kawachi]] from ''[[Yakitate!! Japan]]'' is that he'd yell, "What'd you say?" in situations like this (The record was about 30 times in a single chapter of the manga).

* In the first anime for ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'', upon being told that Negi had just [[Brought Down to Normal|depowered]] [[Willfully Weak|himself intentionally]], thus becoming [[The Load]], one female character bellowed a loud "Naaaaniiii!!?"

** Also from the manga:

"[[Balanced Harem|Everyone]]:" YOU WHAT!? }}

* In episode 14 of [[Azumanga Daioh]], Nyamo's "[[What Did I Do Last Night?]]" ends with a big WHHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?

== Fan Works ==

* In ''[[Turnabout Storm]]'', [[Ace Attorney|Phoenix Wright]] collapses without warning right in his office, and while he's paralyzed and unable to move or see, he hears an unfamiliar voice talking to him. Once he gathers the strenght to wake up, he finds out he's not in his office anymore. Then he sees the source of that voice...

'''Phoenix Wright:''' ''Yeah, I'm a human... [[Beat|*beat*]] WAIT, '''WHAT!?''''' }}

* [[Dragon Ball Abridged]]'s Vegeta has this reaction to finding out that {{spoiler|Dodoria's a woman.}}

'''Vegeta:''' ...'''WHAT?!''' }}

 

* At the beginning of ''Sanjuro'', when Sanjuro finds out that the guy he pegged as the villain knows about the younger samurai's secret meeting place, he utters the Japanese equivalent: "NANIIIIIII?!"

* In ''[[A Christmas Story]]'', Ralphie's mom asks him where he learned the word "fuck". He decides it's a bad idea to truthfully say his dad, so he says his friend. Ralphie's mom calls the friend's mom and notifies her. She screams "WHAAAAAAAAAAT?" and proceeds to [[Abusive Parents|beat the shit out of him]] without even hanging up.

* In ''[[Ali]]'', this is Cassius Clay Sr.'s reaction when his namesake son informs him that he'll no longer be known by his father's name.

'''Cassius Clay Sr.:''' What? You...you ''WHAT?!?'' }}

* In the comedy ''Clean Slate'', the hero lost his memory of his testimony for the mob, but taped what he could remember before he forgot the rest of it. Then he found his girlfriend accidentally taped over it, and did this trope.

* ''[[Yellow Submarine]]'': The Chief Blue Meanie after the Flying Glove misses at clobbering Old Fred:

** And before that, when Max says "yes":

* Happens in ''[[King Kong]]'' after Ann and Jack escape the jungle and the crew prepares to leave the island.

'''Englehorn:''' What?! }}

* ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'': 3 of them: [[Funny Moments|when the Beast learns Belle isn't coming to dinner (as ordered)]], Congsworth's reaction [[I Want My Beloved to Be Happy|when the Beast releases Belle to go find her father]], and the enchanted objects reaction when Cogsworth tells them.

* ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]]'': Jafar uses this after Iago suggests he marry Princess Jasmine.

** That reaction probably has more to do with the way in which he initially worded it, though:

'''Jafar''': Marry the shrew? I become sultan? The idea has merit... }}

 

 

== Literature ==

'''Jake:''' WHAT!? WHAT!? WHAAAAAT!? }}

* There's one of these in basically every one of the "Froggy" children's book series.

'''Froggy''': Whaaaat? }}

 

* In the famous [[Monty Python]] sketch about a [[Blind Idiot Translation|horribly translated and sexually-charged English-to-Hungarian book]], the responding constable to the Hungarian's "you have beautiful thighs" is to look at his own thighs and scream '''WHAT?'''

* An episode of ''[[Babylon 5]]'' had this when Londo and Lennier are involved in a brawl in the Zocalo. Sheridan hears about the fight and goes to his office. As the door closes, he hears who took ultimate responsibility for the fight (Lennier, to help Londo save face). Considering that Lennier is a [[Warrior Poet]], his reaction is understandable.

** And the other way around. See ''Voyage of the Damned.''

** From ''The Five Doctors'':

'''Castellan''': '''WHAT?''' [[Dull Surprise|No, not the]] '''mind probe'''. }}

* Both forms are running gags on ''[[Titus]]''; the big what is often used by Christopher as a reaction to the crazy thought patterns of those around him.

* ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'': The "Gourmet Night" episode featured a truly magnificent "'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maoPS03C9nw WHAT??!!]'''"

* One ''[[The Kids in The Hall|Kids In The Hall]]'' sketch featured a husband (Scott) who could apparently only say "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgux9joHvnU What?]"; as his wife (Bruce) kept looking at him without an answer while dusting, the husband quickly invoked this trope.

* The "Say What?" [[Mad Libs Catchphrase]] of ''[[Hannah Montana]].'' It was always said very specifically, "[General Description] say whaat?"

'''Dorothy''': '''WHO!?''' }}

* On ''[[Boy Meets World]]'', Eric lets out an epically huge "what" after he learns that Mr. Feeny is retiring.

 

== Music ==

* [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] invoked this trope (''WHAT?'') as a heel in 2001, when he was acting strangely, saying "what?" during promos in order to repeat what he had just said. He first did this in [[Real Life Writes the Plot|real life]], when he was leaving a bored answerphone message (see [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOeZtJuiLUU this video on its origins]). Later he used it as an intimidation tactic, [[Misaimed Fandom|it caught on with the fans]] (''WHAT?'') and quickly became so popular (''WHAT?'') that they chanted "''WHAT?''" during the National Anthem (''WHAT?'') [[Heel Face Turn|and made Austin a face]] in the process (''WHAT?''). It quickly became an [[Overly Long Gag]] (''WHAT?'') and would be used on other wrestlers (''WHAT?''), particularly [[Kurt Angle]]. (''WHAT?'')

** [[The Undertaker]] was able to counter the "WHAT?" chant on [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyKPySrEdK0 a 2002 episode of Raw]:

'''Crowd''': ''WHA...BOOOOOOOOOO'' }}

** As did [[Hulk Hogan]]:

'''[[Hulk Hogan]]''': --cha gonna do, brother, when Hulkamania runs wild on you? }}

** As did [[Roddy Piper]], who reacted as if the audience was asking him a question, ''every'' time.

** More recently, '''[[The Miz]]''':

*** And when teaming with R-Truth, he gave us this gem.

'''The Miz''': I got this. ''[Looks at R-Truth, completely dumbfounded]'' What? }}

** And [[Vince McMahon]]:

* [[CM Punk]] tried to do this when [[Vince McMahon]] apologized to him. However even after several invites the crowd didn't bite.

 

== Theatre ==

* In [[Show Within a Show]] of [[The Drowsy Chaperone]], this is [[Funny Foreigner]] Aldolfo's reaction to the slightest inconvenience or unexpected answer. It appears to be a trademark of his fictional actor, the [[Large Ham]] Roman Bartelli, as he is heard to do the same in the [[Values Dissonance|massively racist]] other show, Message From a Nightingale.

The Poor: WHAAAAAAAAAAATT? }}

 

== Video Games ==

* Courtesy of [[Norio Wakamoto|Lord Wakamoto]], [[Evil Overlord|M.]] [[Street Fighter|Bison]]'s Japanese [[Death Cry Echo]] in ''[[Street Fighter IV]]'' is the What to end all Whats.

* In ''[[Paper Mario (franchise)|Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door]]'', this is Professor Frankly's catchphrase. Usually given after the events of the last chapter were explained to him so he can act as [[Mr. Exposition]] for the next. It's delivered from outside his house in the form of a speech bubble that fills half the screen.

* In ''[[Ace Attorney]]'' series, when the trials gets high-paced someone shouts it every couple of seconds.

* Used [[Egregious|gratuitously]] in ''[[Dragon Ball]] Z: Burst Limit'', 'WHAT!?' is the response from almost every character in the game, to almost every event that occurs in the game

* ''[[Resident Evil]]'' ([[Resident Evil 1|the first game, to be exact]], courtesy of [[Fountain of Memes|Barry Burton]]):

* ''[[The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police|Sam and Max Freelance Police]]'': Sam does this in episode 205: "What's New, Beelzebub?" when {{spoiler|they discover that Brady Culture likes Hell}}, but prefaces it with "Forgive me, my mouth is too parched for a [[Spit Take]]".

* The last screen you see in ''[[Star Fox 64]]'''s ending is {{spoiler|the team's bill to General Pepper for their services}}; do sufficiently well (i.e. score enough kills) and the sight of this [[Shockingly Expensive Bill|prompts]] General Pepper to say "Wha?" in a tone of utter shock.

* [[The Reveal]] right before the [[Final Boss]] of ''[[I Wanna Be the Guy]]''. It really [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM7Y_GQ_1DU has to be heard] for the [[Funny Moments (Sugar Wiki)|full effect]]:

The Kid: "'''<big>WHAT</big>'''" }}

* Revolver Ocelot utters a hilarious, surprised and [[Large Ham|hamatic]] "WHAAAAAAT?!" when Cyborg Ninja cuts off his hand in ''[[Metal Gear]] Solid: Twin Snakes''.

** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYHRqGA71YQ "WHAAAAAT?! Where the hell did THAT come from?"]

'''Bang''': WHAT DID YOU ''SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY''?! }}

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYsAklh4uqQ "An early preview"] of ''[[Portal 2]]'' used a placeholder voice actor (one of the programmers) for new sidekick character Wheatley, who added a particularly amusing emphasis on the phrase "You did WHAT?!"

* In ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'', this is how Sora, Donald, and Goofy react to two major revelations, both one after the other: first when {{spoiler|they learn that Ansem, the [[Big Bad]] of the [[Kingdom Hearts|first game]], was in fact the Heartless of a man posing as an entirely different character named Ansem}}; and again when {{spoiler|they learn that the fake Ansem's Nobody is the current [[Big Bad]]}}.

* ''[[Castlevania]]: [[Castlevania: Symphony of the Night|Symphony of the Night]]'' features Alucard, who does this in gameplay a lot, when he's turned to stone, or untransforms in a tight passageway. For Dracula in the prologue, it's more like "big WHAT IS A MAN?!"

* In [[Dawn of War]] 2: Retribution, it's one of the responses of Noise Marines to you clicking on them. Justified because they likely have trouble hearing you given that the majority of their weaponry is based entirely on the loudest, most discordant sounds that can possibly be produced by 40th millennium technology.

 

== Webcomics ==

* Apparently ''[[Bruno the Bandit]]'' used to do this so often that the author started to put "too surprised to yell the obligatory what" at the end of the strips when they didn't for a while.

* ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'', [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0490.html from Eugene].

'''Roy:''' In lieu of Paradise, can I just get a picture of the exact expression on his face? }}

* ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'' provides a double example [http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-08-08 here.] And an even bigger one [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-12-09 here].

== Web Original ==

* Happens to [[The Nostalgia Critic]] when reviewing the [[Mind Screw]] that is ''[[Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog]]''.

** "What!? Pumpkin? P-Pumpkin? What? What? What? Pumpkin, What!?"

** Likewise, he uses this ''several'' times during his review of ''[[Sidekicks]]'', the biggest being when [[Chuck Norris]] fights alongisde the main protagonist.

* [[Homestar Runner|Hey, Sticklyman!]] WHAAAAAAAAT are you doing?

** According to the 100th email, Homestar beat Strong Bad in their first competition to see who gets an egg. But:

'''Homestar:''' WHAAAAT??!!?&,:;%${} }}

** Also happens in Teen Girl Squad Issue 12, themed to Valentine's Day:

'''So and So:''' ''(shouting)'' VALEN''TINES''! }}

* [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/455919 Awesome Center], from the always over-the-top [[Awesome Series|Egoraptor]].

* ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'': Simmons, repeatedly.

'''Donut''': [[Comically Missing the Point|Ruh-de.]] }}

* In the "[[Tetris]] Smackdown" video done by the [[Freelance Astronauts]]. Maxwell and pipes! are playing, and pipes! fires off ''[[Four Is Death|four in a row]]'' when Maxwell drops a train on him:

''(pipes! loses. The other three burst out laughing.)'' }}

* [http://www.youtube.com/user/BohepansTheThird#p/c/F99CE7B95991C273 This] [[Let's Play]] of [[Super Mario Bros 3]]. The LPer delivers one in World 8 after [[Yet Another Stupid Death]] when [[Good Bad Bugs|something unusual happens]] [[Hilarity Ensues|with Mario's death animation...]]

* Done a few times in ''[[The Strangerhood]].''

* The page quote comes from episode ten of [[Chuggaaconroy]]'s [[Pikmin]] let's play, where he thought he left behind 98 blue pikmin due a glitch not making them show up at sundown, massive freakout ensues.

* Subverted in ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'', when Bart wants to divorce his parents. Upon hearing what Bart wants, the Blue Haired Lawyer exclaims, "You whaaaaaa?" when in fact he was calling for his secretary, Uwa.

** Also subverted in this scene, where Marge has just accepted a job with the police. Cut to the exterior of the Simpsons' house:

'''Homer''': Nothing. I'm just a bit edgy since your mother became a cop. }}

** Frequently played straight with Moe, who says it in a way similar to Chris of ''[[Family Guy]]''.

* In ''[[Family Guy]]'' this seems to be Chris's catch phrase: "UH-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?"

** Also, Meg in the episode "Dial Meg for Murder", when Joe [http://www.youtube.com/user/FoxBroadcasting#p/search/35/nC0KGHzW8BM arrests her fugitive boyfriend]:

'''Meg:''' Oh, well, that's only fair, because, after all, I did hide him from the WHAAAA? }}

** Stewie's response to the announcement of a new baby brother in "Emission Impossible":

{{quote| '''Zordrak:''' They did '''WWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT????????!!!!!!!!'''}}

* [[Playing With Tropes|Played with]] in the third episode of [[Clone High]]. Donald Faison's character, a clone of George Washington Carver, is in a cop movie called Black & Tan with a clone of Gandhi, played by Michael McDonald. The script calls for Carver to recite the line "Say WHAAAT?!" This unfolds:

'''Carver:''' '''''STOP IT!''''' }}

** Later in the episode, Carver converts it into "What is that you ''SAAAY?!''"

{{quote| '''Twilight:''' Uh... but I... WHAT?! The hydra wasn't the doozy? How could it ''not'' be the doozy? What could be doozier than that?!}}

** In "Sisterhooves Social", Rarity, Applejack, ''and'' Apple Bloom all let out Big Whats in quick succession when Sweetie Belle disowns Rarity as her sister in favor of Applejack.

'''Flame Princess:''' You..... '''''WHAT?!?!?!''''' }}

** Also Jake's reaction to the news that she's evil.

*** From Too Young:

'''Lemongrab:''' HHHHRRRRGGRGGGHH!!! }}

 

 

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{{reflist}}

[[Category:Chewing the Scenery]]

[[Category:Surprise Tropes]]

[[Category:Self-Demonstrating Article]]