In the Local Tongue/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Basic Trope: Something that sounds cool or mystical in its native language turns out to mean something mundane or negative.

  • Straight: In the Troperian language, awesomus coolicus means "wooden stick."
  • Exaggerated: The Troperian word fantasticoria means "pile of shit."
  • Justified: The Troperians mistrust all outsiders, so their language is intentionally designed to deceive foreigners.
  • Inverted: Stupidio lamicum means "fire-breathing dragon."
  • Subverted: Awesomus coolicus means "wooden stick"...which happens to be primarily used as a euphemism for an ancient all-powerful staff of divine origin.
  • Double Subverted: But when the characters reach the staff, it turns it out is in fact just a wooden stick.
  • Parodied: ???
  • Deconstructed: Misled by the mystical sounding name, the main character believes the Troperian word for "stone" refers to an ancient evil artifact, and sets out on a Windmill Crusade to destroy it.
  • Averted: Awesomus coolicus means "all-powerful sword."
  • Enforced: ???
  • Lampshaded: "Awesomus coolicus means 'stick'? That's rich."
  • Invoked: (After reaching the location of the Artifact of Doom) "Apparently fantasicorio marvelorum is Troperian for 'spoon'!"
  • Defied: ???
  • Discussed: ???
  • Conversed: ???

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