Initialism Title: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Content added Content deleted
VisualWikitext
m (Mass update links)
(M*A*S*H pothole)
 
(4 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 8: Line 8:
If such a title has a subtitle, more often than not it will be simply an expansion of the initialism in question.
If such a title has a subtitle, more often than not it will be simply an expansion of the initialism in question.


Note that ''acronyms'' written as one normally capitalized word, such as "Scuba" or "Gestapo", do not count as example of this trope. Titles that simply ''include'' an initialism (''[[Mrs. Frisby and The Rats of NIMH]]'', ''[[The Man From UNCLE]]'') don't fit in here either.
Note that ''acronyms'' written as one normally capitalized word, such as "Scuba" or "Gestapo", do not count as example of this trope. Titles that simply ''include'' an initialism (''[[Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH]]'', ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'') don't fit in here either.


Often overlaps with [[Team Title]] or [[Vehicle Title]]. Sometimes also with [[Fun With Acronyms]], though usually it's because the initialism in the title is already the name of something within the work itself.
Often overlaps with [[Team Title]] or [[Vehicle Title]]. Sometimes also with [[Fun with Acronyms]], though usually it's because the initialism in the title is already the name of something within the work itself.


This is so common for names of companies, organizations, software and industry products that there's no point in listing them, apart from when they're repurposed as names of works.
This is so common for names of companies, organizations, software and industry products that there's no point in listing them, apart from when they're repurposed as names of works.
⚫
{{examples}}


⚫
{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
== Anime and Manga ==
* ''[[FLCL]]''
* ''[[FLCL]]''
Line 22: Line 22:
* [[DC Comics]] titles ''L.E.G.I.O.N.'' and its successor, ''R.E.B.E.L.S.''
* [[DC Comics]] titles ''L.E.G.I.O.N.'' and its successor, ''R.E.B.E.L.S.''
* ''[[Disney Comics|W.H.A.D.A.L.O.T.T.A.J.A.R.G.O.N.]]'', a story by [[Don Rosa]]
* ''[[Disney Comics|W.H.A.D.A.L.O.T.T.A.J.A.R.G.O.N.]]'', a story by [[Don Rosa]]
* ''[[WITCH (Comic Book)|WITCH]]'', and its [[WITCH (Comic Book)|Animated]] [[Animated Adaptation|Adaptation]].
* ''[[W.I.T.C.H.|WITCH]]'', and its [[W.I.T.C.H.|Animated]] [[Animated Adaptation|Adaptation]].


== Film - Animated ==
== Film - Animated ==
Line 29: Line 29:
== Film - Live Action ==
== Film - Live Action ==
* ''B.A.P.S.''
* ''B.A.P.S.''
* ''[[CHUD]]''
* ''[[C.H.U.D.]]''
* ''[[DARYL (Film)|DARYL]]''
* ''[[D.A.R.Y.L.|DARYL]]''
* ''[[FIST]]''
* ''[[F.I.S.T.]]''
* ''R.O.T.O.R.'', a really bad 1989 knockoff of both ''[[The Terminator]]'' and ''[[Robo Cop]]''.
* ''R.O.T.O.R.'', a really bad 1989 knockoff of both ''[[The Terminator]]'' and ''[[RoboCop]]''.
* ''S.W.A.L.K.''
* ''S.W.A.L.K.''


Line 40: Line 40:
** ''[[CSI: Miami]]''
** ''[[CSI: Miami]]''
** ''[[CSI: NY]]'' (two initialisms in one!)
** ''[[CSI: NY]]'' (two initialisms in one!)
* ''[[MASH|M*A*S*H]]'', as well as the film on which it was based, as well as the novel on which ''that'' was based.
* ''[[M*A*S*H (television)|M*A*S*H]]'', as well as the film on which it was based, as well as the novel on which ''that'' was based.
* ''[[MANTIS (TV)|MANTIS]]''
* ''[[M.A.N.T.I.S.|MANTIS]]''
* ''[[JAG]]'' and its successor ''[[NCIS]]''
* ''[[JAG]]'' and its successor ''[[NCIS]]''
* ''NTSF:SD:SUV'' ("National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle"; a parody of the [[Police Procedural]] genre)
* ''NTSF:SD:SUV'' ("National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle"; a parody of the [[Police Procedural]] genre)
* ''[[SWAT]]''
* ''[[SWAT]]''
* Used in-universe in ''[[30 Rock (TV)|Thirty Rock]]'' with ''[[Show Within a Show|T.G.S.]]''
* Used in-universe in ''[[30 Rock]]'' with ''[[Show Within a Show|T.G.S.]]''


== Music ==
== Music ==
Line 54: Line 54:
== Tabletop Games ==
== Tabletop Games ==
* ''[[GURPS]]''
* ''[[GURPS]]''
* ''[[HoL]]''


== Video Games ==
== Video Games ==
* ''[[FEAR|F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon]]''
* ''[[F.E.A.R.|F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon]]''
* ''GTR: FIA GT Racing Game''
* ''GTR: FIA GT Racing Game''
* ''H.E.R.O.''
* ''H.E.R.O.''
Line 67: Line 68:
* ''[[SWINE]]''
* ''[[SWINE]]''
* ''TFX''
* ''TFX''
* ''[[HAWX (Video Game)|Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X]]''
* ''[[HAWX|Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X]]''


== Visual Media ==
== Visual Media ==
Line 73: Line 74:


== [[Western Animation]] ==
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[COPS (Animation)|C.O.P.S.]]''
* ''[[COPS (animation)||C.O.P.S.]]''
* ''[[MASK]]''
* ''[[M.A.S.K.]]''
* ''[http://www.amazon.com/M-U-S-H-Vol-MUSH-spoof-animated/dp/B000MPPFW6 M-U-S-H]'', an Animated Parody of ''MASH'' with an all-animal cast. MUSH stands for Mangy Unwanted Shabby Heroes.
* ''[http://www.amazon.com/M-U-S-H-Vol-MUSH-spoof-animated/dp/B000MPPFW6 M-U-S-H]'', an Animated Parody of ''MASH'' with an all-animal cast. MUSH stands for Mangy Unwanted Shabby Heroes.
* Every single episode of ''[[Codename Kids Next Door]]'' has one of these titles.
* Every single episode of ''[[Codename: Kids Next Door]]'' has one of these titles.
* Parodied on ''[[The Wrong Coast]]'' with ''S.W.A.T.A.W.A.T.A.T.A.A.'' (''Special Weapons And Tactics As Well As The Ability To Appraise Antiques''), a cross between ''S.W.A.T.'' and ''[[Antiques Roadshow (TV)|Antiques Roadshow]]''.
* Parodied on ''[[The Wrong Coast]]'' with ''S.W.A.T.A.W.A.T.A.T.A.A.'' (''Special Weapons And Tactics As Well As The Ability To Appraise Antiques''), a cross between ''S.W.A.T.'' and ''[[Antiques Roadshow]]''.


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Title Tropes]]
[[Category:Title Tropes]]
[[Category:Initialism Title]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Trope]]

Latest revision as of 20:01, 4 August 2020

A title which is solely an initialism - uses big letters, optionally also dots.

Historically, while the practice of shortening words has been around for a long time (think "SPQR"), it has became very common among companies since the late 19th century; thus, such titles tend to be set in the modern era, and often have a vague suggestion of some powerful organization or government involved somewhere.

This appears to be especially popular for video games.

If such a title has a subtitle, more often than not it will be simply an expansion of the initialism in question.

Note that acronyms written as one normally capitalized word, such as "Scuba" or "Gestapo", do not count as example of this trope. Titles that simply include an initialism (Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) don't fit in here either.

Often overlaps with Team Title or Vehicle Title. Sometimes also with Fun with Acronyms, though usually it's because the initialism in the title is already the name of something within the work itself.

This is so common for names of companies, organizations, software and industry products that there's no point in listing them, apart from when they're repurposed as names of works.

Examples of Initialism Title include:

Anime and Manga

Comic Books

Film - Animated

Film - Live Action

Live Action TV

Music

  • The Finnish band HIM (formerly known as "His Infernal Majesty")
  • Mark Klem's song "GNA".
  • Madonna's MDNA M a D o N n A

Tabletop Games

Video Games

Visual Media

  • THD by Ian Miller

Western Animation

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Initialism_Title?oldid=1809328"