Intelligible Unintelligible: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

'''Brock Samson''': Well, I don't think Maya Angelou was talking about this chick.|''[[The Venture Brothers]]'' }}

 

 

Often results in [[Repeating So the Audience Can Hear]].

 

If people can understand them even though they're not saying ''anything'' you have a [[Silent Bob]].

 

== Anime & Manga ==

* Daikichi Komusubi from ''[[Eyeshield 21]]'' communicates in a language made up of grunts and one-word sentences known as "powerspeak", which can only be understood by strong men like [[Gentle Giant|Kurita]], [[Blood Knight|Gao]], or [[Boisterous Bruiser|Mizumachi]] (and, for some reason, [[Team Mom|Mamori]]).

** This seems to be true of most trainers, since they're always around their Pokémon and learn to understand them.

** Pikachu does have a number of [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ash%27s_Pikachu#Pikachu.27s_language recurring phrases.]

 

== Comic Books ==

** So can the reader, if they sound it out.

* Played with in an issue of ''[[Guardians of the Galaxy]]'', where Maximus of the Inhumans can apparently discuss complex scientific concepts with Groot, despite the fact all Groot is saying is "I am Groot!" Of course, since his full name is Maximus ''the Mad''...

== Film -- Animated ==

* ''[[Lilo and Stitch]]'': Stitch can persuade someone to let them go, and help Stitch save his [[True Companions|ohana]] with a simple "Ih." Later on it turns out that "ih" just means yes, which makes sense given that it was in response to "you really expect me to [all that stuff] just like that?!"

 

 

** Only after a period of exposure.

*** The Librarian also occasionally says "eek", which is usually either an expression of displeasure (or some other negative emotion, such as anger or shock) or a "no", although the exact content of the statement can include a great deal more than that.

* In the many ''[[Star Wars]]'' novels, there are many characters who can understand R2-D2 or Chewbacca. In a conventional novel, there would be no reason not to include sentences like, "And then Chewie said, in Shyriiwook, 'Pass me the peanuts.'" However, to preserve the ambience from the films, their dialogue is never provided directly like that. Instead, you get something like, "Chewie grunted a request. Han said, 'Sure, pal,' and passed him the peanuts."

 

 

== Live Action Television ==

** Another gag had Lizze and Matt [[Freaky Friday Flip|switch bodies]] and had Lizzie able to understand him.

* Subverted on ''[[The Muppet Show]]'', when Beaker says something to Miss Piggy and she snaps, "Beaker, I told you never to talk to me like that!" After he leaves, she turns to the camera and adds, "Because I can't understand it." Similarly, there's a scene where the Swedish Chef is complaining to Kermit, and Kermit keeps going, "I understand." Once the Chef leaves, Kermit gives an [[Aside Glance]] and comments, "I don't understand." However, [[Rule of Funny|when it's funnier]] for them to be understandable, Beaker and the Chef sometimes play this straight.

** Also played with in the case of the Swedish Chef who is himself [[The Unintelligible]], but has been shown to have a perfect understanding of Beaker and in instance, some other [[Funny Foreigner]] muppets.

* When we finally meet the Breen in ''[[Deep Space Nine]]'', they speak in an unintelligible electronic buzzing. Despite that, everyone understands them perfectly, and even complements them on their eloquence. On a related note, Morn, the silent figure in Quark's bar, has a reputation as a chatterbox.

* In episode 9x05 of [[Mystery Science Theater 3000]], ''The Deadly Bees'', Mike Nelson temporarily dresses as a bee and proceeds to communicate with Tom Servo and Crow in bee language (which involves lots of wiggling around but no actual spoken dialogue). Crow is confused, but Servo understands perfectly.

 

== Newspaper Comics ==

* This trope is older than they think, used as early as ''[[Peanuts]]'' (the comic strip), with Snoopy being the only character who can understand Woodstock. The adults in the television series are also incomprehensible to the audience, but the characters understand them with full clarity.

 

 

== Radio ==

* Played with in "[[The Goon Show|The Last Goon Show of All]]".

'''Bluebottle:''' He's one of Mrs Thatcher's incomprehensives. ''(a reference to Britain's Comprehensive schoolteachers)'' }}

 

 

== Video Games ==

* The Guru from ''[[Sly Cooper|Sly 3]]'' engages in a lot of this, particularly with Bentley and Murray.

* Honda Tadakatsu in ''[[Sengoku Basara]]'', despite only making mechanical noises seems to have no problems when it comes to communication since other characters are able to hold conversations with him.

* Tuba from [[Baman Piderman]] speaks only with tuba sounds, but everyone else understands her.

* Several cast members of ''[[Homestar Runner]]'' fall into this, especially The Cheat and Pom Pom.

* In [[Brain POP]], the robots speak in beeps, but humans can understand them.

* In [[Red vs. Blue]], the Meta speaks in mainly grunts and snarls, but his partner Wash has no problem understanding him.

== Webcomic ==

* The only thing George of [[A Moment of Peace]] ever says is 'Meep,' but his human friend Evi holds extensive conversations with him over tea and {{spoiler|while plotting to capture monsters.}}

** To make things even more complicated, in [http://www.nobmouse.net/2009/07/03/linguistic-troubles/ one comic] he acts as a ''translator'' for another unintelligible character.

* [[Dreamkeepers]] Prelude: Whip

* [[Roza]] [http://www.junglestudio.com/roza/?date=2007-05-19 Nik]

 

== Web Original ==

** Often subverted and averted when characters just interpret what they want to hear or can't understand him at all (Marik's Evil Council Of Doom).

*** And often people can't understand him when he talks, as in Evil Council of Doom 4.

* In an episode of ''[[Futurama]]'', Nibbler zaps Leela with a beam to allow her to understand Nibblonian, which to the audience sounds like gibberish.

* Kenny from ''[[South Park]]'' drifts in and out of this trope; it's a rare character on the show that can't understand him, but that's partly because most of his lines are perfectly normal English just spoken quickly and muffled. Even the audience can pick up what he's saying sometimes...

* On ''[[Sushi Pack]]'', only other members of the Pack can understand Wasabi. His "[[The Unintelligible|mustard speak]]" is occasionally used for a [[Repeating So the Audience Can Hear]] version of an [[Orphaned Punchline]]:

** This seems to only be true in Arlen; in one episode he falls asleep while innertubing and wakes up in Austin, where a policeman thinks Boomhauer's schizophrenic.

* In the ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' short "Rabbit's Kin". it is possible to understand the little rabbit's speech, it's just sped up to the point of near unintelligible, if one were to slow it down you can clearly hear what he's saying.

** This also holds true for [[Classic Disney Shorts|Disney]]'s ''Chip 'n Dale''.

** And Mr. Krabs:

'''Mr. Krabs:''' The Suds?! }}

* Helper from ''[[The Venture Brothers]]''.

* Octocat from ''[[Spliced]]'' can only say meow, but all the other characters can understand her.

* [[Kid Appeal Character|Bumblebee]] of ''[[Transformers Prime]]'' can't speak normally due to losing his voice processor, rather like his movie counterpart, instead communicating through beeping noises. The other Autobots seem to have no problem understanding him. The only ''human'' who gets what he's saying is the [[Child Prodigy]].

** And even he is unsure why this is...

* Ookla in ''[[Thundarr the Barbarian]]'' speaks only in unintelligible growls, but Thundarr and Ariel have no problem understanding him.

* Ivor, from ''Ivor The Engine'', is only able to communicate by blasts from his three-toned whistle. Although he's incomprehensible to most of the human characters, his driver, Jones the Steam, is capable of holding conversation with him.

* Meap from "The Chronicles of MEAP" episode of ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' speaks only the word "meap". Once he tears the Intergalactic Translator Mustache off of his foe Mitch and dons it, Meap is quite articulate.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Characters As Device]]

[[Category:Dialogue]]