Layman's Terms: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

{{quote|'''Dr. Hibbert:''' Homer, I'm afraid you'll have to undergo a coronary bypass operation.

'''Homer:''' Spare me your medical mumbo-jumbo.

'''Dr. Hibbert''': We're going to cut you open and tinker with your ticker.

 

An attempt by a specialist to make incomprehensible [[Techno Babble]] or other jargon comprehensible to the other characters. Usually this results in an explanation that's either [[Viewers are Morons|insultingly vague]] or just as incomprehensible as the original. This often occurs as the result of another character saying something like, [[Stock Phrase|In English, please?]]

The term originally meant someone not a member of the clergy or the bar, because those professions actually did use terms people outside wouldn't understand.

 

 

In cases of [[Technology Marches On]] or an improper assumption of [[Viewers are Morons]], this can lead to a reasonable explanation followed by an inane, overly simplified explanation of a concept that was already understood on the first try. Depending upon the setting it may also lead to the audience to assume different things about characters that ought to know better, for example explaining basic or advanced physics to space-faring humans like such topics wouldn't have been required reading already.

 

* In ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi]]'', Kyon often complains he doesn't understand what Yuki, Mikuru or Koizumi mean with their [[Techno Babble]], although they don't attempt to "dumb it down". In the Drama CD "Sound Around" however, we have two scenes in which this happens.

** Scene 1:

'''Kyon:''' In layman's terms?

'''Yuki:''' In layman's terms... we do this. ''(starts [[Magic From Technology|hyperspeed]] [[Language of Magic|chanting]])'' }}

{{quote|'''Firo:''' "Wait, wait! I'm [[Idiot Hero|not that smart]]. Tell me in layman's terms, please."}}

* In ''[[Lucky Star]]'' Kagami usually asks Konata to talk in normal human language, not in geek language.

{{spoiler|'''Lordgenome:''' The multiverse probability fluctuation is controlled by them. While shifting through spacetime, they will approach and attack. ''(translation: the Mugann can [[Reality Warper|attack them from any point in the universe and from any point in the past or future]])''}}

'''Dayakka:''' Like I said, I don't understand! }}

{{quote|'''Ed''' The computer's kaput, and we're drifting through space towards certain oblivion.}}

 

* ''[[Y: The Last Man]]'': When Dr Mann finally cracks how Yorick survived the [[Gendercide]], he has to ask her to "dumb the technobabble down about a thousand percent," since he once nearly blew off one of his testicles with a baking soda volcano.

* In ''[[Nodwick]]'', it usually falls to [[Deadpan Snarker|Nodwick]] to translate things said by [[The Smart Guy|Arthax]] (or other intelligent beings) into terms [[Dumb Muscle|Yeagar]] can understand. He usually does this in the most patronizing ways he can as he's not very fond of Yeagar. Arthax occasionally does this himself, with equal amounts of snark but slightly less patronizing.

 

== Fan Works ==

* When the scientists are involved in ''[[Aeon Entelechy Evangelion]]'', sooner or later someone will ask them to explain what they said again, in human language. This happens almost all time when Misato and Ritsuko talk.

 

* From ''[[Event Horizon]]'':

{{quote|'''Dr. Weir:''' ''(stammering)'' Well, that's -- that's difficult to -- it's all math...

'''Miller:''' Try us, Doctor.

'''Cooper:''' Well, fuck layman's terms! Do you speak English? }}

* From ''[[The Matrix]]'':

{{quote|'''Christmas Jones:''' Can you put that in English, for those of us who don't speak spy?}}

* Trying to explain TV shows to the Thermians in ''[[Galaxy Quest]]'': "Explain as you would a child." (Except human children like to play pretend...)

** When Lovell first powered up the Lunar Module, and tried to steer it:

{{quote|'''Lovell:''' Why can't I null this out?

"He's been trying to figure out how the wizards work their spells," Mendenbar explained, "but he hasn't done it yet." }}

* In the ''[[Discworld]]'' books, this shows up on occasion. Usually it's Ponder who has to simplify things so that the older wizards will understand them.

{{quote|'''The Dean:''' It's six thousand miles! Everyone knows you can't get that far by magic.

'''Ponder:''' Er. As a matter of fact you can, I think. Er. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. People used to think it was, but I'm pretty sure it's all a matter of energy absorption and attention to relative velocities.

** In later books, many of the more educated characters have tried to explain big thaumaturgical ideas to laymen; when one of those laymen offers up an analogy, the educated character notes that it's a "very useful metaphor that aids understanding while being completely inaccurate in every respect".

* A running gag in ''[[Jeeves and Wooster (novel)|Jeeves and Wooster]]'' is that Bertie has to translate what Jeeves is saying for the benefit of one of his "[[Upper Class Twit|pals]]".

 

 

* Parodied in one ''[[The Armstrong and Miller Show]]'' sketch where a news reporter is interviewing a prominent scientist about a discovery that "could change science forever!" The conversation goes something like this:

{{quote|'''Reporter:''' Can you just briefly take us through this new theory of yours, in layman's terms?

** This, however, gets subverted when [[Omnidisciplinary Scientist|Samantha Carter]] gets command of Atlantis:

{{quote|'''Carter''': "This could be useful. Neutronium is incredibly dense."

'''Carter''': *smiles as if to say "Thank God I don't have to waste time explaining!"* }}

* ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'', episode ''Night'':

'''Cat:''' ''(to Lister)'' What ''is'' it?

'''Lister:''' It's a hole back into the past.

** And from "Future Echoes" (and also the first American pilot):

{{quote|'''Holly:''' How simple an explanation do you want?

'''Phil:''' I'm ''explaining'' it.

'''Lem:''' No, you're ''repeating it!'' }}

 

== New Media ==

* One of the language options for [[The Other Wiki]] is "Simple English". This can be helpful for some of the more obscure topics - since articles on, say, advanced mathematics only get edited by people who already understand them, they tend to drift inexorably into impenetrable jargon. Or if you prefer, the words get harder.

 

 

* After [[Celtic Mythology|Celtic folk hero Cu Chulainn]] and his future wife Emer [[Geeky Turn On|flirt in the nerdiest, most convoluted conversation ever]], Cu Chulainn has to take his charioteer Loeg aside and translate to him what exactly they were saying between all the riddles and obscure references. The explanation is twice as long as the conversation itself.

 

== Video Games ==

{{quote|'''Cave Johnson''': For this next test, we put nanoparticles in the gel. In layman's terms, that's a billion little gizmos that are gonna travel into your bloodstream and pump experimental genes and RNA molecules and so forth into your tumors.}}

* ''[[Fallout 2]]'', Harold asks you to bring a hydroelectric magnetosphere regulator for Gecko's nuclear power plant.

'''Harold:''' Well, technically... it's a thingy. }}

* From a cutscene in ''[[Command And Conquer Renegade]]'':

{{quote|'''Advisor''': The only unarmored point is the ocular cluster located below it's main cannon.

'''Scorch''': In other words; shoot the red dot. }}

 

== Web Animation ==

'''The Doctor:''' Stop that. }}

 

* [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20020505.html This] ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'' strip, except that she skips the technobabble.

* In ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'':

{{quote|"Friends all got Big-Bad-Sicky-Sicky! No Wakey-Wakey! Me save! Me stop Big-Bad-Sicky-Sicky!"}}

** Later he has to use a [http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/000106 puppet show] to explain himself.

{{quote|'''Vaegyr:''' Kari, what's your assessment?

'''Kari:''' Cooooool...

'''Vaegyr:''' Yes. I was hoping for something more tactical in nature.

'''Kari:''' The lance on that vashnir is one of the new spine-mounted models. It could ruin the Daimyo's day in a heartbeat -- but they need the perfect vector. Gun for gun, the Daimyo has a decisive advantage. }}

* ''[[Exterminatus Now]]''

{{quote|'''Scientist:''' [very lengthy technobabble explanation]

* Completely inverted in ''[[Sandra and Woo]]'', where [http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2010/10/28/0212-techno-babble/ management consultants from IBM] *only* understand [[Techno Babble|IT consulting technobabble]].

* In ''[[Goblins]]'', [[The Ditz|Minmax]] [[Too Dumb to Live|considers peeing on a superpowered weapon of the gods]]. Kin frantically tries to stop him and explain why it's such a bad idea, but whenever she's nervous or upset, she reverts to [[Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness]]. When this fails, she resorts to "Penis go boom".

 

== Western Animation ==

'''Wiggum:''' Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, Einstein!

'''Scientist:''' ... wherein lies the doomed individual. }}

{{quote|'''Leela:''' Hmm. If we can re-route engine power through the primary weapons and reconfigure them to Melllvar's frequency, that should overload his electro-quantum structure.

'''Bender:''' Like putting too much air in a balloon!

:: The answer? He had just plotted out a path [[A Worldwide Punomenon|from Planet A to Planet B to Planet C...]]

* In ''[[Batman: The Brave And The Bold|Batman the Brave And The Bold]]'', during a [[Fantastic Voyage Plot]]:

* Played with in ''[[Ren and Stimpy]]'', in one of the "Captain Hoek and Cadet Stimpy" segments. They've gone through a black hole into a parallel universe, and miss the bus back to reality as the place they're in starts to break up.

'''Stimpy:''' Eh, sorry, Captain, but you're a layman, aren't you? I'll try to explain it in technical terms. }}

:: He never manages a vocal explanation, instead going "I'll show you!" and sucking in his stomach.

* The ''[[Justice League (animation)|Justice League]]'' episode "Eclipsed", where a bit of [[Applied Phlebotinum]] will destroy the Sun unless the League can stop it:

'''Flash:''' Oh. }}

* From the ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' episode "Bubble Boys", when the kids' bubble drifts down towards some public art:

'''Gretchen:''' We're gonna crash! }}

* From the ''[[Histeria!]]'' episode "Histeria! Goes to the Moon":

'''Loud:''' WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE!? }}

* Inverted in the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "Family Goy":

'''Dr. Hartman:''' That is the layman's term. }}

* Reoccurring moment in the original ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' whenever Donatello describes a device using scientific terms. One example when the Technodrome escaped Dimension X heading towards Earth:

'''Donatello''': Oh... In other words, I'll simply do this! }}

* Spoofed by ''[[King of the Hill]]'':

''(Peggy gasps and falls back into her chair.)'' }}

 

== Real Life ==

** Parodied on BBC Radio 4's "The Now Show": "Newton's law of universal gravitation states that every point mass in the universe attracts every other point mass with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. And that's a bit like this packet of Smints."

* Introductory instructors in technical fields must walk the fine line between an explanation that's simple enough for the students to understand and one that's technical enough for them to apply correctly. (One method is to first say it in layman's terms and then [[Show, Don't Tell|show]] it in technical detail.)

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Dialogue]]

[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]