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Need a scary and ominous sounding name? End it in "th".
 
For some reason this trope seems to be quite common in English-speaking fiction. Maybe it's because [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/Names Ending In Th|Names to Run Away From]] sound mysteriously ancient (due to this trope's prominence in some [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/Ancient Dead Languages|Ancient Dead Languages]]: e.g., in [[The Bible]]) or ominously [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/Foreign Language Names|foreign]], maybe it's the sinister hissing sound itself... Whatever may be the case, [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/Names Ending In Th|Names to Run Away From]] is a sure-fire way to let your audience know: this person/place/artifact is to be feared.
 
It's usually used to denote:
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* something related to:
** demons;
** [[Eldritch Abomination|Eldritch Abominations]]s;
** gods (most often those who aren't so different from demons or [[Eldritch Abomination|Eldritch Abominations]]s);
** dark and forbidden magic.
Sometimes a partial aversion takes place, and we get something from the aforementioned list (e.g., something ancient) that ''isn't'' terrifying or evil.
 
A subtrope of [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]. See also [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/K Names|K Names]], [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/R Names|R Names]], and [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/Xtreme Kool Letterz|Xtreme Kool Letterz]]
{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
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== [[Comic Books]] ==
* [[DC Comics]]:
** [[New Gods/Characters|Bernadeth]] of the ''[[New Gods]]''. [[Steven Ulysses Perhero|Guess what she does.]]
* [[Marvel Comics]]:
** ''[[The Mighty Thor]]'':
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*** Shuma-Gorath, an [[Eldritch Abomination]] and a recurring foe of the good doctor. The name "Shuma-Gorath" actually appeared first in a [[Robert E. Howard]] story, where it was mentioned by a magician called Rotath.
*** Yandroth, a powerful malevolent alien scientist-wizard.
*** Lilith (see {{smallcapssmall-caps|[[Mythology]]/[[Religion]]}}) makes an appearance as a powerful demoness. There's also another character called Lilith in [[Marvel Comics]]; she's the daughter of [[Dracula]].
*** Sligguth, a demon.
*** Dagoth, a demon.
*** Hoggoth, as in "[[Catch Phrase|by the hoary hosts of]]"
** ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]''
*** [[X-Men/Villains/Characters/Villains|Sabretooth]].
** ''[[Conan the Barbarian]]'' comics:
*** Kulan Gath, a powerful evil magician. He also has an apprentice called Razal Gulath.
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== [[Literature]] ==
* The [[Trope Codifier]] here may be [[H.P. Lovecraft]], who liked this trope '''a lot''':
** Asenath Waite, from ''The Thing On The Doorstep''. She's perhaps the only human in Lovecraft's works who got a [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/Names Ending In Th|Name Ending In Th]]... and that says a lot.
** Azathoth, the Blind Idiot God. A gigantic [[Eldritch Abomination]], that once was a demiurge, but nowadays just dwells somewhere in deep space listening to music.
** Innsmouth, the titular place from ''Shadow Over Innsmouth''. Even though the name is English in origin, the "th" at the end hints that something is [[Incredibly Lame Pun|fishy]] about this place...
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** Yuggoth, aka [[Science Marches On|planet]] Pluto. But it's [[Better Than It Sounds|more terrifying than it sounds]], since in Lovecraft's works Yuggoth is inhabited by all kinds of [[Eldritch Abomination|Eldritch Abominations]].
** Cthulhu is perhaps Lovecraft's most famous creation, a very good reason to run away very quickly from this Great Old One, is that he/it is able to drive anyone that so much as looks at him/it into pure insanity.
* More [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/Names Ending In Th|Names to Run Away From]] appeared in the works of other [[Cthulhu Mythos]] authors:
** Abhoth
** Daoloth
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** Planet names include Abbith, Haddath, Kynarth, Xoth, Yaddith and Zaoth.
** The family tree of Tsathoggua, an Old One, includes such names as Cxaxukluth and Ghisguth. Also, Tsathoggua himself lives on a mountain called Voormithadreth.
** The creator of the term [[Cthulhu Mythos]], Lovecraft's associate and horror author [[August Derleth]], even had a [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/Names Ending In Th|Name Ending In Th]] himself!
* Averted in [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]'s works: words and names ending in 'th' are quite common in his [[Con Langs]], and there are both evil and good ones ending up with such a name. (e.g. [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast/Mor|Morgoth]] vs Elbereth)
* ''[[Discworld]]'':
** Yob Sodoth (a parody of Yog Sothoth), mentioned in ''Pyramids''.
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== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* ''[[Doctor Who]]'':
** The Gelth, from ''[[Doctor Who/NS/Recap/S1 E3S27/E03 The Unquiet Dead|The Unquiet Dead]]''.
* ''[[Supernatural]]'':
** Lilith, [[Big Bad]] of Seasons 3 and 4.
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== [[Tabletop RPG]] ==
* ''[[Dungeons and& Dragons]]'':
** Aboleth, ancient malevolent eel-like aberrations.
** Froghemoth
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** Yugoloth (aka Daemons). Subtypes include: altraloth, arcanoloth, baernaloth, canoloth, charonaloth, dergholoth, echinoloth, gacholoth, hydroloth, marraenoloth, mezzoloth, nycaloth, piscoloth, skeroloth, ultroloth, yagnoloth, and a subgroup called battleloth. The yugoloth leader is called an Oinoloth. One notable yugoloth (an arcanoloth, to be exact) is named Helekanalaith.
** Some monsters that aren't particularly scary: koalinth, kapoacinth, quaggoth.
** Some of the nobility of Hell were given the names of demons from Jewish/Christian/occult sources (see {{smallcapssmall-caps|[[Mythology]]/[[Religion]]}}).
** Deities from the ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' setting, including Azuth (god of magic), Gargauth (god of betrayal and cruelty), Lolth (see above), Kossuth (god of elemental fire). Also, Eldath (goddess of [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|quiet places]]).
* ''[[GURPS Cabal]]''. The Qlippoth, the shells and leftovers of God's first Creation (see Qliphoth in {{smallcapssmall-caps|[[Mythology]]/[[Religion]]}}).
* ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' has [[Emperor Scientist|Y]][[Evilutionary Biologist|a]][[Machine Worship|w]][[Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate|g]][[God of Evil|m]][[Dimension Lord|o]][[The Ineffable|t]][[Big Bad|h]].
* In ''[[Munchkin (game)|Munchkin]] Cthulhu'', if a player faces a monster whose name ends with -oth, any player can put another monster of this kind, so the player needs to defeat (or run away from) both.
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== [[TV Tropes]] ==
* [[This Exists (Darth Wiki)|Darth Wiki]] (see {{smallcapssmall-caps|[[Film]]}}).
* [[Lady Macbeth]]
 
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** Lossoth, though deriving its name from a non-frightening icy land in [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]'s books, is a rather powerful demon in ''Castlevania''.
* ''[[Darkstalkers]]'':
** Lilith (see {{smallcapssmall-caps|[[Mythology]]/[[Religion]]}})
* ''[[Deadlock]]'':
** Cyth, a tyrannical race of mysterious mind-controlling sinister beings.
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== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Averted in ''[[Hoodwinked]]'' with the not-so-scary Keith.
{{quote| '''Goodie Bandit''': And Keith!... Darn it, change your name. Please? That's not scary, and I'm embarrassed to say it. "Boris." Try that. *Keith storms off* Keith, you know. Oh... watch out for Keith!}}
 
== [[Real Life]] ==
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* Ruth. *shudder*
 
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{{quote|<small>Back to, not away from, [[{{ROOTPAGENAME}}]]</small>}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Names to Run Away From Really Fast{{ROOTPAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Names Ending In Th{{SUBPAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Names To Run Away From]]
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