Phlebotinum Analogy: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

'''Winston''': That's a big twinkie.|'''[[Ghostbusters]]'''}}

 

** This was subverted in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episodes "The Runaway Bride", in which the explainee resolutely fails to understand what The Doctor's talking about ("I'm a pencil inside a mug?"), and "Blink", where The Doctor's inability to explain the way time works led to the [[Trope Namer]] example for [[Timey-Wimey Ball]].

** The novel ''The Pirate Loop'' includes a great one of these (paraphrased):

'''The Doctor:''' Good analogy! I wish I'd said it. Can we just pretend I did? }}

** In recent years, especially, the Doctor has developed a tendency of telling his companions that their attempts at this trope are, in fact, completely inaccurate, but that they should keep up that line of thinking if it's what helps them understand.

*** At one point Jackson starts to make one of these telephone analogies, realizes he's talking to Teal'c, and turns to General Hammond.

**** That would be the "busy signal" one.

[[Beat|*Teal'c stares blankly at him*]] <br />

'''Daniel:''' Wrong person.<br />

*** Whereby they all [[Crowning Moment of Funny|visibly understand]].

** Fantastically toyed with in one conversation between Zelenka and Sheppard. Zelenka is trying to track a device so they can find kidnapped Daniel and Rodney.

When Zelenka does come up with an analogy, Sheppard proudly says "I understand that" only to be told that the analogy isn't at all an accurate depiction of what he's doing. }}

** Fails in the episode that introduced the Tollan. When Daniel takes Omoc outside to send a FTL transmission to the [[Technical Pacifist|Nox]], he asks Omoc to explain how his message can cross interstellar distances in an instant. At first reluctant (due to the Tollan rule about not giving technology to younger races), Omoc takes a branch and bends it, so that the ends touch, explaining that the distances seem to be far away, until you merge the points together (paraphrasing). Daniel assumes he's talking about space folding, causing Omoc to shake his head in disappointment and shut up on the subject.

* In ''[[Red Dwarf]]'' there's a famous example that goes as follows:

'''Cat''': Oh, a magic door! Well why didn't you say? }}

* Despite being pretty realistic in terms of medical jargon, ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' uses this about [[Once an Episode]]; apparently it's part of House's process.

** This was parodied in ''[[Dead Ringers (TV series)|Dead Ringers]]'', in which House asks his [[Insistent Terminology|Entourage of Improbably Attractive Sidekicks]] to first describe a medical problem in an impenetrably [[Techno Babble]] way, and then to come out with an overly emotive [[Phlebotinum Analogy]]. "...''His brain is literally eating itself!!''"

* ''[[Babylon 5]]'' has fallen back on this one a few times. Not to anywhere near [[Star Trek]]'s level, of course.

== [[Web Comics]] ==

* [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in ''[[Adventurers]]'', [http://www.adventurers-comic.com/d/20060512.html here]:

[[Beat Panel|(pause)]]<br />

'''Drecker''': Oh, like I'm the only one who took a correspondence course in apt metaphors. Sheesh. }}

* An explanation of Deep Time's [http://starslip.com/2008/10/31/starslip-number-904/ plan for ending the time war] in [[Starslip Crisis]]:

* In ''[[Digger]]'', the statue eventually explains how Digger came to the story's setting by saying that Digger's home and the temple she emerged from were like two pieces of fabric, sewn together by {{spoiler|[[Chekhov's Gun|the fossil she brought through with her]], aka the "bones of the sea"}}.

* ''[[Drive (webcomic)|Drive]]'': The first emperor of La Familia uses this to explain how he ''thinks'' the Ring Drive works in a letter to his grandson.

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* ''[[Futurama]]'', ''Where No Fan Has Gone Before'':

'''Fry:''' Like a balloon and...[[Buffy-Speak|something bad happens!]] }}

* ''[[Extreme Ghostbusters]]'' ("It's gonna blow up real good")