The Thing That Would Not Leave: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

{{quote|''We thought he was gone, but he's come back again''

''Last week it was funny, but now the joke's wearing thin''

* [[Diana Wynne Jones]]'s chapter books ''Chair Person'', ''The Four Grannies'' and ''Who Got Rid Of Angus Flint?'' has been collected as a volume called ''Stopping For A Spell'' whose back cover describes all three stories in terms of this trope.

* As in the page quote - E. Gorey's short story ''The Doubtful Guest'' involves a ''highly'' annoying [[Everything's Better with Penguins|Penguin-like creature]] constantly angering a family.

* A children's book called ''[[The Trolls]]'' has a woman tell her nieces and nephews about growing up in Vancouver with her eccentric family. One of these family members was their great-uncle Louis, who came for two weeks and stayed for six years. {{spoiler|He only left after he insisted he saved the narrator's younger brother from a pack of trolls and the narrator's mother ordered him out in disgust.}}

* In the story ''[[Fudge|Superfudge]]'', the Hatcher family is constantly annoyed by Fudge's friend Daniel. At one point, Daniel looks ready to invite himself to stay for dinner with them, but Mrs. Hatcher tricks him into leaving by pretending that they're having peas and onions with their dinner (two foods that he hates).

* An episode of ''[[Father Ted]]'' had the priests dealing with Father Stone, the dullest man alive, who absolutely loves staying with Ted. According to the writer's commentary on the DVD he was [[Based on a True Story|based on a real person]].

* The [[Trope Namer]] is an ''[[SNL]]'' horror film trailer parody. John Belushi was the thing in question.

* In ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]'', when the actor playing Grandad died, they needed to find a way to replace him. Uncle Albert had been this to one of the branches of the family who attended Grandad's funeral, until they left him at the funeral with no way to contact them. He then became this to the Trotters, even provoking Del, pushed past his limits, to try to get him to leave. Del eventually relents and decides to let Albert stay because "He's fam'ly, in' he?" and Del cannot refuse to take his family in.

* ''[[Yes, Dear]]'' has Jimmy Hughes, his wife Christine and their two sons living in the guesthouse of Christine's sister, Kim Warner, her husband Greg and their son {{spoiler|and later their daughter}}. While Kim has no problem with the Hugheses living with them, Greg certainly does and is always complaining about them, mostly/especially Jimmy, constantly mooching off of him. Eventually, the Hugheses do get their own place, but in the final scene of the [[Grand Finale]], {{spoiler|their house is destroyed by an earthquake, [[Here We Go Again|forcing them to move back into the Warners' guesthouse]]}}.

** And then there are the times when Zonker's father moves in after bickering with his wife, much to ''Zonker's'' annoyance.

** One story arc had Zonker moving in with an English nobleman when he was called in to vote a tiebreaker for the House of Lords (he bought an English title, long story). Long after the vote, he remains at the castle, oblivious to the clear exasperation the castle staff and his host feel towards him. He finally is booted forcibly by his host, who took the liberty of packing for him.

* In ''[[For Better or For Worse]],'' when Elly gives birth to April, a distant cousin of John's (whom Elly has never even ''met'') invites herself to come and stay with the Pattersons to help out with the baby. She stays on and on, getting in the way, making messes, letting her cat run roughshod over everything, and totally freeloading. John eventually breaks down and puts a security deposit on an apartment for her just to get her out of the house.

* Robert Freeman's family from New Orleans come by after Hurricane Katrina in ''The Boondocks''. One of them became a fan favorite and practically called the trope by name when the rest of them decided to finally leave. ''She'' was forcibly put out.

** This also turns up in some of the classic ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' shorts. For instance, [[Bugs Bunny|Bugs]] intrudes on Elmer in this manner in "The Wabbit Who Came to Supper" and "Upswept Hare". Daffy also does this to Porky in several cartoons.

*** Not to mention every Charlie Dog cartoon, ever.

*** ''From Hare To Heir'' has Bugs representing a firm awarding Duke Sam 1 million pounds under the provision he keeps his temper in check with Bugs deducting any amount he sees warrants whenever Sam blows up. Bugs spends the rest of the cartoon making Sam's life a living hell, just to see if and when he loses his temper.