Phineas and Ferb/Tropes A To C

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

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  • Abnormal Limb Rotation Range: Albert thinks "Ferb" has this in "Not Phineas and Ferb", though it's really just Buford messing around with his Ferb costume.
  • Abstract Scale: The cuteness tracker in "The Chronicles of Meap." "I can't define cute, I just know it when I pick up in my cuteness meter."
  • Absurdly Spacious Sewer: In "Fireside Girl Jamboree", Candace wrestles an alligator in one of these.
  • Abuse Is Okay When It Is Female On Male: Supervillain Khaka Peü Peü is hit by a chair thrown by his wife, who demands they go shopping for more "throwing chairs".
  • Abusive Parents: Dr. Doofenshmirtz's parents, Played for Laughs.
    • Averted by Dr. Doofenshmirtz himself, who, while a Bumbling Dad at times, visits none of the horrors of his childhood on his own daughter, and tries as much as he can to prove to her that he really cares for her.
  • Accidental Aesop: What Major Monogram got out of "Attack of the 50 feet sister" in the character commentary:

Monogram: If you steal potions from people, you will grow 50 feet tall. You shouldn't steal, stealing is bad and it's against the law.

Candace: I'm really scared; what if it isn't even edible?
Stacy: Well, he is British.

  • Accidental Athlete: Happens to Candace fairly often.
  • Accidental Dance Craze:
    • The most notable example is the Squirrels in My Pants dance in "Comet Kermillian", done by Candace.
    • Ferb starts swatting at a bee, causing Jeremy to do the same swatting motion, which the audience of "Let's All Dance Until We're Sick" picks up as a move.
    • Doofenshmirtz, under the control of Perry, starts one in "Brain Drain", appropriately titled "There's A Platypus Controlling Me", which the teens mistaken as a metaphor for oppression.
  • Accidental Hero: "Misperceived Monotreme", with the platypus mistaken for Perry.
  • Action Girl: Just about all of the female characters can fall into this when it's called for. And if the WMG about Perry being a girl is true, then (s)he would definitely fall under this.
    • Seriously shown in "Phineas and Ferb Busters" when Candace, Stacy, and Jenny are basically Charlie's Angels for a Day.
  • Actor Allusion: Ferb's crush on Vanessa may well be based on their voice actors' parts in the movie Love Actually.
    • Candace's voice actress Ashley Tisdale is Photoshopped over Candace for her part in "The Curse of the Princess Monster".
    • When Candace competes against Wendy for a job at Mr. Slushy Burger, Wendy is voiced by Brenda Song, who worked with Tisdale on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
    • And, in "Phineas and Ferb Hawaiian Vacation" we have Phil Lewis voicing a hotel manager attempting to stop the brothers' antics.
    • "Picture This" introduces Baljeet's uncle Maulik, named after Baljeet's voice actor Maulik Pancholy.
    • In "Phineas And Ferb Musical Cliptastic Countdown" the show was hosted by Major Monogram and Dr. Doofenshmirtz, who are both voiced by the creators.
    • In "Nerds of A Feather", Doof pitches a show to a man named Jeff MacGarland.
      • Which makes it even more funny to anyone who knows the creators well enough to get the "I got my own show!!" jokes. For those who don't, Doofenshmirtz's voice actor (the show's executive producer) used to work with MacFarlane on Family Guy.
    • In "Ladies and Gentlemen: Meet Max Modem!", Linda mentions that she only lip-synced "I'm Lindana and I Wanna Have Fun". The person who actually sings that song isn't the same person who voices Linda. (it's Olivia Olson, who voices Vanessa)
    • Richard O'Brien, who does the voice of the boys' dad, is best known for his role in Rocky Horror Picture Show and is very confused when the horror film he's watching has no rock and roll musical numbers.
  • Adorable Evil Minions: Malefishmirtz's canned meat minions ("Meatlings") in "Excaliferb", at least until they become exposed to rain and grow huge.
  • Adorably Precocious Child: Both the titlular brothers, but especially Phineas.
    • Baljeet as well.
  • Adorkable: The titular characters themselves, their dad, Baljeet, Carl, and even Doofenshmirtz on more than one occasion! There's practically no shortage of cute nerdiness in this show.
  • Adult Child: Both Linda and Lawrence have their moments, such as the latter geeking out over Pinhead Pierre in "Magic Carpet Ride" or the pair of them playing with a vacuum cleaner in "That Sinking Feeling".
    • Doofenshmirtz has about the maturity of an 8-year old, on average.
  • An Aesop: while usually played with, a couple are played straight:
    • In "Wizard of Odd": The straight and narrow path is the worst way to live life. Enjoy every minute of your summer, because summer won't last forever. Happiness is in the journey not in the goal.
    • "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted" and "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo" are also very pro-imagination and creativity.
  • Aesop Ju Jitsu: In "Chronicles of Meap", Candace learned to never judge a book by its cover (quite literally). Then she saw Meap's mother-in-law.
  • Affably Evil: Dr. Doof. Taken Up to Eleven in "Skiddly Whiffers": His whole scheme isn't really an evil scheme at all, but a plan to overprotect his daughter while she's camping in the woods. He even apologizes to Perry for not having a scheme and begs him for help in this effort.
  • Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Done by Candace to Ferb in the final song sequence in "Summer Belongs to You". And considering it's pretty much the only time so far that she's shown physical affection to her little stepbrother, it's nothing short of adorable.
  • Affectionate Nickname: Inverted with Jeremy. In the episode "The Baljeatles", where Jeremy suddenly becomes The Nicknamer and nicknames everybody except Candace. When she finally stops trying to make him nickname her and confronts him about it, he says "I call you Candace, but not because I don't care enough to come up with a cute nickname for you. I call you Candace 'cause I happen to really like that name." Aww...
  • Affectionate Parody: The entire Agent P. and Dr. D plots are a parody of James Bond and spy-films in general, but the entire episode "Elementary, My Dear Stacy" becomes one when Perry is forced to work with British human Double-Oh-Oh.
  • The Ahnold: Roger Doofenshmirtz.
  • Aliens Speaking English: Played with; Meap and Mitch can, but only when wearing the Universal Translator.
  • Aliens Steal Cattle: A blink-and-you'll-miss-it gag in "No More Bunny Business" - when Phineas is trying out his x-ray specs, he looks into one funny-looking house to see aliens experimenting on a cow.
  • A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Doof's more advanced robotic replacement for Norm, which immediately turns on him when supercharged with a wave of energy. Averted by Norm himself, who remains loyal to Doofenshmirtz and defeats the much larger and more advanced robot. With a cup of coffee.
    • There's also the Phinedroids and Ferbots from "I, Brobot". After completing all the projects the brothers set out for them, the robots begin designing their own, then build their own overpriced coffee shop (Phineas:"That is so 90's!"), then turn on their creators when Phineas tries to shut them down.
    • Programming an artificial intelligence into a giant tower laden with traps might not have been one of the boys best moves. Admittedly, its repeated attempts to kill them and trap the entire galaxy might have just been because of Doof's "rudeinator".
  • All Animals Are Dogs: Perry exhibits various dog traits, like twitching his leg when he's being petted, turning in circles before lying down, and moving his legs as if running in his sleep. Justified in that he's pretending to be a mindless domesticated animal as a cover for his real job.
    • Well, he is a platypus. They don't do much.
    • Part of the reason a platypus was chosen as Perry's species was because they could make him act in just about any manner and very few people would notice if it was inaccurate - since, y'know, most people don't really think too much about how a platypus would really act.
  • Alliterative Name: Let's see. There's Perry the Platypus (along with, presumably, the rest of the agency), Doctor Doofenshmirtz, Major Monogram, Inspector Initials, Jeremy Johnson, Ferb Fletcher, Professor Poofenplotz... also Phineas Flynn and Carl Karl, sort of.
  • All Jews Are Cheapskates: A couple of jokes in "Picture This" at the Mexican-Jewish culture fair. Though it's done with piñata candy rather than money.
  • All Just a Dream (Within a Dream, even).
    • The episode where Candace finally busts her brothers and then breaks them out of boot camp is touching but just a dream.
    • Phineas attempted to invoke this trope in the Christmas Special, but was unsuccessful.
    • Lampshaded in the The Wizard of Oz parody:

Phineas: While this IS fun, it's a little girly for us, isn't it?
Ferb: Well, it is Candace's dream.

Dr. Doof: You were wearing headphones? So you didn't hear a thing I said?
Vanessa: Why do you think I wear the headphones?

    • Also when Candace meets Tiny Cowboy in the "Meat Loaf" episode, and Linda asks why they're large and not cowboys.
    • Linda does one embarrassing thing after another for Candace in "Does This Duckbill Make Me Look Fat?"
  • Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: All platypi (platypuses?) are colored a bright turquoise.
  • Ambiguous Disorder: Candace shows multiple signs of having Schizophrenia and/or OCD, but it has never been officially confirmed.
    • Also, Baljeet. Extremely dependent on routines and clear direction, socially introverted, observant but somewhat oblivious and emotionally stunted, able to focus for long periods on repetitive behaviors, and almost child-prodigy level intelligent.
    • Both the titular characters too.
  • Ambiguously Gay: Baljeet. While there are episodes and moments where he is clearly interested in girls (Wendy and Isabella for example), other moments come across as questionable, like his unicorn game piece in "Skiddly Whiffers" and dressing up as a flower in "That's the Spirit".
  • Amicably Divorced: Charlene and Dr. Doofenshmirtz (she kept the name). He doesn't appreciate her snarkiness sometimes, and lets her have it in his songs, but they do get along the majority of the time. To the point of her calling him when she's tied up and can't pick up their daughter.
  • Amplified Animal Aptitude: Perry the Platypus, and any other secret agent animals.
  • Amusement Park of Doom: The site of both plots of "Isabella and the Temple of Sap" is the "old abandoned Old Abandoned Amusement Park", where Isabella's scout troop try to retrieve rare sap, and Professor Poofenplotz tries to steal a stock of Stiff Beauty hair spray (coincidentally made from the same sap, discontinued because only the clowns of said amusement park bought it), a plot Isabella's chihuahua Pinky (who in fact is also an agent like Perry) tries to foil.
  • Amusing Injuries
  • And This Is For: Candace, the neighborhood, and all the good gelatin in the world!
  • Animal Gender Bender: In "Does This Duckbill Make Me Look Fat?", Candace (in Perry's body) "sweats milk". Perhaps a bit of Getting Crap Past the Radar too.
    • In the Halloween episode, Doofenshmirtz gets turned into a werecow with the udders and everything.
  • Animal Superheroes: Perry the Platypus, along with all the other agents of the O.W.C.A.
    • Including Isabella's pet chihuahua, Pinky. Working across the street busting a mad scientist named Poofenplotz for a British woman named Wanda.
    • At one point he arrives to the mission briefing through the neighbor's koi pond. His superior chastises the guys who installed that entrance and orders them to give the fish fedoras and make them agents - apparently that's their main way of covering their tracks.
      • The koi agents do show up later in the episode, saving Perry the Platypus.
    • During the Christmas episode, a reindeer agent is seen at the party. When Santa shows up at the end, one of his reindeer is wearing several fedoras...
  • Animals Hate Her: This exchange:

Candace: Mom! Mom! Animals hate me!
Linda: Oh, that's ridiculous, honey. Perry likes you!

    • And again in the "Across the Second Dimension": No animals in the OWCA shelter will look at her, and the fish swim away when she stands by their tank.
    • Contrary to the quote above, Perry himself apparently doesn't like her all that much either. In "Oh, There You Are Perry", he mocks her behind her back after she kicks him out of the house.
  • Animal-Themed Superbeing: The Beak.
  • Animated Musical: The entire show, since every freaking episode, minus a very small few from early in season one, have had some sort of music number in them.
    • "Rollercoaster the Musical" is a more specific example.
  • Animated Series
  • Animation Bump: The animation quality gradually gets better over the course of the show's run (compare the first few episodes to current Season 3 episodes), and improves noticeably for certain specials, especially the Christmas Vacation one and "Summer Belongs to You".
  • Animesque:
    • Parodied in "Out of Toon", where Phineas and Ferb made a cartoon named Team Improbable.
    • Also parodied in "Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs To You", during the most terrifying Caramelldansen Vid ever created, performed by Stacy's relatives in Tokyo.
      • And Isabella was holding a leek during the dance as well.
  • Annoying Younger Sibling: Candace sees both her brothers as these, though they are a rare example where they are not doing it on purpose.
  • Anthropomorphic Zig-Zag: Perry the Platypus plays this intentionally to maintain his secret identity.
  • Antidisestablishmentarianism: Apparently, they found a cure for it.
  • Anti-Villain: Doofenshmirtz.
  • Applied Mathematics: In the episode "Out to Launch", Phineas and Ferb are trying to get a rocket to launch using an equation (Tsiolkovsky's Rocket Equation.), and with each new attempt, Phineas modifies one of the terms. After a few false starts, Ferb points out the problem: the equation equals the square root of a bomb. Phineas changes it to a smiley face, and their next launch is successful.
    • How Candace deduces her brother's involvement in "The Beak":

Candace: Something Impossible + That Thing Existing In Real Life = * gasp* PHINEAS AND FERB!

    • She also determines how long 'soon' means (when Jeremy says he will call her soon) by dividing by Jeremy's face.

Candace: Oh, my gosh. The square root of soon is never.

  • Applied Phlebotinum
  • Arbitrary Skepticism: In the episode "Summer Belongs To You", Buford suddenly begins to doubt that Phineas and Ferb could follow the sun around the world, thus experiencing a 40 hour day, despite spending the whole summer with them and seeing all the incredible things they've done. Buford even lampshades this.

Buford: There's nothing I've ever seen that would make me believe that you could pull this off...Except for that time machine thing and oh, and that roller coaster, and other than that, nothing. Oh, and that time you played that song and the platypus came back. Man, nature just bends to your will, doesn't it?

    • However, in the end, it is revealed that Buford actually did believe they could do, and probably only made the bet so that he could eat a bug.
    • Given the fact that Lawrence has actually seen a couple of Phineas' and Ferb's projects in person, you have to wonder about his dismissal of Candace's Cassandra Truth in "Traffic Cam Caper". The answer may be in his enjoyment in the projects that his sons do.
  • Arc Shape: Triangles. There's the obvious ones, such as Phineas' head, and then there's the ones that are snuck in the background to show texture in literally every episode, usually in foliage and rooftops.
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: "Greece Lightning":

Announcer in movie: Historically, the enemies of the platypus were well-known. The poisonous swamp viper, the snaggle-tooth badger, and duplicating imitatable (sic) stunts seen on television.

    • "Ready For The Bettys":

Phineas: Laser gun, magnet ray, cup holder...

    • "Hide and Seek":

Irving: And this is from the time you built that roller coaster, and this is from the time you raced those chariots, and this is from the time you ate that soup...

    • "We're Talkin All Terrain"
    • "One Good Scare Ought to Do It"

Doofenshmirtz: Perry The Platpus!? (Scare Chord) The Disintevaporator!? (Scare Chord) My golf clubs!? I don't even play golf!

  • Artistic License Astronomy: Doofenshmirtz so much in "The Doof Side of The Moon". Lampshaded at the end, at which point he continues to be completely oblivious.
    • "Unfair Science Fair Redux" also plays fast and loose with astronomy. In that episode, Mars has an indigenous civilization, breathable atmosphere, a comfortable climate, and is visible in broad daylight from an ordinary telescope. It also looks quite different from the real planet, lacking the dark "seas" and giant valleys. And it's probably best not to think too hard about the twist that the Face on Mars is a damaged version of Candace's giant stone portrait.
    • "Escape from Phineas Tower" tries to pass off a photo of an unbarred spiral galaxy as the Milky Way. It's also surrounded by (badly Photoshopped]) stars, meaning it's being viewed from within a separate galaxy.
  • Artistic License Geography:

Candace: Stacy, do you know what they have in France?
Stacy: The pyramids?

    • And again:

Candace: Oh, and Stacy, pyramids? Really?

Stacy: Oh, I get it. Those are Belgium, right?

    • Doofenshmirtz too, on occasion:

Doofenshmirtz: As they say in China, Arrivederci!

    • And:

Doofenshmirtz: As they say in Mexico, Dosvedanya! Down there, that's two vedanyas!

    • This actually seems to be something of a running joke—for example Lawrence apparently didn't know Hawaii was part of the United States, and Buford claimed the Eiffel Tower was Mexican. Albert, who knew until then that it's French, believed Buford's claim.
      • That's made you wonder who is their teacher...
      • Somewhat understandable in Lawrence's case, as he's not from the States and so probably never had to learn about Hawaii in school.
        • On the other hand, he's the one who recognizes the map of Hawaii in Perry's litter box. And it's hard to believe a man who, in other episodes, has displayed bits of knowledge most people wouldn't bother learning wouldn't know Hawaii is a part of the United States.
  • Art Major Biology: Who would Lawrence have to have procreated with for his child to be green-haired?
    • Ferb has been shown to be quite unpredictable throughout the series, so it's possible that he dyed his hair at an unusually young age.
  • Art Major Physics: Each and every episode, literally.
    • Which is, of course, thoroughly Lampshaded every once in awhile.
  • Art Shift: Soon after the gang arrives in Tokyo, the entire scene shifts into a Caramelldansen Vid complete with disturbingly huge eyes.
  • Asian Airhead: Stacy Hirano. Type 2.
  • Aside Glance: Perry does this from time to time, seeing as he cannot speak. Usually when when either Doofenshmirtz or Monogram say something particularly daft.
  • Ass in a Lion Skin: In the episode "Got Game?", Perry the Platypus dresses up as a dog (i.e., he wears an earband and fake tail) to infiltrate a pet shop where Dr. Doofenshmirtz has been shopping, and ends up being bought by the doctor, who is unaware of Perry's disguise.
  • Ass Kicks You: Zig-zagged. When Perry take's Candace's form, he appears to be doing this—he was trying to do his trademark tail slap. It misses anyway, as Candace has no tail.
  • Asteroid Thicket: In "Out to Launch", the boys and Candace have to fly through one of these.

Candace: Uh, guys? What are all these red flashing things heading toward my rocket?
Phineas: Yeah, those are asteroids.

Candace: ASTEROIDS?!

  • Atlantis: In an episode appropriately titled "Atlantis", the boys, their friends and Irving embark into the ocean to discover Atlantis. Includes a very catchy song called, you guessed it, "Atlantis"!
  • Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: "Attack Of The 50 Foot Sister", and "The Lizard Whisperer".
  • Award Bait Song: "Arial Area Rug" from "Magic Carpet Ride" is somehow both a parody of this kind of song, and an actual example.
    • Other, more obviously just-parody examples include "Hole in my Heart" and "Come Home Perry".
  • Awkward Father-Son Bonding Activity: Lawrence and the boys go fishing in the episode "The Lake Nose Monster". Needless to say, they are happy to sneak out of it.
  • Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other: Possibly subverted (the sibling version) as this is only one-sided with Candace towards her brothers, and her endless efforts to bust them. We see in several episodes, including "Dude, We're Getting The Band Back together", that when Candace isn't trying to bust the boys they have a fairly close, loving relationship. Also, when she 'does' bust them in "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted", we see how much Candace really cares for them, and values their creativity. Of course, all this was in Perry's dream, anyway, so it may not count.
    • In the two instances where she actually gets a CD of evidence to bust them, she's forsaken it to save Phineas's life (Traffic Cam Caper)/let Phineas enjoy his birthday (Phineas' Birthday Clip-O-Rama!).
  • Backstory: Doofenshmirtz has a new anecdote just about every episode. Usually Lampshaded by Doofenshmirtz himself.
    • In "I Was A Middle Aged Robot", Perry leaves Doofenshmirtz for another mission just before the backstory monologue. Doofenshmirtz angrily claims that this event (Perry leaving Doofenshmirtz) would someday become a backstory.
  • Badass: Perry the platypus, aka Agent P. Just about all the characters have their badass moments when called for, but the straightest and most obvious example would be him.
    • Sergei the snail.
  • Badass Adorable: Meap. He's small, cute, and is capable of "behaving in a manner contradictory to how he superficially appears"!
    • And emitting a Death Ray from his mouth. A rainbow-colored Death Ray.
    • Perry definitely counts. He may be a semi aquatic egg-laying mammal of action, but he's still pretty cute looking.
    • The Fireside Girls can earn patches for wrestling alligators and moving mountains...
    • To the fangirls, Ferb.
  • Badass Bookworm: Ferb. Knocks out Buford with one pinch, can more than hold his own while teaming up with Action Girl Vanessa, and is able to build literally anything. If it weren't for Phineas, though, he'd probably sit under that tree in the backyard and read all summer.
  • Bad Future: In "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo", a version of Candace from twenty years in future goes back in time to bust the boys, then comes back to realize her actions resulted in this. Creativity has been banned, children are all stored in People Jars until adulthood, and, as a side-effect of her efforts to bust her brothers, Perry the Platypus was incapacitated long enough for Doofenshmirtz to take over the world. Everything is fixed by the end, but the present-day Candace never gets the hint.
  • Bad Liar: Phineas in "The Beak", or more specifically, while lying to Isabella. He can be seen scratching his ear every time he doesn't quite speak the truth to her. However, in that same episode, he seems to be comfortable with lying to his mother and Candace.
  • Bad Is Good and Good Is Bad: Doofenshmirtz.
  • Bad Job, Worse Uniform: Jeremy occasionally wears a hat with a wiener on top (Candace likes it, though). In "Toy to the World", Candace has to wear a large platypus costume, and later a brick costume.
  • Bait and Switch: With as many Running Gags as this show has, the writers like to play with our expectations every now and then.
    • If Doofenshmirtz's latest inator appears just the thing to hide whatever the boys are doing, it's basically certain something else will be the cause.
      • The best example is from "Voyage to the Bottom of Buford", where Candace has evidence of the boys' activity on a disposable camera. Doofenshmirtz happens to have an Erase-Inator that will blank out any media the beam hits. The Erase-Inator is pointed and fires at Candace, misses the tape by an inch, hits a stop sign making the word 'Stop' disappear, so that a truck doesn't stop and crashes into a water tanker, which bursts and washes over Candace, destroying the film.
      • Another example is when the boys create a ski resort and Doof. has a Melt-Inator, but the resort melts once the power goes out when the inator is plugged in, even though it was fired before it was plugged in....
      • An even more obvious example is from "It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World". Phineas and Ferb are holding a monster truck rally, and Doofenshmirtz has literally invented a Monster-Truck-Away-Inator. Just when you start to feel all I-know-where-this-is-going and superior, the Monster-Truck-Away-Inator is transported to another dimension and the monster trucks are cleaned up in a completely unrelated manner.
      • In "Phineas and Ferb Interrupted" the brothers get hit by a 'Dull And Boring-Inator' and Perry spends the rest of the episode trying to build a dynamic-inator. Finally, after a battle with Doof, he shoots it- but misses,and it is destroyed. Phineas and Ferb instead return to normal with the need to save Candace's life using imagination.
      • In what the creators have acknowledged is one of their favorite endings, in "Attack of the 50 foot Sister", instead of just shrinking Candace back to normal, they have the universe grow fifty times bigger so Candace appears normal sized by comparison.
  • Bait and Switch Comment:

Doofenshmirtz: Hey! Hey, this isn't as bad as I remember! ... It's SO MUCH WORSE!

  • Bare Your Midriff: Candace in "Comet Kermillian", "One Good Scare Ought to Do It" and "Nerdy Dancing", Stacy during the "Disco Miniature Golfing Queen" number in "Put that Putter Away!". Also one of the background dancers during "Squirrels In My Pants".
    • Sherman of Love Händel did before the band broke up, and understandably refuses to after obtaining a beer belly.
    • All the female backup dancers/singers in Rubber Bands, Rubber Balls.
    • No bellybuttons. Tis Disney, after all.
  • Ballad of X: "The Ballad of Badbeard", along with it's eponymous song.
  • Balloon Belly: Doofinshmirtz on a few occasions. Phineas in the Guy Feiri episode of Take Two with Phineas & Ferb as well.
  • Batman Can Breathe in Space: "The Secret of Success" ends with Doofenshmirtz stuck on the moon with nothing but a space helmet, somehow not suffocating.
    • Doof, Phineas, Ferb, and Candace had no problem breathing on Mars in the "Unfair Science Fair" episode.
  • Batman Gambit: In the Christmas Special, it's done by, of all people, Santa Claus himself!
  • Battle Tops: In "Phineas And Ferb-Busters!", the kids play a 4-person game of "Battling Tops of Doom". The tops are something like 20 feet tall, and the players ride inside them.
  • Bavarian Fire Drill: The basis for one of the show's notable catchphrases. When Phineas is asked about his recent project, no one worries about it because he acts as though there's nothing wrong with building a rollercoaster through the downtown area of the city, etc.
    • Though it's often noted that the boys typically go through the proper channels needed to make their projects technically legal (except for the fort in "Thaddeus and Thor", which is why they immediately took it down after showing it off).
    • Invoked by Doofenshmirtz in "The Beak" when he declares himself supreme leader, hoping that people will be too dumb or lazy to question it. It works, but for entirely other reasons.
    • When passing himself off as an 80's one hit wonder, Lawrence goes from "Who's that?" to "I have all of his albums!" by the time he's crossed the room.
  • Beach Episode: A few times, but thankfully not of the overt fanservice variety. One involves the boys actually making a beach, and a couple where the crew goes to an actual beach for various activities, including trying to find the lost city of Atlantis and saving Buford's fish.
  • Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Gleefully averted with Candace.
    • Also occasionally averted with Isabella and the other Fireside Girls when they have to do any really tough or messy jobs.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: In Phineas And Ferb Get Busted, Candace busts Phineas and Ferb on building an unsafe airlift, and their mother sends them away to a reformatory school; at first, Candace is glad they are away, but it is not too long before she begins to miss them. It Gets Worse when she finds out how the reformatory school is run.

"You finally have everything you ever wanted. Call me when you get over it."

  • The Bechdel Test: Most episodes pass. While a lot of conversations between female characters do have something to do with guys, a lot of them are general.
  • Beef Bandage: Doofenshmirtz's Steak Specs in "Comet Kermillian".
  • Beehive Hairdo: Betty Jo Flynn, the titular character's grandmother, sports one of these.
  • Behind a Stick: In the "S'Winter" song, two of the Fireside Girls keep appearing from behind Isabella, and vanishing behind her again.
  • Beneath the Mask: There are plenty of confirmed cases with Perry, Candace, Suzy and Doofenshmirtz:
  • Berserk Button: When any of the Flynn-Fletcher kids are threatened around Perry, his usual lenience goes out the window.
    • Call Buford a wimp/sensitive, and you will receive a painful wet willy.
    • Do not make Baljeet do schoolwork and not give him a grade afterwards.
  • Beta Couple: Stacy and Coltrane to Candace and Jeremy.
  • Better Than a Bare Bulb: From about "Leave the Busting to Us!" onward.
  • Between My Legs: During the end of the musical montage in "Hey Ferb" an entire line of dancers frames Phineas in this way.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Four words: GET. ON. THE. TRIKE!!!
    • Isabella can get pretty fierce when she's steamed, too.
  • Beware the Silly Ones: Doofenshmirtz in "Quantum Boogaloo".
  • Big Brother Instinct: Perry has this of some sort for his family. He's usually the most cool-headed secret agent platypus you'll ever meet, but in "Journey to the Center of Candace", when Doofenshmirtz indirectly threatened the lives of the boys, Perry had him chained to a pipe and was calling backup within ten seconds. Take note that under normal circumstances he'd never do that until after Doof was done telling him his plan.

"Nobody picks on my brothers but me!"

Candace: (While dusting off her platypus suit) Sometimes, I swear I'm the only normal one in this family.

    • A more straight example would be the Doofenshmirtzes.
  • Bilingual Bonus: Dan Povenmire is a German speaker himself, which has come in handy for giving Doofenshmirtz accurate German lines (such as calling himself a Dummkopf) and even managing to get crap past the radar by basically saying "You scared the shit out of me" in German.
    • Also, in German, Doofenschmerz means "moron's pain".
    • "The Great Indoors" gives us El matador de amor: Por lo tanto su malvada hermada gemela ha sido envenenado is Gratuitous Spanish for "Therefore, your Evil Twin sister has been poisoned."
      • La esponja milagroso is an advert for a normal sponge which is of course a miraculous novelty in Mexico...
    • And coupled with Fun with Acronyms: O.W.C.A. means "S.H.E.E.P." in Polish. Although this one's probably accidental.
    • The hotel Jeremy stays at while in Paris is "La Poubelle"....known in English as a 'garbage can'.
  • Binary Code: Mentioned in the song "Let's Go Digital".
  • Bindle Stick: Perry has one in "Oh, There You Are, Perry"
  • Biological Mashup: Averted in "Canderemy"; Candace and Jeremy are only joined at the hip. Played straight with the fusion between Phineas and Ferb at the end of the episode.
  • Birthday Hater: Doofenshmirtz, describing his as "The lousiest day of the year". Justified by the fact that every birthday of his has been a total disaster, including his actual birth, when neither of his parents bothered to show up.
  • Bishie Sparkle: Happens in "Jerk de Soleil" when Candace sees Jeremy and he gets all sparkly; given that he is her crush, it's not surprising.
    • Also, there is a variation: when Ferb first sees Vanessa, he sees her surrounded by various flowers.
      • And the third time, too.
      • The Flawless Girl from the TV ad that Candace and Stacy see.
  • Bizarrchitecture: Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated is shaped like a wrench.
    • ...and Ferb's head.
  • Bizarre and Improbable Golf Game: "Put that Putter Away" has a golden example of this.
    • Also in "She's the Mayor", though not quite as much.
  • Blah Blah Blah: "You know 'blah blah blah, Jeremy is so amazing, hearts, unicorns, and rainbows, blah!' that me!"

Phineas: Okay, so we built a roller coaster, traveled through time twice, found Atlantis, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

  • Non Sequitur Episode: "Tip of the Day". The lack of another mention is Justified as everyone but Candace forgot about the whole thing near the end.
    • A clip is shown in the clip show, so apparently Irving remembers (if only due to his spy cameras), and that somehow goes for the OTHER example of this, "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted" (see Dream Within a Dream below).
    • "Nerds of a Feather" definently counts. The premise is a lot different from normal, and the only thing from it that is mentioned again is Ducky Momo.
  • Blinding Bangs: Crash from The Betty's.
  • Blob Monster: The gelatin monster.
  • Blue and Orange Morality: Baljeet in "Cranius Maximus". Seriously...
  • Blue Eyes: Almost every character.
    • Midnight Blue Eyes: Although most of the cast have dark blue eyes, the only ones that actually fit for the purpose of this trope are Isabella, Isabella-2, and Candace-2, and that's due to Badass tendencies.
  • Blunt Yes: The Catch Phrase is a form of this:

Random Adult: Aren't you a little young to be [insert dangerous activity here]?
Phineas: Yes. Yes, we are.

  • Body Horror: The episode "Canderemy" centers around Doofenshmirtz's latest creation: The Combine-Inator, which he uses to combine various objects and people. While the titular combination of Candace and Jeremy is clean, humorous, and not scary in the slightest, the other ones...aren't.
    • Also, in "Phineas's Birthday Clip-O-Rama", we get a brief glimpse of his Inside-Out-Inator, which he accidentally hits himself with. It's Played for Laughs, but uggghh...
  • Bollywood Nerd: Baljeet.
  • Borrowed Catchphrase: All regular catchphrases tend to be used in at least one point by other characters.
    • Noteworthy example is the "Whatcha' Doin'?" line. Isabella can sense halfway across town if someone else uses her catchphrase, and tends to get angry whenever someone else says it to Phineas. If he says it to her, then she'll be okay with it (as long as he says it only to her).
    • "Hey, where's Perry?" is another noteworthy example, said often by one time characters or guest stars (For example, Chaka Khan in Summer Belongs to you.)
      • Lampshaded in "Phineas and Ferb Busters":

Phineas: Baljeet, would you do the honors?
Baljeet: Boy howdy! Hey -- (The scene abruptly cuts to Perry's lair.)
Major Monogram: Where's Perry?

      • Lampshaded again in "Bad Hair Day".

Stacy: Hey, where's Perry? What, I'm like the only one who hasn't said it.

  • Bound and Gagged: Control Freak (toon Candace). Perry is restrained every episode.
  • Bowdlerise: The Netflix stream of the show changes an announcer's line about Buford in "Raging Bully" from "He's missing a chromosome" to "He enjoys breaking bones."
  • Boxing Episode: "Raging Bully", complete with a Training Montage montage
  • Boxing Lesson: "Raging Bully"...by Evander Holyfield.
  • Boy Next Door:
    • Jeremy to Candace.
    • Isabella to Phineas too, but he's still yet to notice it. Also, she technically lives across the street.
  • Brains and Brawn: Very subtle, but Phineas is more inclined to the planning and actually knowing how everything works, while Ferb is more inclined to building.
  • Bratty Teenage Daughter: Candace, though it's only at certain occasions instead of constantly.
    • Vanessa has her moments as well.
  • Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: "It's green and it's evil. It's greevil!"
    • And later in the same episode, "She's like catnip for boys! She's boynip!"
    • And later still, "...diving and snakes and diving with snakes..."
    • In "The Chronicles Of Meap", Doof's inator targets clowns, children, and clown children.
    • In "Excaliferb", Meliffashmirtz says she's not scared of anything except unicorns, whales, squids, and Pegasus. Down comes the Pegawhalesquidicorn.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall:
    • In the "Musical Cliptastic Countdown", Major Monogram and Doofenshmirtz do this occasionally to the viewer at home (they voted, after all), but the rest of the episode is either showing the clips or advancing the unique plot of that episode.

Phineas: Hey, where's Perry?
Ferb: He's making a guest appearance on a musical clip show.
Phineas: Hmm... well, that's good for him.

    • "Mom! Phineas and Ferb are making a title sequence!"
    • Doofenshmirtz is hungover in "Crack That Whip" and starts to explain his latest plot:

"It all started when I was 15..." [Picture goes wavy] "No, my head hurts too much for a Flash Back." [Picture returns to normal].

    • In "Summer Belongs to You:"

Linda: It sure would be helpful if they could just make the days a little longer.
[A "ding" noise signaling an idea is heard as the bottom half of the screen is covered with an "advertisement" reading "You're Watching Television!"]
Phineas: Hey! Do you mind? We've kinda got a visual gag going on here!
[Advertisement disappears, revealing the "ding" was actually from Ferb with a triangle.]
Phineas: Thank you!

    • Phineas addresses the audience in "Summer Belongs to You!" with the line "No matter where we go, Ferb knows everyone!"
    • In "Wizard of Odd", Phineas actually lifts the screen like a curtain and talks to the audience from behind it.
    • In "Swiss Family Phineas" Candace is surprised to find Ferb giving a monkey a shower. Ferb says it had to be done.
    • Awesomely lampshaded in "Make Play".

Candace and Princess Baldegoon look identical.
Major Monogram: Oh, wow, what are the odds.
Carl: Well, it is a cartoon, sir.
Major Monogram: What did I tell you about breaking the Fourth Wall, Carl?

    • This little gem from the Musical Episode. The kids who take the poster from the wall (just like in the pilot) are stopped by Buford.

Buford: If any one's gonna ride this roller coaster, it's gonna be me. Not one of you lousy extras.

    • In "Canderemy", the boys built a giant robot dog, like in the title sequence. This is immediately lampshaded by Baljeet and Buford.

Isabella: Whatcha doin'?
Phineas: Hey Isabella, we're building a giant robot dog.
Baljeet: Like when we made that title sequence!
Buford: I'd rather give a monkey a shower.

    • When comparing the situation with Vanessa to a cheesy sitcom in "A Real Boy", both Perry and Doof stare directly into the camera.
    • In "The Secret of Success", Doofenshmirtz makes a joke about pre-emptions. The show cuts to a test pattern, and Doof says "Very funny."
    • "How do you like that, Perry the Platypus? Love Händel, in my flashback."
    • Happens in "My Fair Goalie".

Isabella: Oh no! Ferb is missing! What are we going to do?!
Phineas:(looks at camera) We'll be right back. (Cut to black)

    • "Moon Farm": "Baljeet, would you stop arguing with the soundtrack?"
    • "Meapless in Seattle": Before a commercial break, Doofenschmirtz and Meap are seen falling. Once the break is over:

Meap: We've been falling for a really long time!
Doofenschmirtz: Great. A joke about the commercial break. Yeah, that's really how I want to spend my last few seconds...

  • Break the Cutie: Phineas and Ferb in "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted". They Get Better, of course.
    • Also part of the Christmas Episode, which is basically the only time in the series Phineas is ever truly sad.
      • Phineas once more in "Summer Belongs To You".
      • And in a brief shot in "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo" after they get punished.
  • Brick Joke: Brick, Brick, Brick, Brick, Brick, Brick...It's Fun.
    • In one episode Candace suggests Phineas and Ferb build a giant sling shot to get off an island. Phineas likes the idea and asks if he can use it another time.
      • This winds up being the solution to the Summer Belongs To You episode.
    • In one episode Monogram informs Perry that he's getting a vase for Christmas. An entire season later, Doof gives him the aforementioned vase at the end of the Christmas Episode.
    • In "The Lake Nose Monster", Doof writes "Big Laundry" on a chalkboard in his zinc-collecting vehicle and forgets what it means. He remembers what it meant in "Swiss Family Phineas".
    • Heck, there are TONS of these. There's probably one in at least every other episode.
    • "Day of the Living Gelatin" introduced Pinky as a secret agent in O.W.C.A. He finally gets an episode to shine in "Isabella and the Temple of Sap".
    • "Ask a Foolish Question" lampshades this when Baljeet remembers events on a monitor and acts the same as Isabella. A brick is the next thing that Baljeet thinks of.
    • Marty the Rabbit Boy and his musical blender.
    • In the "Hawaiian Vacation" episode, when Doof mentions that he's going to leave using his "Bo-At, or 'boat' as he is now told it's pronounced" this is a callback to "Interview With A Platypus."
    • Peter the Panda from mid-season one's "It's About Time!" makes an awesome return in "Meapless in Seattle". Good to know they haven't forgotten where they mentioned their characters live. The two times they did. In passing. God, I love this show.
    • In Tri-Stone-Area, when Phinabunk(?) and Gerb(?) are riding their newly-invented car, a caveman (named Conk) recognises them and says something like "Ahwaaaah! Phinabunk an Gerb!" It might translate to "Oh heeeey! Phineas and Ferb!". Conk is the very same caveman from Boyfriend From 27,000 B.C..
  • Bridal Carry: In "One Good Scare Ought To Do It!", Isabella ends up with Phineas in her arms in this pose upon saving him from falling from the unexpectedly-airborne haunted house.
  • Bring My Brown Pants: Baljeet has the tendency to lose control of his bowels when intimidated, and hyperventilate when in danger. His hyperventilation was a plot point, when it saved them from a weird urban sculpture.
    • Doof gets in on it once or twice, too.

Doofenshmirtz: Say goodbye to this pair of lederhosen...

    • Buford had this moment in "That Sinking Feeling".

Buford dressed like Cupid: Well, that's the end of this diaper.

    • And another in "Rollercoaster: The Musical" while on the roller coaster through downtown:

Buford: I'm glad I'm wearing trousers that are already brown!

  • Broken Record: In the episode "Mom's Birthday", Candace goes to buy her mom a cute little sun dress that they saw in the window of a store. So, she keeps repeating, "Cute little sun dress, cute little sun dress, cute little sun dress..."
    • In the episode "It's About Time!" at the credits, the dad keeps repeating, "Fossils! Da, da, da!"
  • The Bully: Buford, although he's not much of a bully in the show.
  • Bully and Wimp Pairing: Buford and Baljeet, naturally.
  • Bumbling Dad: Doofenshmirtz, big time.
    • Also, Lawrence, mildly. While neither dumb nor irresponsible nor lazy, he is quite dorky.
  • Busby Berkeley Number: In "Rollercoaster: The Musical", a couple of times.
    • Doofenshmirtz is rather fond of these. "Impress My Professor" comes to mind.
  • Butt Biter: In 'One Good Scare Ought to Do It' Little Suzy Johnson's poodle helps Candace live up to her Chew Toy status with a painful looking bite on the bottom.
  • Butt Monkey: Doofenshmirtz, Baljeet, Candace.
    • Baljeet's Butt Monkey status is extended to Ginger in "Isabella and the Temple of Sap" whenever she expresses attraction to him.
    • Happens to Stacy quite a bit as well when she's involved with Candace's plots, particularly in Spa Day.
    • Sometimes Phineas causes bodily harm to Ferb because of his obliviousness, particularly in One Good Scare Ought To Do It and Chronicles Of Meap.
    • This happens to Adyson in the recent episode "The Great Indoors" a lot.
  • By the Lights of Their Eyes: Candace in "Flop Stars" when the mall is closed.
  • By Wall That Is Holey: In "Spa Day", Candace and Stacy are helping build homes for the homeless. Canadace lets go of the wall they are holding in position so she can ogle Jeremy. She passes harmlessly through the hole for the window. Stacy is not so lucky.
  • Call Back: In the episode "Swiss Family Phineas", when the group is stranded on an island, Candace questions Phineas why he didn't make a giant slingshot to fling them back to the mainland. This is particularly amusing later in "Summer Belongs to You", when this is exactly how Phineas manages to arrange their escape from yet another island.
    • Phineas' specific line in reference to Candace's idea is "Giant slingshot... mind if we use that someday?"
    • In "Road Trip" when Perry briefly jumps into the drivers seat of Doof's semi "Mobile Mammal" from "Suddenly Suzy" plays.
    • In "Bubble Boys" Buford says he wants to float around like "a little woodland pixie". Later, in "Meatloaf Surprise", when the bouncy house takes off into the air, Baljeet teases Buford, saying "Are we going to float around like little woodland pixies?"
    • Parodied in the "Temple of Juachadoon" episode, where the Norm stand-in copies the slow clap the Doofenshmirtz stand-in did at the beginning of the scene, with Doofenshmirtz chastising him that "It's too early for a Call Back."
  • Calvin Ball: The F Games.
    • And a quiz show variant in "Let's Take a Quiz", "where the rules are 'answer fast and answer often'"... and that seems to be it.
    • Skiddley Whiffers is a board game variant of this trope.
  • Camp Gay: Bobbi Fabulous is about as extreme an example of this trope as it is possible to get while still remaining in the Ambiguously Gay territory.
  • Camp Straight: Baljeet has shades of this. He has a girly voice, apparently likes rainbows and unicorns, dressed up as a daisy for Halloween, and has other generic feminine traits, but has been shown to have a crush on three girls so far.
  • The Cameo: Clay Aiken and Chaka Kahn in "Summer Belongs to You". Bowling for Soup in "Quantum Boogaloo". Laird Hamilton in "Hawaiian Vacation". Evander Holyfield in "Raging Bully". Kenny Ortega in "Rollercoaster: The Musical". Jamie Oliver in "Meatloaf Surprise". Kelly Clarkson in the upcoming "Phineas and Ferb Family Christmas"
  • Camera Abuse: In "Tree to Get Ready", Doofenshmirtz sings about the people he hates, including camera crews. At that point in the song, the scene shifts to a camcorder's perspective, which he pushes out of his face and apparently to the ground.
  • Canada, Eh?: "Paaaul Bunyan's! - Where the food is good (but not too good, eh?)"
  • Can't Get Away with Nuthin': Both played straight and subverted to the extreme. Phineas and Ferb can get away with just about anything. Dr. Doofenshmirtz on the other hand will be thwarted by Perry the Platypus even when he isn't trying anything particularly evil.
    • Monogram: "Agent P, nothing seems to be happening. Nothing from Doofenshmirtz; everything seems pretty quiet. So he must be up to something. Go!"
    • See the example under Companion Cube, thwarted by a potted plant.
  • Captain Color Beard: "The Ballad of Badbeard".
  • Captain Ersatz: The hippie that the Fireside girls meet in "Isabella and the Temple of Sap" is a reasonable facsimile of Tommy Chong.
  • Card-Carrying Villain: Dr. Doofenshmirtz, and for that matter probably most of his colleagues in the League Of Villianous Evildoers Maniacally United For Frightening Investments In Naughtiness (LOVEMUFFIN).
    • Also Mitch, who refuses to be called a zookeeper ("You're a poacher!" "Yes, that's it") because it legitimizes the whole thing.
    • In Indiana Jones parody episode, Isabella literally carried business card that says "Dirty Double Crosser".
  • Caramelldansen Vid: "Summer Belongs To You" saved you the trouble of animating one yourself. No, really.
    • Albeit with the wrong music.
    • Knowing the creators, they were probably also completely informed of its origins.
  • Care Bear Stare: Meap's "really cute death ray" may very possibly be this, given the fact that everything on Meap's planet is cute-based, along with it resembling a sparkly little rainbow.
  • Cartoonland Time: All of Phineas and Ferb's projects are completed by the end of the day.

"You can build a rollercoaster in a day but it takes you 20 minutes to repair a flat tire?!"

    • Taken Up to Eleven in the episode "Run Away Runway", where fashions change on an hourly basis and Vague Magazine prints three issues in one day.
  • Cassandra Truth:
    • Candace's attempts to bust Phineas and Ferb.
    • Also Vanessa's attempts to persuade her mother that her father is an evil Mad Scientist.
    • And one time when Django, the son of an artist, was introduced, wherein he made a very large painting on the Unpainted Desert for his father (with the help of Phineas and Ferb, of course) and he led his father to see it but by that time, Doofenshmirtz's invention-of-the-week had already destroyed the dam and the resulting flood washed it away, thus rendering the whole thing pointless.
    • Occasionally happens to one-shot characters, such as the host of "Bust 'Em" and Baljeet's teacher.
  • Casting Gag: A recent episode features Lawrence singing a science-fiction themed song and wearing a costume that's quite similar to Riff Raff's alien outfit.
  • The Cast Showoff: Seemingly every post-"Busted" Vanessa sighting has resulted in her character gaining a song, apparently due to Disney realizing voice actress Olivia Olson has an excellent voice.
    • Olivia Olson does the singing for a lot of other female characters as well-- "I'm Lindana and I Wanna Have Fun", for instance, and in "The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein", she voices the backup singers. AND according to her Wikipedia page, she's also written songs for the show.
      • She also gets a song in the Christmas Episode, though Vanessa doesn't appear. (It's one of those "no one's actually singing, just accompanying a montage" songs.)
      • It helps of course that her father (Martin Olson) is one of the show's writers and does some of the music for it as well.
    • Vincent Martella (Phineas) and Ashley Tisdale (Candace) get their share of time in the musical sun as well, though of course, they are the main (regularly speaking) characters.
    • Let us not forget Alyson Stoner. Interestingly, at first it didn't look like this trope was going to come into effect for Alyson, since initially every song Isabella was involved in either kept her in the background or replaced her voice as a gag (S'Winter). However, as of the Christmas special she's been getting some really nice numbers and even sings the main part on two recent ones, and that's not even counting her rendition of "Let it Snow" from the Christmas album.
  • Catapult Nightmare: Happened twice in "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted": once by Candace and once by Perry.
  • Catch Phrase: Many, almost all Lampshaded or subverted at some point. Often they'll be borrowed by another character, most obviously in "Hail Doofania!":
    • "I know what we're gonna do today!"
    • "Whatcha doin'?"
      • Isabella is apparently very protective of this one, as evidenced during "Out of Toon" when she interrupts Buford saying it with a sharp elbow to the gut (Buford appears to fear her wrath and apologises, but she shuts him up and say "We'll talk about this later") and the Christmas Special, where Candace says it and we get a cut to Isabella making an "I sense a disturbance" face.
      • In "Suddenly Suzy", Isabella is visibly aggravated when first Suzy then Candace steal her "Whatcha doin'?" thunder. "Do I even need to be here?!"
    • "Hey, where's Perry?"
    • "Aren't you a little young to be a [insert incredible occupation here]?" "Why yes. Yes I am."
      • Inverted in one episode, in which Candace is a little old to be a Fireside Girl.
    • "Ah, Perry the Platypus, your timing is [adjective with prefix], and by '[same adjective with prefix]' I mean COMPLETELY [SAME ADJECTIVE WITHOUT PREFIX]!"
    • "CURSE YOU, PERRY THE PLATYPUS!"
    • "Oh, there you are, Perry!"
      • "Oh, there you are, Agent P!"
    • "Mom! Phineas and Ferb are [insert Cassandra Truth here]!"
      • "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom..."
      • "You've gotta see this!"
    • "He's a platypus. They don't do much."
    • "So kids, want some snacks?"(or some variation in place of snacks, often pie or cookies)
    • "Hey, is that [insert band here]?"
    • "...Thank you very much!"
    • "In retrospect, I question the wisdom of..." An irregular one that Doofenshmirtz, Phineas or Ferb share.
    • "That wasn't very nice." (said by Linda when something disappears or changes before she looks, causing her to misinterpret another character's statement as an insult)
    • "What does that even mean?" (said by Linda in response to a statement for which she has no frame of reference)
    • "There's a [fill in the blank] behind me, isn't there?"
    • Perry's chortle.
    • Candace's evil/manic laugh.
    • "[Insert description of person here] [Insert name of person here] is out. Peace!"
    • "Buh-buh-buh-but! Buh-buh-buh-but!"
    • "(in response to someone's reply that what they said didn't make sense) It doesn't have to, I've got a monster truck!"
    • Candace and her mom's most commonly used banter:

Candace: Ok, tell me you don't see a (unbelieveable device) in the backyard!\

Linda: Ok, I don't see a (unbelieveable device) in the backyard.

    • "Will you keep it down? I'm trying to use the [Insert form of communication here]!
    • "Why would you open a (insert sales product here) store without any (previously mentioned products)? Did you think (said products) would just fall out of the sky?!"
    • An exchange that happens whenever Doof recognizes Perry:

Doofenshmirtz: A platypus?
(Perry puts on his fedora)
Doofenshmirtz: PERRY THE PLATYPUS?!

    • Candace: "Stacy? I'm gonna have to call you back."
    • Also, Stacy and Candace's girl screams back and forth over the phone, usually in response to something Jeremy does or says.
    • "This is the best day ever!" said by Candace whenever something good happens to her.
    • "Great googly-moogly!" said by Major Monogram whenever he gets surprised.
    • "That's my girl!" said by Jeremy when Candace does something quintessentially Candace-like.
    • "It's Working! It is functioning properly!!" Said by Doofenshmirtz when he turns on an invention.

Doofenshmirtz 2: Is it working?
Doofenshmirtz: If by working you mean functioning properly, then yes.

    • To put this Up to Eleven? Several of these even have their own songs in "Rollercoaster: The Musical". And they're all really catchy.
    • The episode "Ferb TV" has a fake sit-com called "That's The Norm" featuring Suzy and Norm the Giant Robot Man. It gives Jeremy the catch phrase of "Holy Guacamole, you're a handful!" Yes, its just a forced as it sounds, and it is glorious.
  • Cell Phone:
    • Candace sends picture messages (and tries to get them back before Jeremy sees them). And picture messages from her cellphone are frequent in Candace's attempts to bust the boys.
    • The boys' father is considerate enough to put his phone on vibrate when in a movie theater.
    • In "Suddenly Suzy", Linda has expressed an extreme dislike for cell phones as a result of Candace's antics.
    • This is the whole plot of "Candace Disconnected"; Linda refuses to buy Candace any more expensive cell phones and only gets her one that you can only call people with (as opposed to having text or whatever other frills they have nowadays) because all of hers keep getting destroyed.
  • Channel Hop: Sort of. From the second season onward, new episodes premiere first on Disney XD as opposed to Disney Channel since the show skews more towards the former's demographic, and are then shown a week or so later on DC branded as "all new".
    • Well, sometimes a week or two. Sometimes six freakin' months.
      • As of "The Wizard of Odd", new episodes premiere on Disney Channel first again, but now they're labeled brand new when they premiere on Disney XD.
  • Character Blog: Candace has one.
  • Characterization Marches On: "Rollercoaster" (and even more so the original story pitch) portrays Phineas as irritable and sarcastic, while the rest of the series makes him ridiculously mellow. Word of God says this was because they originally wanted to highlight his role as Candace's Annoying Younger Sibling, but he quickly developed in a different direction.
    • It seems that in the second season a lot of the characters have undergone a fair personality development, but it's "Summer Belongs To You" that really skyrockets with deepening the characters' individualities. Phineas showing that he's not completely resourceful, getting frantic once he's realized his perplexity and showing anger and impatience for once, Candace gaining belief in herself and things seemingly impossible, Vanessa accepting her father's quirks and pecularity, Jeremy earning the ability to tell Candace about her annoying obsessive behaviour (which further led them to become an Official Couple), Isabella crossing the edge of her endurance to Phineas's ignorance towards her and revealing to be the only one able to encourage him into not giving up. Even Buford gets some screen time showing that he is fluent in French and can quote Voltaire from heart. Only Baljeet remained unaltered by the episode.
    • Nowhere is Phineas' characterization more apparent than from "Rollercoaster: The Musical". Instead of "We should have charged more", it's "It was sure nice to see Meap."
    • Consider Jeremy's mother. In seasons 1 and 2, She was a voiceless background character usually appearing nearby Linda. For season 3, they signed Jane Lynch for the character and they had to write a personality that made more sense for the actress. Try comparing the season 1 and 3 versions and you will notice different face structure and clothing.
    • Not to mention Jeremy himself. In episode one, he was just "the guy" Candace liked, episodes afterwards made him just "the Nice Guy who cheered Candace up". After that, the show slowly chipped away at his Relationship Sue-ness, revealing things such as the fact that he is the lead singer in a band and is very dedicated to his little sister, Suzy. Summer Belongs to You made him officially her boyfriend, and just about every episode he's been in since has given him a bit more development as a character, so now he's a Nice Guy who likes British things that is on occasion a Deadpan Snarker that messes with Candace's literal mind but still likes her just for who she is. He also, for some reason, carries a drain unclogger around.
    • Major Monogram. In season one, he was a very formal, authoritative no-nonsense boss who behaved in a totally cold demeanor to anyone he spoke to. Now, he's an eccentric Adult Child whose mission briefings are never complete without at least one joke.
  • Chariot Race: In "Greece Lightning", the boys stage a chariot race through Danville's streets after learning about ancient Greece.
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Parody: The boys remodel the Har D Har Toy Company's factory to look like Willy Wonka's (complete with Chocolate River and Oompa-Loompa Expys, which surprises Phineas).

Badinkadinks: We will now lay waste to the surface dwellers!

  • Chaste Hero: Phineas is almost ridiculously clueless to Isabella's affections.

Isabella: I still need to get my You-Wouldn't-Know-Cute-If-It-Bit-Your-Leg-Off Patch.\

Phineas: (Beat) Cool, let's go!

    • Of course, in "The Chronicles of Meap", Phineas built a "cute" radar and Isabella spent most of the episode claiming to be interfering with the tracking. When she finally outright says it, Phineas promptly says he already took her cuteness into account, and when disabling the "Isabella safety" the radar promptly exploded. However, cuteness is treated like a calculable measure here...
      • In "The Beak", Phineas indirectly refers to her as the most important person to him, but it could just be Superhero X in a nutshell.
      • Phineas trying to hide his secret from Isabella makes her the only character to which he seems very uncomfortable to hide secrets from.
      • Phineas eventually understands Isabella's feelings only after she kisses him, of course Isabella did this before their memories were wiped so he has no recollection of the event.
  • Cheated Angle: You almost never see Phineas and Ferb's faces from the front.
    • Also, Ferb's front-facing eye is always smaller than the eye behind it, no matter which side you're looking at. Whenever he turns his head, if you look closely, his eyes actually shrink and grow in order to fit this.
  • Chekhov's Armoury: Tiny little details in the A and B plots combine in the final vanishing of the evidence.
    • The writers are well aware that the viewers will be looking for this and so seldom take the obvious resolution.
  • Chekhov's Gun: Would you believe a Christmas CD?
  • Chekhov's Gunman: In "Attack of the 50 Foot Sister", the agency randomly makes a group of fish agents after their pond was drained when Perry had to use it as a lair entrance. They turn out to be crucial in helping Perry save the day.
    • Dr. Doofenshmirtz comes up with an evil plan to make shadow puppets on the moon because Huge Han Hands made his love interest leave him. When Candace ends up inflating her gloves in her spacesuit and is sent out into space, Dr. Doofenshmirtz believes that Huge Hans Hands has come to thwart his plans and he proceeds to attack the rocket Phineas and Ferb are in.
  • Cheshire Cat Grin: Candace has had quite a few of these.
  • Chewing the Scenery: Doofenshmirtz probably has to pick the scenery out of his teeth after every other episode.
    • Candace also does this at times.
  • Chez Restaurant: In the episode "Chez Platypus", the boys build a restaurant in their backyard named... well, you can imagine.
  • Chick Magnet: Ferb considers himself one.
  • Child Prodigy: Phineas, Ferb, Baljeet and Gretchen from the Fireside Girls.
    • As Fireside Troop leader, you gotta figure Isabella counts as well.
    • Buford shows flashes of this, from quoting Voltaire in "Summer Belongs to You" to knowing King Wenceslas' background on the Christmas album.
  • Children Are Innocent: Phineas and Ferb seem to be almost completely unaware of how risky the stuff they do might be (besides helmets), and that they get their sister mad all the time. However, Ferb seems to be quite a bit more mature than his brother....
  • Christmas Episode: "Mo-om! Phineas and Ferb are making a Christmas special!"
  • Chessmaster: In the Christmas special, Santa would make both Batman Gambit and Xanatos Gambit proud.
    • The Super Computer.
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Django Brown was featured prominently in four early episodes, and was even a member of Phineas and Ferb's close-knit group of friends. After "Oil on Candace" he disappeared from the main cast, and has been seen only in a handful of non-speaking cameos.
  • Clark Kenting: Doofenshmirtz cannot recognize Perry the Platypus without his Nice Hat.

Doofenshmirtz: What kind of plumber are you?
[Perry takes off his plumber hat]
Doofenshmirtz: A platypus plumber?
[Perry puts on his agent hat]
Doofenshmirtz: Perry the Platypus Plumber?
[Perry drops his tool-belt]
Doofenshmirtz: PERRY THE PLATYPUS!

    • Candace tries to disguise herself as "The Dangeraffe". It...doesn't work.
  • Clear My Name: Perry in "Cheer Up Candace".
  • Cliff Stack: In "The Magnificent Few", a herd of cows does this. It Makes Sense in Context, kinda.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: Suzy is very protective of her relationship with Jeremy (she even hints in her first appearance and outright shows in "Suddenly Suzy" that she's perfectly fine with Candace so long as she's well and far away from Jeremy). Not to mention that Candace flips out pretty much any time Jeremy is seen with another girl. Or a guy who kinda looks like a girl from the back, for that matter.
  • Clingy MacGuffin
    • Played for Laughs in an episode. The family goes on vacation to Hawaii and Candace finds a Tiki necklace that seemingly curses her with bad luck. She tries to get rid of it, but it keeps coming back to her. It later turns out the Tiki necklace was a restaurant gimmick, and earned her a free desert, which she turned down.
    • And then there is the episode that parodied The Wizard of Oz. When the Wicked Witch (played by Dr. Doofenschmirtz) demands that Candace hand over the magic boots, she replies that she would, but they've grown on her. By that, she means that they've literally grown on her and they won't come off. It's only after Phineas and Ferb give her a shoehorn that she's finally able to remove them.
  • Clip Show: "Phineas and Ferb's Musical Cliptastic Countdown", as the name implies.
    • A montage of past events appears in "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted".
      • Similarly, another montage of notable past events/episodes appears during the ending of "Summer Belong to You".
    • Also "Phineas' Birthday Clip-o-rama" as a more straight example. But mostly, it's within the framing device of setting up a montage for Phineas' birthday. And Doof trying to understand what makes his plans fail.
  • Clothing Switch: Candace and Vanessa in "Hail Doofania!"
    • In "Ain't No Kiddie Ride", Phineas and Ferb each pick the other's outfit out of a shopping bag, look at each other and quickly trade.
  • Cloudcuckooland: Druselstein, from what we see of it. The residents of Patchkinland from "The Wizard of Odd" certainly push the sanity envelope as well.

Patchkin: [spits on ground] I have saliva!

    • Danville itself is also a mild example. Though it's not quite as strange as Drusestein, it is inhabited by people who, for the most part, wouldn't be the least bit phased if a giant television screen suddenly got up and started dancing, and would gladly let an anthropomorphic platypus borrow their truck.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Many members of Heinz Doofenshmirtz's family, but especially Heinz.
    • Lawrence - Ferb's father and Phineas and Candace's stepfather - is fairly grounded, but prone to making curious statements and not batting an eyelid at things like the TV talking back to him.
    • Candace definitely has her moments. For instance, there's her tendency to talk into things that aren't a phone, then not be surprised when she hears a "response".
  • Coincidence Magnet: Pretty much everyone, but mostly Candace and Doofenshmirtz.
  • Coincidental Accidental Disguise: In "Are You My Mummy?", Candace ends up wrapped in toilet paper like a mummy. And in "Get That Bigfoot Out Of My Face!", Doofenshnirtz ends up covered in mud and leaves and looking like a bigfoot. In another episode the two of them trade an accidental disguise of being an orangutan.
  • Comforting Comforter: Done by Perry to a sick Doofenshmirtz in "My Fair Goalie". Awwwww...
  • Comically Missing the Point: P & F Quantum Boogaloo. It's bad enough that young-Candace can't get it into her head that its her obsession that makes her blind to the boy's true motives, especially when told directly by her future self (who finally learned it during her time travel trip). But this line really takes the cake.

Older Candace: (To Phineas and Ferb) And remember be nice to your sister.\

Younger Candace: (In something of a mocking tone) Yeah, be nice to your sister!

    • Doofenshmirtz, in his plan to leave "carbon footprints" all over the Tri-State Area... with a giant paper-mache foot made of carbon paper. Well, at least he admits that he has no idea what a "carbon footprint" is.
    • In "The Beak", Candace thought the entire thing was a game, rather than an actual super villain thinking The Beak is a superhero. In reality, even he was missing the point, as Phineas and Ferb only built the suit to get through a very dangerous skateboard ramp. The latter's missing the point can be justified because he read the news article that Mistakes Him For A Super Hero.
    • In "What Do It Do", Linda completely fails to understand that her situation in that episode is identical to what Candace experiences in her everyday attempts to bust her brothers.
    • In "Last Train to Bustville", Candace hears a song about never giving up which inspires her to... give up.
  • The Comically Serious: Perry is more serious-minded and professional than anyone else involved in his plotline, only rarely smiles and often expresses displeasure at Monogram and Carl goofing around or the absurd nature of Doofenshmirtz's plots. But he's still a platypus in a hat busting a ridiculous Mad Scientist.
  • Commercial Break Cliffhanger: Literally (and, naturally, lampshaded) in "Excaliferb". "Meapless in Seattle" has a similar example.
  • Companion Cube: Balloony, Doofenshmirtz's childhood friend.
    • Also called Colin.
    • Later, Doofenshmirtz sets up Planty the Potted Plant as a substitute nemesis...and it somehow manages to thwart him, totally trash the lair, and become a legitimate secret agent.
    • And later there was bobble-head Perry the Platypus.

Doofenshmirtz: (To Perry, after he sees the bobble-head Perry) What? It was an arts and crafts project! I have a life outside of you!

Candace is examining a row of books with no visible titles
Candace: Boring, dull, stupid, lame, heavy-handed and derivitive.
Mom: Oh, thank you for those insightful reviews of books... you haven't read.

  • Compressed Vice: The episode "Bully Bromance Breakup" gives reveals a hilarious, but undeniably bizarre flaw of Phineas': If he is given an opportunity to invent something, but doesn't/is forced not to, he slowly becomes more and more panicked, curling up into a Troubled Fetal Position while listing all the things he could build, then eventually snapping and building a house out of ice just for the sake of building something and ease his nerves. This not only comes completely out of nowhere, but it directly defies the episode "The Best Lazy Day Ever", where he is repeatedly, intentionally given opportunities to build something, and calmly declines.
    • One could argue that deciding not to do something is doing something.
    • Phineas did decide to build something but was interrupted by Baljeet's unexpected declaration to manually climb a mountain and was forced to set aside his desire for a while.
  • Concert Kiss: Quite literally in "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together".
  • Cone of Shame: Even platypuses aren't immune. Perry had to wear one for most of the morning, which was so big that it kept him from entering his lair, and subsequently, from thwarting Doofenschmirtz.
  • Conflict Ball: Given that Phineas and Ferb's antics never cause permanent harm and are always swept away at the end of the episode, you have to wonder why Candace is so hell bent on busting them.
    • Highlighted in the episode "Flop Starz", where the boys become one-hit wonders:

Candace: I'm gonna tell Mom.
Phineas: Okay... tell her what?
(Beat)
Candace: Ooh, I'm just gonna tell!

  • Conjoined Twins: In "Canderemy", we get an artificial case between Candace and Jeremy.
  • Conspicuous CG: Pops up from time to time, but it is especially Egregious whenever there is a vehicle, or giant mecha, or anything that moves more than five miles per hour... Usually occurs in Rough Draft Studios' episodes; though "The Beak", animated by Wang Film Productions, is guilty as well.
  • Conspiracy Placement: Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc. not only has signposted buildings, it also has a Jingle.
    • Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed!
    • It's been interrupted rather jarringly multiple times, even by Doofenshmirtz himself.
    • The jingle has several variations depending on where the Doctor actually is. For example, at night "Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated! (After hours...)" And there was another where Perry finds Doof in the woods, the jingle was "Doofenshmirtz's out in the foooreeesst!" And of course: "Doofenshmirtz's Abandoned vacuumcleanerfactoryyyyyyyyy!" They literally had to rush the ending to make it fit.
    • There's also "Perry Lays an Egg", when Dr. Doofenshmirtz is teasing whales, the jingle is "Doofenshmirtz holding a buuuuuuuuckeeeeet!"
    • Of course, when we see his "abandoned" storage facility (complete with appropriate signage) we hear: "Doofenshmirtz abandoned self-stoooooooooooooooooorage!"
    • Doofenshmirtz Evil Is carpeteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed!
    • Doofenshmirtz's ex-wife's houseinthehillssomewheeeeeere! They had to rush that one, too...
    • "Doofenshmirtz Hideout-Shaped Islaaaaaand!", "Doofenshmirtz Mentor's Hideouuuuut!"
    • Doofenshmirtz's Quality Braaaaatwurssstt! (off key and with a pethetic tone)
    • Doofenshmirtz Evil Dirigibllllllllle! (And again, in a later episode as "Doofenshmirtz in a Blimp Agaaaaaaaaaaaaaain".)
    • Doofenshmirtz walks to a dineeeeeeeeeer!
    • Doofenshmirtz's Abandoned Theateeeeeeeeer!
    • Doofenshmirtz's flat-bed micro-buuuuss!
    • Doofensmirtz in a jet aaairplaaaane!
    • Bobble-Head Perry the Platypuuuuuuuus!
    • Doofenshmirtz's ex-wife's sports suvaaaaaaaaaaan!
    • Doofenshmirtz appears to have hired the jingle singers himself, as they have a sound studio in his building.
    • Poofenplotz Evil is Crazy!
    • In the Musical Episode, Doofenshmirtz introduces us to the second line of the song.

Doofenshmirtz: Where being evil is not debated...I've really got to finish that jingle.

    • Doofenshmirtz's (sudden baritone) BASEMENT.
    • Doofenshmirtz Aluminum Siiiiiiidiiiiiiiing!
    • Doofenshmirtz Evil Aaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnex!
    • Doofenshmirtz house in the subuuuuuuuuurbbbbbbbs!
    • Doofenshmirtz Evil is carpeeeeeeeeeteeeeeeed!
    • Doofenshmirtz Family Reunuuuuuuuuuionnnnnnnnnn!
    • Doofenshmirtz rocket powered jet skiiiiiiiiiiiiiff!
    • Doofenshmirtz carbon fooooooootpriiiiiiiint!
    • Doofenshmirtz Wicked Witch Caaaaaastllllllllle!
    • Doofenshmirtz four seconds laaaaaaaaateeeeeeeer!
    • *female singers* Doofenshmirtz vacation condooooooooooo!
    • Doofenshmirtz on a craaaaaaaaaab boooooooooooat!
    • Millifishmirtz's Evil Incorporated, but not really a corporation because corporations haven't been invented yet so it's more like a guild or a trade association!
    • A non-Doofenshmirtz example is the OWCA Secret Base, which has a sign out front reading

OWCA Secret Base
(Please Ignore This Sign)

  • Continuity Cavalcade: Good Lord Almighty, The Musical Episode. They bring back the first guy who delivered "Aren't you a little young to...", in Candace's second song she mentions several past events the boys have been involved in, the adult Candaces from "Quantum Boogaloo" show up in the background of the supermarket parking lot, and in the final number EVERY SINGLE character, animal, invention, ANYTHING the boys have encountered in the series comes to sing the final song.
    • ...Except for Albert.
      • And a few others, mostly minor one-shots (notably, less characters were forgotten than remembered).
  • Continuity Nod: Plenty...impressive, for a gag-run comedy.
    • Once the basis for one of Doofenshmirtz's Evil Plans in "Swiss Family Phineas" when he remembers what "Big Laundry" meant.
      • Which doesn't make sense seeing as how in the credits of "The Lake Nose Monster" he remembered that it meant that it was laundry day, complete with a humongous pile of clothes. Maybe it had a double meaning?
    • Lindana references are pretty common throughout the series. Word of God says that's the creators' "favorite thing" about Linda.
    • In one episode, Monogram tells Perry that the agency has been tracking Doof's online activity, and found out what he is getting Perry for Christmas (a vase). In the Christmas episode (a full season later), Doof gives Perry that same vase.
    • In his youth, Doof was forced to stand in the front lawn of his family's home as a lawn gnome, since they lost the real one. Doof then references the same story (with the same background) in "The Chronicles of Meap", commenting, "...you remember that backstory, Perry the Platypus." He does this in "Got Game?" as well, which is odd considering he thought he was talking to some dog.

Doofenshmirtz: Life was simpler back when I was a garden gnome.

      • Unless you consider he was talking to the audience.
    • In several episodes characters are seen humming or singing along to either "Gitchi Gitchi Goo" or "I'm Lindana and I Wanna Have Fun", true to the one-hit wonders that they are, and they're background music ridiculously often.
      • As mentioned in its initial episode—Flop Starz—a tinny musack version of one of these songs is played any time anybody rides an elevator.
    • Brick, brick, brick, briiiick, brick, brick, brick, it's fun! In another episode, Doofenshmirtz gets angry about a billboard advertising these that now is blocking his view.
    • In "Does This Duckbill Make Me Look Fat?", Doofenshmirtz comments that he really should have unplugged his Shrinkinator before using it as a planter. In "Let's Take a Quiz!", he still hasn't unplugged it, and it's covered in sticky note reminders to unplug it.
    • In "Got Game?", when Doofenshmirtz is buying a dog (Perry in a bad disguise) he tells the pet store owner that he'll pay any price since he gets a huge alimony check every month. Several episodes later his ex-wife Charlene comments that she must be paying WAY too much alimony if he can afford to build a massive ice-cream-sundae-making machine(inator).
    • In the second half of "Phineas and Ferb's Hawaiian Vacation", Doofenshmirtz gets stranded on a deserted island and comments on how he wishes he had a BO-AT,

Doofenshmirtz: Or is it pronounced boat? I've heard it pronounced that way, but....

    • Heck, this might as well be Once an Episode. Every episode has its own 'continuity' section on the Phineas and Ferb Wiki, and they're generally rather hefty.
    • In "Swiss Family Phineas", Candace questions how come Phineas and Ferb didn't make something to get them off the island and even suggests how they should have done it, including using a giant slingshot to launch them off the island. Guess how they got a deserted island in "Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You"? Using a slingshot to launch a giant paper plane.
    • Two in "Wizard Of Odd". First when Candace is being chased by flying squirrels and she screams "Squirrels, Squirrels!!" identically to how she sings it in S-I-M-P from "Comet Kermillian". Later, they play a parody of "BUSTED" (the song from "I Scream, You Scream") over the credits featuring the Tin-Man called "RUSTED".
    • In "Brain Drain", Doofenshmirtz mentions when Perry blew him up at Vanessa's birthday party from "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together".
    • In several episodes, Candace talks about marrying Jeremy and having kids named Xavier & Amanda. When Phineas & Ferb meet the future her in "Phineas & Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo", those are in fact the names of her kids. Oh, and Fred.
    • The final music number in Rollercoaster: The Musical features cameos from damn near EVERY obscure character in the series. (just a few examples are the guy with the wolf puppet from the cattle episode, the anime girls from "Summer Belongs To You", Mishti from That Sinking Feeling, and Doofenshmirtz's childhood pal Kenny).
      • In the same episode, when Candace come out of the grocery store, the two adult Candaces from Quantum Boogaloo are hiding behind a car.
      • For more details see Continuity Cavalcade above.
  • Continuity Porn: Every single episode contains some sort of call back to at least a few previous episodes. Seriously.
    • The final music number in Rollercoaster: The Musical! took this Up to Eleven. Just watch it.
      • If that song took it up to eleven, then Phineas's Birthday Clip-o-Rama! took it up to twelve. It's literally a Clip Show with clips from just short of every single previous episode.
      • And then there was "The Monster from Id" which, taking place in Candace's subconsience, mentions everything that makes Candace squirm, a sample from its song

"Were you traumatized by squirrels?/or a little girl with curls?/Do you fear the number 7?/ Does a zebra call you Kevin?"

Why are there so many people up in space? What's up with that?!

    • The supercomputer that F&P build takes advantage of these to "Do something really nice for mom."
  • Convection, Schmonvection: Phineas and Ferb roast weiners on a passing lava flow in "Candace Loses Her Head".
  • Conversational Troping: One episode features Doofenshmirtz going on an entire rant about Literal Genies, questioning the point of misinterpreting a wish when there's no benefit for anyone to do so. He eventually concludes that the OWCA should be sending Perry after genies instead.
  • Cool Big Sis: Subverted. Despite the fact that Candace is quite the opposite, the boys still look up to and admire her.
    • Phineas points out in "Summer Belongs To You" how she's always taken part in their adventures and done so many cool things: driving monster trucks, travelling through time, becoming the Queen of Mars, and so on. To them, she is that cool.
  • Cosmic Plaything: Hoo boy, Candace. A particularly ridiculous instance was lampshaded in "S'Winter", when Candace was riding on a snowboard with the boys. They went through a snowman, and of course Candace ended up as a comical snowman lookalike... except that she was behind the boys. They glance down at themselves and Phineas asks, "How did that miss us?" They go through a tree, same thing. Phineas comments, "That's just weird."
  • Cosplay: Phineas, Ferb, Buford, Baljeet, Candace, Irving, and Irving's brother all go to the Sci-fi Fantasy Convention in cosplay.
  • Covered in Mud:
    • "That Sinking Feeling" Baljeet and the girl from his past, in a flashback, before she "turned into a girl". They were playing and covering each other in mud.
    • "Run Candace Run" has Candace and Jeremy both covered head to toe in mud after her borrowing the boys' speed shoes helps them win a wheelbarrow race.
  • Covert Pervert: Ferb.

Phineas: We don't do this to compete--we do it for fun!
Ferb: And for the ladies. *Purrs and wiggles his eyebrows*

    • Phineas also has shades of this in the Christmas Special:

Phineas: You know Ferb, just think of all of the wonderful things Santa does for us. And he never asks for anything in return. Wait, that's it! Ferb, are you thinking what I'm thinking?\

(Ferb hands Phineas a blueprint) Phineas: As usual, we're— OH! OH! Man, no! That's not at all what I was thinking! Oh, dude! (Ferb flips blueprint upside) Phineas: Oh, yeah. That's it!

  • Cowboy Episode: One involving a robot rodeo, another involving a cattle drive at the mall.
  • Coy Girlish Flirt Pose: Done quite a lot, from Isabella, to the girls in Sexy Santa Dresses during Doofensmirtz's song about not hating Christmas.
  • Crazy Prepared: Doofenshmirtz tries to be this. His success rate tends to vary.
    • The Fireside Girls. Their motto is "Fireside Girls are always prepared!"
    • Phineas and Ferb themselves definitely qualify.

Phineas: Ferb. Water hazard ahead. Commence Operation Unforeseen Circumstance.

    • Carl built robot doubles of everyone in the family just in case they're ever needed.

Major Monogram: Wait a minute. You anticipated a specific situation like this?
Carl: Yep.
Major Monogram: Wow. That's a little creepy, Carl.
Carl: Yes. Yes it is.

    • Perry should qualify. For most of Doofenshmirtz's traps, Perry will produce the exact item that could be used for escape.
      • Perry is a little hit or miss. Most of the time he just MacGyvering's his way out of the situation with what's on hand.
    • Linda sometimes wears bicycle helmets while taking a shower.
  • Creator Cameo: All the time. There are at least two Dans in Danville, Danny and a lookalike who shows up as a cameraman, doctor, and car racing commentator.
  • Credits Gag: During The Wizard of Odd's credits, you can see that the last part of "Doofenwitch" is crossed off, with "warlock" written next to it.
    • A "Swampyski Marshkarov" is credited as Sergei in "Mommy, Can You Hear Me?"
  • Creepy Child: Suzy Johnson.
  • Creepy Monotone: The supercomputer in "Ask a Foolish Question".
  • Creepy Twins: They from "She's the Mayor".

Roger: You know what they say - you can't be T'd off once you've teed off. (chuckles) That was very funny...
Doofenshmirtz: What? Who says that?
Roger: You know. They. Those guys over there.
They: (along with ominous music) You can't be T'd off once you've teed off.
Roger: Creepy, huh? I've been trying to ditch those guys all day.

  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Candace is prone to panicking and tends to act rather erratically in general. But time and time again she has also shown capable of amazing feats given enough motivation (most commonly when she's trying to bust or protect her brothers).
    • Bollywood Nerd Baljeet has had his moments. He once took out dozens of Doof-2's Normbots using the Beak suit... by sissy slapping them.
      • An alternate version of him from ancient China in "Doof Dynasty" also helps an alternate Buford defeat numerous castle guards, albeit offscreen. (And, unlike Buford, he wasn't even holding a weapon!)
    • Irving once single-handedly took out a fleet of robots in the same battle as above. And Doof once saved his daughter and her friends from and angry swarm of bees, and...lets just say, if any character on the show is depicted as a wimp, expect this trope to come into play at least once.
  • Cryptid Episode: About the Lake Nose Monster.
    • There's also an episode about bigfoot, though no actual bigfoot actually shows up.
  • Cup Holders: From "Greece Lightning":

Phineas: Remind me, why did we put spikes on Buford's chariot again? And a bowling ball catapult?! I mean, what were we thinking?! Why'd we give them all the cool stuff? What do we have?
Ferb: (Opens cup holders)

Phineas: Cup holders? Sweet! Now we're cookin'!

  • Cute Bruiser: Isabella may be adorable, but she is tough. If Buford annoys her, she'll sissy-slap him in the face, and if he threatens to kill her friends, she will dissolve him into nothingness.
    • In "Meapless in seattle", Isabella uses her cuteness as a weapon to beat mitch.
  • Cuteness Proximity: In "Meapless in Seattle", Prof. Yore was able to inflict this on everybody after enhancing himself with Cuteonium. And again, with Mitch, after doing the same thing.
  • Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Just about every 'inator' Doofenshmirtz makes works.
    • Played with when he creates the "Age Accelerator-inator", but only intends to use it for his new career as a cheesemaker, allowing him to age cheese without actually waiting. Of course, he does start using it for evil later, but only after Perry ate his entire cheese wheel.
      • Forget about the 'inators' he makes, Doof could make a ludicrous fortune as a security systems contractor and consultant - I mean, yes, so Perry always gets out eventually, but not only does Doof catch him in almost every single episode, he knows exactly where Perry is going to enter, and what to use to capture him!
    • This is also the likely source of the funding for the boys' grand projects. The majority of Danville has been in their backyard to participate in some kind of show/business/ride. At least one of these was a for-profit venture ("At The Car Wash") and the star-nosed mole left to destroy Tokyo before they could use their earnings to protect him. Surely that helped their bottom line.
      • And while it's implied that they didn't get paid for their toy design, they must surely have gotten some royalties for their hit song.
        • Nope, the corporation just stole it.
      • They also charged for tickets to their rollercoaster. Although, since the people who rode it were neighborhood kids, the price was probably a couple bucks apiece at most.
      • And of course, the lemonade stand, which managed to become a Starbucks-level franchise before the lemonade-making machine broke down.
      • With the mayor's permission, they installed a device on city hall that keeps tigers out of the area. They probably got paid for that.
  • Cutting the Knot: One of the puzzles in "We Call it Maze" involves finding out how many jellybeans there are in a jar. While Phineas, Ferb, and Baljeet tries to solve the problem mathematically, Buford simply eats all the jellybeans and types in the answer "0".

Baljeet: Okay, technically, that is correct. But you did not show your work!
Buford: I will, in about twenty minutes.

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