Sidetracked by the Analogy: Difference between revisions

 

== Comicbooks ==

 

== Film ==

 

== Literature ==

* [[Discworld|Mustrum Ridcully]], and indeed most of the other wizards, are actually reasonably clever when it comes to magic, even if this is sometimes not readily apparent, Ridcully for instance almost certainly being a user of [[Obfuscating Stupidity]], but they are all genuinely hopeless when it comes to analogies, as Ponder Stibbons, who likes to think of himself as the [[Only Sane Man]] among the wizards, finds out every time he tries to explain something, going off on widely divergent tangents at the drop of a hat.

** Ridcully's brother Hughnon is just as bad. Witness his conversation with Vetinari in ''The Truth''. (Here's a hint: Vetinari's not actually talking about sending prawns over the clacks.)

** Most Ankh-Morporkians have occasional flashes of this. Commander Vimes thinks it's something in the water.

** One former patrician actually passed a ''law'' requiring accuracy of statements and metaphors. If you say a woman had a face that launched a thousand ships, you damn well better have the manifests to prove it. He eventually met his end in a swordfight against a disgruntled poet armed with a very, very, very, sharp pen.

* Sort of [[Inverted Trope]] in ''[[The Laundry Series|The Atrocity Archives]]'' by [[Charles Stross]]: Brains is devoting considerable time and energy to proving that it ''is'' possible to make an omelette without breaking eggs, but he instantly abandons this project to give moral support to Bob when their bosses drop him in it, pointing out that Bob's situation is what the phrase is actually ''about''.

* ''[[Welkin Weasels]]'': Spindrick Sylver's anarchist associate promises to set up a machine which will blow the city to Kingdom Come, and promptly ruins the drama by musing on whether there's a corresponding "Kingdom Go".

'''Bernard Woolley:''' "You can't stab anyone in the back, while you spit in their face." }}

** Pehaps the best example is in "Bed Of Nails", where Bernard gets all three wrapped up into a completely irrelevant discussion about gift horses, Trojan horses and Latin declension, totally ignoring the subject matter at hand

{{quote| '''[[The Kirk|Kirk]]:''' I don't care if you hit the broad side of a barn!<br />

'''Spock:''' Why would I wish to aim at such a structure? }}

'''Spock''': I fail to see why I should induce my mother to purchase falsified patents.<br />

'''Mudd''': ...Nevermind. }}

{{quote| '''Kirk''': If we play our cards right, we may be able to find out when those whales are being released.<br />

'''Spock''': How will playing cards help? }}

{{quote| '''Spock''': But Captain, Life is ''not'' a dream.}}

** This sort of thing happens in the novels, too. In one scene in the final book of the [[Star Trek a Time To]] series, two alien characters are discussing politics and one becomes sidetracked by the other's use of a human metaphor. When confronted with the phrase "a lame duck", Ra'ch B'ullhy (a Damiani) has to ask how a lame waterfowl fits the situation. Worf points out "it ''is'' a human metaphor; they are often abtruse".

{{quote| '''Daniel''': Maybe we should just lie low and wait for things to calm down.<br />

'''Teal'c''': Things will not calm down, Daniel Jackson. They will, in fact, calm ''up''. }}

 

== Mythology & Religion ==

{{quote| ''Jesus:'' "Beware the yeast of [[Corrupt Church|the Pharisees]]."<br />

''Disciples:'' "[[Comically Missing the Point|He's upset that we didn't bring any bread!]]" }}

 

== Radio ==

{{quote| '''Humph:''' I'd like you to keep doing that until I do this.<br />

''(sound of doorbell ringing, followed by mooing)''<br />

 

== Video Games ==

{{quote| '''Tenebrae''': "[[Lampshade Hanging|Does anyone else notice how]] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}SmOjrbK6xck&feature{{=}}related the conversation gets waylaid as soon as Colette joins?] [[Straight Man|Or is it just me?]]"}}

 

 

== Web Original ==

'''Joey:''' Freddie would never marry Jason. Besides, Freddie's ''already'' married--''[[Serious Business|to his job]].'' }}

* From ''[[Dragon Ball Abridged]]'', where Goku and Vegeta are getting ready for their battle:

* In ''[[Shrek]]'', after getting a bit of [[Analogy Backfire]] with "ogres are like onions," Donkey spends some time trying to find a more palatable food for the analogy.

** Though oddly enough, his first two attempts at understanding it (They stink? They make you cry?) are actually pretty much spot on. Don't know about the "You leave them out in the sun, they get all brown and start sprouting little white hairs?", though.

{{quote| '''Gilda''': Hey. I'm watching you. Like a hawk.<br />

'''Pinkie Pie''': Why? Can't you watch me like a griffon? }}

{{quote| '''Spike:''' The proof is in the pudding!<br />

'''[[The Ditz|Snails]]:''' I like pudding... }}

{{quote| '''Dan''': Come on, get after him! [[Big Eater|Pretend he's a sandwich!]]<br />

'''Chris''': What kind of sandwich? }}

'''Lil''': Yuck! <br />

'''Angelica''': Will you two put a lid in it! }}

{{quote| '''Buford:''' I am to metaphor cheese as metaphor cheese is to transitive-verb crackers!}}

** After escaping the maze at the end of the episode, Buford even complains about not getting any "metaphor cheese".