Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

The Areas of My Expertise

 The Areas of My Expertise
type
TVTItem
 The Areas of My Expertise
label
The Areas of My Expertise
 The Areas of My Expertise
page
TheAreasOfMyExpertise
 The Areas of My Expertise
comment
Short for: An Almanac of Complete World Knowledge Compiled with Instructive Annotation and Arranged in Useful Order by Me, John Hodgman, a Professional Writer, in the Areas of My Expertise, which Include: Matters Historical; Matters Literary; Matters Cryptozoological; Hobo Matters; Food, Drink, & Cheese (a Kind of Food); Squirrels & Lobsters & Eels; Haircuts; Utopia; What Will Happen in the Future; and Most Other Subjects; Illustrated with a Reasonable Number of Tables and Figures, and Featuring the Best of "Were You Aware of It?", John Hodgman's Long-Running Newspaper Novelty Column of Strange Facts and Oddities of the Bizarre.As the name implies, it is a book of trivia written by John Hodgman, better known as a PC, and as The Daily Show's "Resident Expert". Every single fact in it is a lie ... or is it?It is intelligent, absurd humour, and primarily a parody of Poor Richard's Almanack, written by Benjamin Franklin, and more broadly, a pastiche of almanacks and trivia books in general. In order to properly get every joke in it, you'd need to take a course. (In fact, one can imagine students in the far future doing so. ELL 321: Early 21st Century Comedy: John Hodgman).The audiobook version, which in many ways is even more hilarious, is read by Hodgman in his trademark deadpan style. It also features Jonathan Coulton singing the book's theme song, the songs of the various American states, and generally acting as Hodgman's foil and straightman throughout.The first in the Complete World Knowledge trilogy, followed by More Information Than You Require and That is All.
 The Areas of My Expertise
fetched
2023-08-30T22:44:03Z
 The Areas of My Expertise
parsed
2023-08-30T22:44:03Z
 The Areas of My Expertise
processingComment
Dropped link to DoctorWho: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Areas of My Expertise
processingComment
Dropped link to EvilDead: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Areas of My Expertise
processingComment
Dropped link to JonathanCoulton: Not a Feature - IGNORE
 The Areas of My Expertise
processingComment
Dropped link to MoreInformationThanYouRequire: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Areas of My Expertise
processingComment
Dropped link to Pirate: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Areas of My Expertise
processingComment
Dropped link to TheCon: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Areas of My Expertise
processingComment
Dropped link to TheLordOfTheRings: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Areas of My Expertise
processingComment
Dropped link to WatershipDown: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Areas of My Expertise
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_2e0c6c38
type
Eskimos Aren't Real
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_2e0c6c38
comment
Eskimos Aren't Real: The Areas Of My Expertise has a running gag that Chicago is a myth, mostly as a joke on how very New York the author's sensibilities are. Revisited in the follow-up That is All, when the mythical city rises at last from the swamp during the End Times of 2012.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_2e0c6c38
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_2e0c6c38
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_2e0c6c38
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_48d87e94
type
Planet of Steves
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_48d87e94
comment
Planet of Steves: The ringtail cats, who, by a curious coincidence, are all named John McCain.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_48d87e94
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_48d87e94
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_48d87e94
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_5ac34441
type
Call a Rabbit a "Smeerp"
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_5ac34441
comment
Call a Rabbit a "Smeerp": There was a species of otter called a "lobster", now driven to extinction by the New Lobsters. There's also a joke about how during the 1920s, when "gorilla" was a slang term for tough guy, the term for an actual gorilla was "mega-chimp".
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_5ac34441
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_5ac34441
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_5ac34441
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_5ff56a1f
type
Long List
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_5ff56a1f
comment
Long List: 700 Hobo Names. 800, in the paperback.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_5ff56a1f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_5ff56a1f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_5ff56a1f
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_816a4e80
type
Star Wars (Franchise)
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_816a4e80
comment
When building a snow fort, "watch out for wampas."
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_816a4e80
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_816a4e80
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_816a4e80
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_8e5c862
type
Ancient Conspiracy
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_8e5c862
comment
Ancient Conspiracy: Subverted: The Skulls and Bones are said to have failed in their bid for world domination, and now spend all their time masturbating and tending to the pterodactyls on their private island. The Masonic symbols allegedly hidden in Washington DC's architecture are also parodied.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_8e5c862
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_8e5c862
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_8e5c862
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9894036c
type
Nonsense Classification
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9894036c
comment
Nonsense Classification: For example the column on "food, drink, and cheese", where there are "only so many kinds of foods to write about", namely "abs, polar bear steaks, chili, chili, and polar bear steaks."
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9894036c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9894036c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_9894036c
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9a7d4472
type
Stock Ness Monster
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9a7d4472
comment
Stock Ness Monster: Averted. The Loch Ness Monster is fairly small and roughly humanoid.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9a7d4472
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9a7d4472
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_9a7d4472
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9d00ac98
type
Thunderbird
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9d00ac98
comment
Thunderbird: The 51st state, Hohoq, is a clouded floating plateau inhabited by airplane-sized thunderbirds that shoot lightning from their eyes.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9d00ac98
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9d00ac98
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_9d00ac98
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9fc60cc5
type
Glurge
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9fc60cc5
comment
Glurge: Invoked and parodied with the Six Oaths of the Virtuous Child, which start off unsettling and get gradually more bizarre as the Child fashions itself into a sharp-toothed, pious killing machine.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9fc60cc5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_9fc60cc5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_9fc60cc5
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a1a1491e
type
Homage
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a1a1491e
comment
Homage: The mountains of Colorado (state nickname: The Dwarrowdelf) are described as "large and fairly Balrog-free". When describing the correct manner of raising rabbits, Hodgman describes the phenomenon of El-Ahrairah worship When building a snow fort, "watch out for wampas." Repeated references to Doctor Who, including using a picture of Cybermen for "typical cyborg mischief". Repeated references to the Evil Dead series, such as the claim that George W. Bush has a chainsaw for a hand. John Hodgman was Bruce Campbell's literary agent, and Campbell is listed as an expert consulted on the subject of fake blood (likely not a joke).
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a1a1491e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a1a1491e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_a1a1491e
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a5096c48
type
Joisey
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a5096c48
comment
Joisey: Listed as the "Too-easy-to-Mock State".
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a5096c48
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a5096c48
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_a5096c48
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a966fdee
type
Mascot
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a966fdee
comment
Mascot: Breakfast cereal mascots are discussed.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a966fdee
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_a966fdee
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_a966fdee
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_b3bdf232
type
Alien Geometries
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_b3bdf232
comment
Alien Geometries: One house with a 666 phone number is described as having no right angles.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_b3bdf232
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_b3bdf232
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_b3bdf232
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_b53077b3
type
Take That!
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_b53077b3
comment
Take That!: Parodied with the "attack ad" segments, in which he jokingly accuses Jonathan Coulton of being an awful catsitter, and another person of masturbating out a window on two separate occasions, while John Hodgman has only masturbated out a window once. Also, one of the Hobo Names is Nick Nolte. More Information Than You Require takes this even further. That is All brings the Nick Nolte Take That! to its inevitable conclusion declaring him a cosmic horror.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_b53077b3
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_b53077b3
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_b53077b3
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_be03ba89
type
Lost World
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_be03ba89
comment
Lost World: Hohoq (also known as "Ar"), the 51st state, also a floating plateau populated by thunderbirds, Magical Native Americans, and Germans, who appear to be "simply German".
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_be03ba89
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_be03ba89
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_be03ba89
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c37813c5
type
Ninja
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c37813c5
comment
One involves impersonating a Ninja and requires, as part of the con, the summoning of Mons.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c37813c5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c37813c5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_c37813c5
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c614cd35
type
Weasel Mascot
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c614cd35
comment
Weasel Mascot: Fig. 22: "Let's Use My Ferret To Steal That Diamond..."
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c614cd35
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c614cd35
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_c614cd35
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: "The Amazing Duo of Flansburgh and Goldwasser", Bruce Campbell, "Skywise the Sexual Elf".
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c75df49a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_c75df49a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_c75df49a
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_e9d6eff8
type
Cool Airship
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_e9d6eff8
comment
Cool Airship: President Hoover's hoveryacht in the Caspian Sea.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_e9d6eff8
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_e9d6eff8
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_e9d6eff8
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_eef90616
type
Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_eef90616
comment
Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: The Hoboes voiced their displeasure with the government by whistling behind the White House, writing illiterate editorials to newspapers, and summoning dust storms to destroy the midwest.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_eef90616
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_eef90616
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_eef90616
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_f6b698ac
type
Complexity Addiction
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_f6b698ac
comment
Complexity Addiction: A common malady amongst conmen, given some of the schemes they come up with.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_f6b698ac
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_f6b698ac
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_f6b698ac
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_f9f2c33
type
Running Gag
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_f9f2c33
comment
Running Gag: The different varieties of werewolf, masturbation, eels, zeppelins, cheese, haircuts/facial hair, distrust for people who use pseudonyms, Henry David Thoreau, giant Brazilian monkeys, Alexander Graham Bell, Yale University, crabs and lobsters (although the term "lobster" originally referred to a type of sea otter), the non-existence of Chicago, getting either "very high or very autistic", common flammable gels, Percoset, and, of course, the hoboes.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_f9f2c33
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_f9f2c33
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_f9f2c33
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_ffad4e9f
type
Shown Their Work
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_ffad4e9f
comment
Shown Their Work: There's quite a bit of genuine facts interspersed with all the nonsense.
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_ffad4e9f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_ffad4e9f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_ffad4e9f
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_name
type
ItemName
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_name
comment
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Areas of My Expertise / int_name
 The Areas of My Expertise / int_name
itemName
The Areas of My Expertise

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Ancient Conspiracy / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Anti-Humor / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Atrocious Alias / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Attack of the Killer Whatever / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Beethoven Was an Alien Spy / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Blazing Inferno Hellfire Sauce / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Call a Rabbit a "Smeerp" / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Conspiracy Placement / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Cool Airship / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Covers Always Lie / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Defective Detective / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Eskimos Aren't Real / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Everything's Better with Platypi / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Floating Continent / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Foreseeing My Death / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Glurge / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Historical Hilarity / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Historical In-Joke / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Hobos / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Hook Hand / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Ivy League for Everyone / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Joisey / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
King of the Homeless / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Knuckle Tattoos / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Little Known Facts / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Long List / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Media Scaremongering / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Mordor / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
No Party Like a Donner Party / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Nonsense Classification / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Overly Long Gag / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Death / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Phone-In Detective / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Planet of Steves / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Polly Wants a Microphone / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Puzzling Platypus / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Silent Running Mode / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
So Unfunny, It's Funny / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Great Depression / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
The Magazine Rule / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Thunderbird / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Traveling Landmass / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Weasel Mascot / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
Yes, Virginia / int_a7e631ec
 The Areas of My Expertise
hasFeature
You Can Panic Now / int_a7e631ec