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To Say Nothing of the Dog

 To Say Nothing of the Dog
type
TVTItem
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
label
To Say Nothing of the Dog
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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ToSayNothingOfTheDog
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
comment
To Say Nothing of the Dog is a 1997 novel by Connie Willis.The story is set in Oxford, England, about 60 years into the future, after Time Travel has not only been invented, but pretty much everyone except historians has lost interest in it. This is mainly because it turns out that you can't bring things from the past to the future, or at least, you aren't supposed to be able to. Most of the history of this period and rules of time travel are laid out in Willis' earlier novel Doomsday Book, which takes place in the same universe.In To Say Nothing of the Dog, the History Department of Balliol, Oxford University, has been thrown into chaos by the pet project of a rich donor: to rebuild a cathedral that was destroyed during World War II, exactly as it was at the moment it was bombed. Ned Henry is charged with finding out what happened to the Bishop's Bird Stump (a bird stump, incidentally, is a kind of flower vase; this particular bird stump is cast iron, and extremely Victorian), and is having some unexpected difficulty with the task. Then another historian, Verity Kindle, accidentally brings a cat from Victorian England to the present. Ned and Verity go back to Victorian England to try to sort out the problems caused by the missing cat, before history begins to change. And the bird stump is still missing...The novel's name is a reference to the subtitle of Jerome K. Jerome's Victorian comic classic Three Men in a Boat, to which is makes a few references.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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DBTropes
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_1777688d
type
Genre Savvy
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_1777688d
comment
Genre Savvy: Verity reads a lot of 1930s mysteries, so when they find themselves with a mystery to solve in the Victorian era...
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To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_1777688d
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_1869b4b1
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Unreliable Narrator
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_1869b4b1
comment
Unreliable Narrator: Ned at the beginning, when he's completely blitzed with time-lag. Only a mild form, however, since it's quickly apparent to the reader that Ned isn't thinking straight, and with a little thought can work out what's really happening.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_1f343bac
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No Equal-Opportunity Time Travel
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_1f343bac
comment
No Equal-Opportunity Time Travel: TJ can't do drops because the nineteenth and most of the 20th century is a "10 for blacks" in terms of danger. This doesn't stop Lady Schrapnell from trying though. There's also a Pakistani net technician exempt for similar reasons.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_207c3447
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Can't Take Anything with You
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_207c3447
comment
Can't Take Anything with You: A major plot point is that you aren't supposed to be able to bring anything forward in time.
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_207c3447
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_230d64
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Screw the Rules, I Have Money!
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_230d64
comment
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Lady Schrapnell's attitude toward the laws of time travel physics/causality, and a whole lot of abuse in general. The only reason the researchers put up with her at all is that they badly need her money to fund the department.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_23cc7485
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I Want Grandkids
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_23cc7485
comment
I Want Grandkids: At the end of the book, Lady Schrapnell decides that what her new cathedral needs is a christening, which of course means that Ned and Verity need to get married and have babies. They don't particularly mind doing so.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_27d3df7e
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Glurge Addict
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_27d3df7e
comment
Glurge Addict: The entire Victorian era, pretty much. Tossie especially.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_29b218b4
type
In the Past, Everyone Will Be Famous
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_29b218b4
comment
In the Past, Everyone Will Be Famous: There's a brief appearance of Jerome K. Jerome, author of Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog). Baine the butler previously worked for Lord Dunsany, but this is a subversion as this is the father of the famous author, who is only aged ten in 1888.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_2b5ab7c1
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Analogy Backfire
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_2b5ab7c1
comment
Analogy Backfire: Terence invokes several couples from literature, comparing them to the "true love" he has for Tossie. Every pairing he named (ex. Romeo and Juliet) ended badly, which seemed lost on him.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_30763ed8
type
Eternal English
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_30763ed8
comment
Eternal English: Averted. Ned mentions near the beginning that he initially had trouble with World War II-era English while working on jumble sales during the Blitz. He manages to follow upper-class English of the 1890s easily enough (except for some of the slang) but finds lower-class and regional dialects to be almost impenetrable. Then at one point he finds himself transported to Coventry Cathedral in the 1300s and he only catches the occasional meaningful word in the locals' Middle English, represented phonetically.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_3ed23024
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Surprisingly Realistic Outcome
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_3ed23024
comment
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Once it was known this version of time travel couldn't plunder the past for riches or allow any spying or assassinations, interest and funding dried up quickly. To the points where only dedicated academic centers (funded by zealots like Lady Schrapnell) were keeping the tech alive.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_44e0a33a
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The Oath-Breaker
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_44e0a33a
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The Oath-Breaker: Verity explains to Ned that Terence can not break the engagement; only Tossie can.
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_44e0a33a
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_4712bc4f
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Exact Eavesdropping
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_4712bc4f
comment
Exact Eavesdropping: At the beginning of the novel, a very disoriented Ned overhears some vital information, but can't make sense of it without context, and he complains that this trope is never present in real life.
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_4712bc4f
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_4864031b
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Informed Attractiveness
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_4864031b
comment
Informed Attractiveness: Ned refers to Verity as a "naiad" for a while after seeing her water-soaked and becomes enamored with her beauty. He also admits to himself that he looks very sharp in a boater hat.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_501de366
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Temporal Paradox
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_501de366
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Temporal Paradox: An unusual case. Instead of being a straight violation of causality itself, the anomaly Ned and Verity investigate is something that should have been prevented by the manmade safeties built into the time travel net which are designed to stop such things happening in the first place. It turns out that the violation was allowed in order to help correct an earlier violation, which took place BEFORE the safeties were created and the net was unregulated.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_549a7152
type
Godwin's Law of Time Travel
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_549a7152
comment
Godwin's Law of Time Travel: Ned's chief worry through most of the book is that some small misstep or other will somehow lead to a Nazi victory in World War II. And unlike many users of this trope, several hypothetical chains of events are actually proposed specifically stating how various changes to the timeline might actually lead to this happening, despite it never actually coming into effect.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_59196f87
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Baby Talk
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_59196f87
comment
Baby Talk: Tossie, to her cat Princess Arjumand (aka. "Dearum Dearum Juju"). Which, to Ned, is Sickeningly Sweet
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_6070670f
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Complete-the-Quote Title
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_6070670f
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Complete-the-Quote Title: Again, the book's title comes from Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog).
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_60fa92ac
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Names to Run Away from Really Fast
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_60fa92ac
comment
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Lady Schrapnell.
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_60fa92ac
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_75d6bf40
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Belligerent Sexual Tension
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_75d6bf40
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Belligerent Sexual Tension: Baine and Tossie seem to be completely at odds until the very end, when they get together.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_796c89bc
type
Temporal Sickness
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_796c89bc
comment
Temporal Sickness: "Time-lag", caused by having too many jumps over too short a period. Effects include forgetfulness, visual and auditory hallucinations and an absolute conviction you haven't got time-lag. In the beginning of the novel Ned is of course is most certainly not experiencing any time-lag, as he explains to his supervisor and the glowing white angel.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_79a60aec
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For Want of a Nail
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_79a60aec
comment
For Want of a Nail: Small items, like cats, can have huge impacts on history. At one point, when ruminating on just how much trouble he's in, Ned quotes the Trope Namer poem directly. More frequently, though, the narrative instead cites "This is the (X) that (Y)'d the (Z) that (W)'d the house that Jack built" as an equivalent phrase.
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_79a60aec
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_7a1856ba
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I Reject Your Reality
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_7a1856ba
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I Reject Your Reality: Lady Schrapnell in spades. Every reason the researchers can offer for her not getting her way, she rejects as a lazy excuse.
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_7a1856ba
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_7a9f921d
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Extinct in the Future
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_7a9f921d
comment
Extinct in the Future: Cats went extinct in 2004 due to "distemper", so the 2057 era characters are fascinated when they come upon them during time-travelling. In the end, some are brought back via time travel.
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_7a9f921d
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_7fe8b5b5
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Time Machine
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_7fe8b5b5
comment
Time Machine: It's housed in Oxford and sends people through time and space.
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_7fe8b5b5
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_842426f3
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Grande Dame
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_842426f3
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Grande Dame: Lady Schrapnell is a direct allusion to Oscar Wilde's Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_9723a8b8
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Floral Theme Naming
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_9723a8b8
comment
Floral Theme Naming: The Chattisbourne sisters are named Rose, Iris, Pansy, and Eglantine. Their mother even introduces them as her flower garden.
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_9723a8b8
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_99385626
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Once for Yes, Twice for No
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_99385626
comment
Once for Yes, Twice for No: In the seance scene. Since Ned and Verity are trying to make the "spirit" give totally different answers than the "spiritualists" who are the reason for the seance in the first place, Hilarity Ensues.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_9b06e314
type
Greater-Scope Villain
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_9b06e314
comment
Greater-Scope Villain: Of a sort. Near the end of the book, TJ's analysis discovers that the entire Second World War was apparently part of a long chain of Contrived Coincidences intended to fix some kind of massive temporal anomaly somewhere in the middle of the 24th century.
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_9b06e314
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_9cc1a329
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Upper-Class Twit
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_9cc1a329
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Upper-Class Twit: Lady Schrapnell, Terence, the Merings, the Chattisbournes are all rich eccentrics.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_9d12bbc1
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Foreshadowing
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_9d12bbc1
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Foreshadowing: Quite a lot. The rules surrounding slippage, Verity's mystery novels, even Princess Arjumand all point to important plot points.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_a07f7cd0
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Obfuscated Interface
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_a07f7cd0
comment
Obfuscated Interface: Only TJ can understand the cloud-like mathematical displays outputted by his simulations of the Battle of Waterloo. Justified by Ned making the comparison that doctors often tell a patient 'you see the lung, here' on similarly incomprehensible medical scans.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_a40b753
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Releasing from the Promise
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_a40b753
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Releasing from the Promise: Much of their angling to try to get Tossie to do this to Terence.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_a431b0e6
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The Butler Did It
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_a431b0e6
comment
The Butler Did It: Lampshaded, Verity reads a lot of mystery novels, and explains this trope in great detail. And in the end played straight, the Butler did do it, just not the "it" anyone was expecting: he runs off with his employer's daughter.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_a63b885f
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Newspaper Dating
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_a63b885f
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Newspaper Dating: Subverted. Historians are taught to ascertain their space-time location by looking at newspapers, but the one Ned finds turns out to be a few days old.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_a8dcb1d7
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Love at First Sight
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_a8dcb1d7
comment
Love at First Sight: Ned falls instantly in love with Verity as a byproduct of time-lag, though a romance does spring naturally between them as well.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_ab5677c1
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Boy Meets Girl
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Boy Meets Girl: Ned and Verity meet and fall ultimately fall in love.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_bef696dd
type
Mind Screw
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_bef696dd
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Mind Screw: The way so many elements come together towards the end to point to a totally unexpected (though thoroughly justified) conclusion feels like a cross between this and a Plot Twist.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: Principally, to Jerome K. Jerome's still-hilarious Victorian travelogue Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog). While boating down the Thames (with two other men and a dog). The principle characters of that story make an appearance as they pass Ned Henry going upstream. Baine saying "As you wish" multiple times, when ordered around by a spoiled mistress, whom he is in love with is a reference to ''The Princess Bride. P.G. Wodehouse is mentioned and quoted several times. His plots revolved around making sure the right people get engaged and the wrong engagements are broken off, much like the plot to ensure Tossie marries Mr. C rather than Terence. Multiple mystery novels, especially including The Moonstone (one of the few to exist when much of the story is set), Hercule Poirot, and Lord Peter Wimsey.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_ca87e3ec
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No Name Given
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_ca87e3ec
comment
No Name Given: The Oxford researchers are frustrated by the fact that Tossie never refers to her eventual husband by his real name in her journals. She only refers to him as either "Dearest" or "My Husband."
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_cbbec683
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WhatItSaysOnTheTin
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_cbbec683
comment
Penwipers. Ned has bought dozens of them, to justify his presence at the many historical jumble sales Lady Schrapnell sends him to looking for the bird stump. And he has no idea what they are for until halfway through the novel, when he sees Verity use one (they're for wiping pens, oddly enough). They continue to be mentioned right up until the end, when Verity names their new kitten Penwiper.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_cdc4a218
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Hitler's Time Travel Exemption Act
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_cdc4a218
comment
Hitler's Time Travel Exemption Act: Not the dictator's death specifically, but the same idea that averting a tragedy leads to the Nazi victory. Background wise, in the past anyone who set out with the intention of doing Hitler in ended their time-jump at either the right place a few years out, or at the right time on the other side of the planet.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_ce6555f0
type
Lighter and Softer
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_ce6555f0
comment
Lighter and Softer: The previous "Oxford" book by Connie Willis, Doomsday Book has some of the same characters (those in charge of time travel research) but is extremely grim. This instead is much more comedic in nature.
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type
Rose-Tinted Narrative
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_d5121164
comment
Rose-Tinted Narrative: Indulging in sentimental monologues is one of the leading signs of time-lag. Probably another Shout-Out to Three Men in a Boat, in which Jerome now and then interrupts his satire in favor of misty meditations on history for no apparent reason.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_dc579c91
type
Contrived Coincidence
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_dc579c91
comment
Contrived Coincidence: Justified. Not the coincidences, the trope itself — when push comes to shove, the space-time continuum will pick causality over plausibility every time. The number of these becomes a source of humour for the reader, and terror for the protagonists — with that much coincidence in the air, the continuum must be trying to choke down something big.
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type
You Are in Command Now
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_ed2bbf8a
comment
You Are in Command Now: Discussed, in the form of the (fictional) Ensign Klepperman, who found himself in command of a ship in WWII, in the Battle of Midway.
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 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_f9f2c33
type
Running Gag
 To Say Nothing of the Dog / int_f9f2c33
comment
Running Gag: One of the most notable symptoms of time-lag is really poor decision-making, and the main characters rag each other mercilessly about it whenever the other does anything strange, such as expressing an appreciation for Victorian art. Penwipers. Ned has bought dozens of them, to justify his presence at the many historical jumble sales Lady Schrapnell sends him to looking for the bird stump. And he has no idea what they are for until halfway through the novel, when he sees Verity use one (they're for wiping pens, oddly enough). They continue to be mentioned right up until the end, when Verity names their new kitten Penwiper.
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To Say Nothing of the Dog

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

 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Baby Talk / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Boy Meets Girl / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Conveniently Interrupted Document / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Exact Eavesdropping / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Floral Theme Naming / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Forgotten Trope / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Grande Dame / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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I Reject Your Reality / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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I Want Grandkids / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Impossibly Tacky Clothes / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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In Mysterious Ways / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Literary Allusion Title / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Newspaper Dating / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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No Equal-Opportunity Time Travel / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Obfuscated Interface / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Once for Yes, Twice for No / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Only One Me Allowed Right Now / int_bd8daeac
 Oxbridge
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To Say Nothing of the Dog
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Sentimental Drunk / int_bd8daeac
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Temporal Sickness / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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The Butler Did It / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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The Gay '90s / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Time Machine / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Time-Travel Romance / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Time Travel Tales / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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You Already Changed the Past / int_bd8daeac
 To Say Nothing of the Dog
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You Are in Command Now / int_bd8daeac