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Dictionary Opening
- 182 statements
- 34 feature instances
- 33 referencing feature instances
| Dictionary Opening | type |
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| Dictionary Opening | label |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening | page |
DictionaryOpening | |
| Dictionary Opening | comment |
A trope commonly seen in trailers for movies and video games as well as in the actual material where one of the first things shown to the viewer is the definition of an existing but uncommon word or one that solely exists within the fictional universe portrayed. Either way, the word tends to be central to the story. The definition tends to be formatted as if coming straight out of a dictionary or encyclopedia and may include a reference to an actual in-universe book. Starting a speech with a dictionary definition is widely considered to be a lame way to format an introduction. It's a stock gag for a speech to start this way to signal that it's low-effort or foolish. A common variant is to have the speaker define a similar but completely different word by mistake. Oftentimes the word will be an Arc Word. Sub-Trope of Epigraph. Compare From the Latin "Intro Ducere". |
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| Dictionary Opening | fetched |
2024-03-03T23:46:47Z | |
| Dictionary Opening | parsed |
2024-03-03T23:46:47Z | |
| Dictionary Opening | processingComment |
Dropped link to DragonBones: Not an Item - UNKNOWN | |
| Dictionary Opening | processingComment |
Dropped link to PlayedForLaughs: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Dictionary Opening | processingComment |
Dropped link to VanityPlate: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Dictionary Opening | processingComment |
Dropped link to WeirdAlYankovic: Not an Item - IGNORE | |
| Dictionary Opening | processingUnknown |
DragonBones | |
| Dictionary Opening | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_221ad0d3 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_221ad0d3 | comment |
Barry: As part of the montage of Barry's classmates giving ill-advised tributes to Ryan during his memorial, Natalie begins a eulogy by citing the definition of 'death' from Webster's Dictionary. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_221ad0d3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_221ad0d3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Barry | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_221ad0d3 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_261c8d3f | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_261c8d3f | comment |
This is a recurring gag on The Simpsons: Joe Frazier starts out his speech to give Homer a fake award with, "Webster's Dictionary defines 'excellence' as 'the quality or condition of being excellent.' And now the winner of the first annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence." In "Treehouse of Horror IV," Lionel Hutz uses this trope at the beginning of his opening remarks trying to invalidate Homer's contract with the devil: ""But I ask you, what is a contract? Webster's defines it as 'an agreement under the law which is unbreakable.' Which is un-breakable! ... Excuse me. I must use the restroom." When Homer begins a lecture on how to maintain a successful marriage, he begins, ""Now, what is a wedding? Well, Webster's Dictionary describes a wedding as 'the process of removing weeds from one's garden.'" In "Simprovised," Homer attempts to improvise the opening of his speech with, "Webster's Dictionary defines... a speech as a... series of words that... (murmuring) elo... quently..." |
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| Dictionary Opening / int_261c8d3f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_261c8d3f | featureConfidence |
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| The Simpsons | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_261c8d3f | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_27831967 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_27831967 | comment |
Parks and Recreation: Leslie starts to make a speech like this but runs out of time: "At first glance, it may seem as though Ron Swanson and I have nothing in common, but Webster's dictionary defines 'friend'—" | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_27831967 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_27831967 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Parks and Recreation | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_27831967 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_3558eaa2 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_3558eaa2 | comment |
In Community, Jeff starts a wedding speech with "Webster's Dictionary defines 'marriage' as-" before being booed and shouted down by his friends for such a lame opening. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_3558eaa2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_3558eaa2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Community | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_3558eaa2 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_4522fd1 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_4522fd1 | comment |
Whateley Universe: In Test Tube Babies: | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_4522fd1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_4522fd1 | featureConfidence |
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| Whateley Universe | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_4522fd1 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_48ca58cb | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_48ca58cb | comment |
Code Black opens with a definition of its title. ("An influx of patients so great, there aren't enough resources to treat them all.") It then explains that while the average ER is in Code Black five times a year, the hospital where the show takes place experiences that three hundred times a year. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_48ca58cb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_48ca58cb | featureConfidence |
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| Code Black | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_48ca58cb | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_5943b6bf | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_5943b6bf | comment |
The Aggression Scale opens with the dictionary definition of "aggression scale": a four-part behavior rating scale used to evaluate and document the “frequency and severity� of aggressive episodes. The rating scale is made up of four categories; verbal aggression, aggression against objects, aggression against self, and aggression against others. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_5943b6bf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_5943b6bf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Aggression Scale | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_5943b6bf | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_61d236b7 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_61d236b7 | comment |
InCryptid novels often start this way. For example, the first book has this before the prologue: | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_61d236b7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_61d236b7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| InCryptid | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_61d236b7 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_64cd0696 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_64cd0696 | comment |
Buffaloed begins with multiple definitions of "buffalo" — the animal, the city in New York, and a verb that means to intimidate someone. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_64cd0696 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_64cd0696 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Buffaloed | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_64cd0696 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_6ae6b4c7 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_6ae6b4c7 | comment |
Pacific Rim showed translations for the Japanese word "Kaiju" and the German word "Jaeger", the names for the monsters and mechas respectively. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_6ae6b4c7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_6ae6b4c7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pacific Rim | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_6ae6b4c7 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_7884e8d1 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_7884e8d1 | comment |
Pulp Fiction opens with both definitions of the word "pulp". | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_7884e8d1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_7884e8d1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pulp Fiction | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_7884e8d1 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_791e7b7f | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_791e7b7f | comment |
The teaser trailer for Disney's Zootopia has the word "anthropomorphic" appear in large Courier typeface, which Nick (the red fox character) pushes away. The narrator defines it as "a big, fancy word that means they walk around on two feet, they do not go to work nude ..." as key words from the definition appear on screen in the same type face. The definition never appears in its entirety as an actual dictionary entry though. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_791e7b7f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_791e7b7f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Zootopia | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_791e7b7f | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_7c1e7982 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_7c1e7982 | comment |
Halt and Catch Fire opens with the definition of its title: | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_7c1e7982 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_7c1e7982 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Halt and Catch Fire | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_7c1e7982 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_82439e64 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_82439e64 | comment |
In The Office (US), Michael starts off his speech with, "Webster's Dictionary defines 'wedding' as 'the fusing of two metals with a hot torch.'" He's clearly mistaken the definition of "welding" for "wedding." | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_82439e64 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_82439e64 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Office (US) | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_82439e64 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_878486aa | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_878486aa | comment |
Sicario opens with a black screen explaining in text what "sicario" means (it comes from a fanatical sect of Jews who knifed Roman occupiers and their collaborators in Judea, and it has come mean "hitman" in Mexico), though it's not in a dictionary structure. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_878486aa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_878486aa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Sicario | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_878486aa | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_8df64af6 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_8df64af6 | comment |
David Weber's The Apocalypse Troll uses definitions from the fictional "Webster-Wangchi Unabridged Dictionary of Standard English" as chapter epigraphs. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_8df64af6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_8df64af6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Apocalypse Troll | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_8df64af6 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_92cbd099 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_92cbd099 | comment |
Xenophobe displays this text during Attract Mode, and, with slightly different wording, on the arcade cabinet's control panel as well: | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_92cbd099 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_92cbd099 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Xenophobe (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_92cbd099 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_9518407 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_9518407 | comment |
Every episode (there may have been exceptions) of CSI: Cyber opened with a hacking term significant to the episode and its definition. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_9518407 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_9518407 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| CSI: Cyber | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_9518407 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_95521c97 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_95521c97 | comment |
The Spectacular Spider-Man episode "Catalysts" opens with Spidey narrating the dictionary definition of defenestration, "the act of throwing a person or thing out a window," before himself being thrown through a window. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_95521c97 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_95521c97 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Spectacular Spider-Man | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_95521c97 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_9da908aa | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_9da908aa | comment |
Yellowjackets: Ally makes the questionable decision to cite "worddefinition.net" for the definition of "reunion" at the start of her 25-year high school reunion speech. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_9da908aa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_9da908aa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Yellowjackets | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_9da908aa | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a27f848d | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a27f848d | comment |
Pack Street: The very first line of the fic. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a27f848d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a27f848d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pack Street (Fanfic) | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_a27f848d | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a615bdef | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a615bdef | comment |
The anime adaptation of Lord Marksman and Vanadis offers "dictionary entry" cards each episode. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a615bdef | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a615bdef | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Lord Marksman and Vanadis | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_a615bdef | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a6bce733 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a6bce733 | comment |
Astral Chain: Each chapter is given a one-word title. Accompanying each title is a definition for the word used on the title card. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a6bce733 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a6bce733 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Astral Chain (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_a6bce733 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a78fff6d | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a78fff6d | comment |
Season 2 of SeaQuest DSV opens with the dictionary entry for "dagger", as that word has gained a new meaning by the time the show takes place: | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a78fff6d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_a78fff6d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| SeaQuest DSV | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_a78fff6d | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_b9cc7496 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_b9cc7496 | comment |
Dogma opens with "Disclaimer: 1) a renunciation of any claim to or connection with; 2) disavowal; 3) a statement made to save one's own ass." | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_b9cc7496 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_b9cc7496 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Dogma | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_b9cc7496 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_bcb03d22 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_bcb03d22 | comment |
In Hazbin Hotel, Charlie's attempt to make an appeal to the authorities of Heaven has her begin by citing the dictionary definition of "redemption". Adam immediately interrupts her with an objection that it's lame and unoriginal, and the head Seraphim sustains that and insists on no more dictionary definitions. Charlie is then left scrambling, as all her note cards were definitions for similar words. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_bcb03d22 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_bcb03d22 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Hazbin Hotel | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_bcb03d22 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_c4a22754 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_c4a22754 | comment |
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series: The Pyramid of Light movie starts with giving the definition of "abridged", then of Yu-Gi-Oh!.note Which has three meanings: "Japanese phrase meaning game king"; "Children's card game played by adults"; and "Anime series based on a children's card game played by adults". | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_c4a22754 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_c4a22754 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series (Web Video) | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_c4a22754 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_d46ea355 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_d46ea355 | comment |
Evillious Chronicles: The music video of "Gift from the Princess Who Brought Sleep" opens with an entry from an English-to-Japanese dictionary defining the word "gift", which is also the Gratuitous English Arc Word of the song. Or so it seems. About halfway through the video, the dictionary entry is shown again, only to be replaced with a German-to-Japanese dictionary entry — and in German, "Gift" means "poison". | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_d46ea355 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_d46ea355 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Evillious Chronicles (Music) | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_d46ea355 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_d4ab5d5a | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_d4ab5d5a | comment |
Twister opened with the dictionary definition of a tornado. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_d4ab5d5a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_d4ab5d5a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Twister | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_d4ab5d5a | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_ea4f62db | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_ea4f62db | comment |
Family Guy: Chris begins his campaign speech for homecoming king with, "Webster's dictionary defines 'smegma' as 'a sebaceous, cheese-like substance around the head of the penis.' | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_ea4f62db | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_ea4f62db | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Family Guy | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_ea4f62db | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_efa49b17 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_efa49b17 | comment |
The Mentalist season 1 starts with a black screen with the following text slowly fading in: | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_efa49b17 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_efa49b17 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Mentalist | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_efa49b17 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_f6c05e8e | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_f6c05e8e | comment |
In Friends: Rachel starts out a speech with, "Webster's Dictionary defines 'marriage' as... Okay, forget that! That sucks! Okay? Never mind! Forget it!" | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_f6c05e8e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_f6c05e8e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Friends | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_f6c05e8e | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_fcc32267 | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_fcc32267 | comment |
Childrens Hospital has a character mistake "love" for "louver" in a speech: "Webster's Dictionary defines 'love' as a roof lantern or turret, often with slatted apertures for escape or smoke or admission of light in a medieval building." | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_fcc32267 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_fcc32267 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Childrens Hospital | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_fcc32267 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_fe94578f | type |
Dictionary Opening | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_fe94578f | comment |
The eighth Alex Rider book, Crocodile Tears, starts with a definition of its title as its epigraph. This was done at the insistence of author Anthony Horowitz's publishers, who felt the phrase was not in common use and most readers wouldn't understand what it meant, and initially wanted him to change the title completely. They eventually backed down but insisted on the inclusion of the definition at the beginning. | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_fe94578f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Dictionary Opening / int_fe94578f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Alex Rider | hasFeature |
Dictionary Opening / int_fe94578f |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
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Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.