...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
The Three Certainties in Life
- 132 statements
- 23 feature instances
- 28 referencing feature instances
The Three Certainties in Life | type |
FeatureClass | |
The Three Certainties in Life | label |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life | page |
TheThreeCertaintiesInLife | |
The Three Certainties in Life | comment |
Three things are certain in life, they say: death, taxes, and people understanding what this trope is about by the time they finish this sentence. The Three Certainties In Life can either be a Stock Joke or a Stock Phrase that is mostly inspired by the quote often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, "Nothing is certain but death and taxes." Because three is a magic number, appending a third item after "death" and "taxes" has the immediate effect of turning one person's observation of a perceived, frequently occurring event or incident into a punchline or poignant quip which shares similarity to The Triple. Occasionally, someone may list three things without "death" or "taxes" being one of them. In this regard, "birth and death" is a commonly seen variant. Another popular wordswap, attributed to Albert Einstein, is "nothing is infinite but the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not too sure about the universe..." See also: Rule of Three, The Triple, and The Last of These Is Not Like the Others. Compare: Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking and There Are Two Kinds of People in the World. |
|
The Three Certainties in Life | fetched |
2023-10-11T08:52:11Z | |
The Three Certainties in Life | parsed |
2023-10-11T08:52:11Z | |
The Three Certainties in Life | processingComment |
Dropped link to ComicBookDeath: Not an Item - UNKNOWN | |
The Three Certainties in Life | processingComment |
Dropped link to CouchGag: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
The Three Certainties in Life | processingComment |
Dropped link to FinaglesLaw: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
The Three Certainties in Life | processingComment |
Dropped link to NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
The Three Certainties in Life | processingComment |
Dropped link to SoapOpera: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
The Three Certainties in Life | processingComment |
Dropped link to TheAtomicBloodstainedBus: Not an Item - UNKNOWN | |
The Three Certainties in Life | processingComment |
Dropped link to TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: Not an Item - CAT | |
The Three Certainties in Life | processingComment |
Dropped link to runninggag: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
The Three Certainties in Life | processingUnknown |
TheAtomicBloodstainedBus | |
The Three Certainties in Life | processingUnknown |
ComicBookDeath | |
The Three Certainties in Life | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1640f921 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1640f921 | comment |
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) has a variant. Hank notes, "All I'm saying is families are inevitable; they're like death or taxes." | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1640f921 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1640f921 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1640f921 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1ad4fe9a | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1ad4fe9a | comment |
In the Might and Magic games, some NPCs state that there are only three certainties in life: Death, Taxes, and that you'll hear the comment about death and taxes sooner or later. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1ad4fe9a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1ad4fe9a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Might and Magic (Video Game) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1ad4fe9a | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1fc7499e | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1fc7499e | comment |
In Reaper Man, everyone in Sheepridge suspects that Mr. Bill Door is probably a revenuer. When Miss Flitworth tells Bill Door this, his response is NO. NOT TAXES. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1fc7499e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1fc7499e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Reaper Man | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_1fc7499e | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_261c8d3f | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_261c8d3f | comment |
The Simpsons In the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts," Birch Barlow declares: The intro billboard for "Chief of Hearts" is a picture◊ of Mr. Burns with the text "DEATH AND TAXES: TWO THINGS I AVOID". |
|
The Three Certainties in Life / int_261c8d3f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_261c8d3f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Simpsons | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_261c8d3f | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_2feff3ce | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_2feff3ce | comment |
On Grey's Anatomy, the title character once remarked, "In life only one thing is certain, besides death and taxes... No matter how hard we try, no matter how good our intentions, we are going to make mistakes." | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_2feff3ce | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_2feff3ce | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Grey's Anatomy | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_2feff3ce | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_32fb0c3a | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_32fb0c3a | comment |
The song "For Now" from Avenue Q has a lyric: Except for death and paying taxes everything in life is only for now. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_32fb0c3a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_32fb0c3a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Avenue Q (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_32fb0c3a | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_44e0b783 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_44e0b783 | comment |
A Garfield strip had a variant: "Death, taxes, and teddy bears. Three things you can always count on." | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_44e0b783 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_44e0b783 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Garfield (Comic Strip) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_44e0b783 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_4617a9f2 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_4617a9f2 | comment |
Married... with Children: When Al's touchdown record was about to be broken, he was so sure of it he declared it one of the three things he was certain of happening. The other two were that he'd sell shoes until the day he dies and Peggy would win the lottery the next day. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_4617a9f2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_4617a9f2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Married... with Children | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_4617a9f2 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_5ae0bec6 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_5ae0bec6 | comment |
In a 1993 story arc involving an inter-promotional feud between the WWE and USWA, Vince McMahon cut a promo in which he said that the three guarantees in life were Death, Taxes, and Randy Savage. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_5ae0bec6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_5ae0bec6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
WWE (Wrestling) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_5ae0bec6 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_6276800c | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_6276800c | comment |
In The Nostalgia Critic's review of Blues Brothers 2000, the Critic says "Here's the only thing certain after death, taxes, and everything you love either getting a shitty sequel or a shitty remake: commercials!" before going to a commercial break. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_6276800c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_6276800c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Nostalgia Critic (Web Video) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_6276800c | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_89f4bc45 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_89f4bc45 | comment |
The Undertaker once claimed that there are three things that can't be beaten: death, taxes, and The Streak. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_89f4bc45 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_89f4bc45 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Undertaker (Wrestling) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_89f4bc45 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_8deb62ad | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_8deb62ad | comment |
Prison Break: In the first season: Later: |
|
The Three Certainties in Life / int_8deb62ad | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_8deb62ad | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Prison Break | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_8deb62ad | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_a2abcb5e | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_a2abcb5e | comment |
A gag on Keeping Up Appearances once compared being invited to one of Hyacinth Buck... err... Bouquet's candlelight suppers to the inevitability of death and taxes. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_a2abcb5e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_a2abcb5e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Keeping Up Appearances | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_a2abcb5e | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_a332db0e | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_a332db0e | comment |
MatPat, creator of Game Theory, made a post on Twitter saying that the three certainties of life are "Death, Taxes, and the ice cream machine at McDonald's being broken whenever you want a cone." | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_a332db0e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_a332db0e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Game Theory (Web Video) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_a332db0e | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_af7aead4 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_af7aead4 | comment |
On Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, host John Oliver's introduction to a topic on death began, "Death, it's one of the few things you can't avoid, along with taxes and plugging in a flash drive upside-down on the first try." | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_af7aead4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_af7aead4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_af7aead4 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b2ac2311 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b2ac2311 | comment |
A vintage Sunday Peanuts comic strip where Lucy, holding a football, challenged Charlie Brown to name three things that are certain. Charlie Brown guessed death and taxes but drew a blank at the third...until Lucy pulled the football away. "It was so obvious, Charlie Brown." | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b2ac2311 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b2ac2311 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Peanuts (Comic Strip) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b2ac2311 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b35c1200 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b35c1200 | comment |
From Meet Joe Black, "...the truth is, joining John Bontecou is every bit as certain as death and taxes." This is said to Death himself in the guise of the eponymous Joe Black, who expresses some surprise and amusement at the saying. Later on made into a borderline stealth pun (Call Back? Ironic Echo?) when Joe Black impersonates an IRS agent. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b35c1200 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b35c1200 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Meet Joe Black | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b35c1200 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b4709254 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b4709254 | comment |
TV Tropes describes shipping as one of the fundamental forces of nature, along with Death and Taxes. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b4709254 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b4709254 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
TV Tropes (Website) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b4709254 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b8b584cf | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b8b584cf | comment |
One Zits strip had the father saying, "The only things certain in life are death and taxes." The teen continues, "And homework." The mom finishes it off by thinking, "And knowing I'll get stuck with the dinner dishes." | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b8b584cf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b8b584cf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Zits (Comic Strip) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_b8b584cf | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_bb485066 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_bb485066 | comment |
Team 3-D (The Dudley Boys) had a T-shirt in TNA that had "Death, Taxes, Tables" on the back. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_bb485066 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_bb485066 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Dudley Boys (Wrestling) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_bb485066 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_bc8b07 | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_bc8b07 | comment |
In Epic Rap Battles of History "Ben Franklin vs. Billy Mays", Franklin asserts that his victory is more certain than death or taxes. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_bc8b07 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_bc8b07 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Epic Rap Battles of History (Web Video) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_bc8b07 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_d616724d | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_d616724d | comment |
Yasuo of League of Legends has his own take on this phrase as one of his jokes. | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_d616724d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_d616724d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
League of Legends (Video Game) | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_d616724d | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_ec9965ca | type |
The Three Certainties in Life | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_ec9965ca | comment |
Iain M Banks' The Culture series features a ship called Death and Gravity, which is spun off from the "death and taxes" phrase; after the Culture abolished taxes (and money), people say "gravity", instead of "taxes". | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_ec9965ca | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_ec9965ca | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Culture | hasFeature |
The Three Certainties in Life / int_ec9965ca |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.