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The Borrowers

219 statements
42 feature instances
10 referencing feature instances

The Borrowers	type	TVTItem
The Borrowers	label	The Borrowers
The Borrowers	page	TheBorrowers
The Borrowers	comment	A six-part 1992 BBC miniseries based on Mary Norton's children's book series, The Borrowers, about a race of tiny people known as "Borrowers", who live in the human world and survive by "borrowing" food and everyday items from humans, but try to keep their existence a secret. It starred Ian Holm as Pod Clock, Penelope Wilton as his wife Homily and Rebecca Callard as their spirited daughter Arrietty. It was followed in 1993 by another miniseries, The Return of the Borrowers.The Borrowers came 79th on a 2000 list of the 100 greatest British television shows of all time.
The Borrowers	fetched	2024-03-11T08:46:24Z
The Borrowers	parsed	2024-03-11T08:46:24Z
The Borrowers	processingComment	Dropped link to FreakShow: Not a Feature - ITEM
The Borrowers	isPartOf	DBTropes
The Borrowers / int_21d70919	type	Crapsack World
The Borrowers / int_21d70919	comment	Crapsack World: The human world is a dangerous place for Borrowers.
The Borrowers / int_21d70919	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_21d70919	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_21d70919
The Borrowers / int_3c0a4666	type	Noodle Incident
The Borrowers / int_3c0a4666	comment	Noodle Incident: The incident involving Eggletina being seen. It is implied that she died, but Pod and Homily are reluctant to give more details.
The Borrowers / int_3c0a4666	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_3c0a4666	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_3c0a4666
The Borrowers / int_3fca462c	type	Deus ex Machina
The Borrowers / int_3fca462c	comment	Deus ex Machina: This intervenes quite often to save the Borrowers, and often at the very beginning of an episode, when the previous episode ended on a cliffhanger. Homily lies down in the path of Mildeye's horse and caravan; and the episode ends when the wheels are inches away from her. At the start of the next episode, Spiller appears, and drags her out of the way before the caravan reaches her. At one point Mildeye appears to have them cornered, when he gets interrupted by a policeman. When Brats with Slingshots are about to decapitate Pod, George intervenes. Averted the final time the Clocks are captured. No one is coming to their rescue and they have to build their own hot air balloon.
The Borrowers / int_3fca462c	featureApplicability	-1.0
The Borrowers / int_3fca462c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_3fca462c
The Borrowers / int_450d9b75	type	Scavenged Punk
The Borrowers / int_450d9b75	comment	Scavenged Punk: Inevitably, as pretty much everything the Borrowers possess has been scavenged (or borrowed) from humans.
The Borrowers / int_450d9b75	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_450d9b75	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_450d9b75
The Borrowers / int_4a6e9fd9	type	Obnoxious In-Laws
The Borrowers / int_4a6e9fd9	comment	Obnoxious In-Laws: The Harpsichords to the Clocks. Also Mrs Driver for George.
The Borrowers / int_4a6e9fd9	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_4a6e9fd9	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_4a6e9fd9
The Borrowers / int_4de1a4f7	type	Improvised Weapon
The Borrowers / int_4de1a4f7	comment	Improvised Weapon: Pod's weapon of choice is half of a pair of nail scissors, referred to as "the half-scissor". Spiller also has a bow and arrows, which he explains are pine needles, tipped with thorns.
The Borrowers / int_4de1a4f7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_4de1a4f7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_4de1a4f7
The Borrowers / int_5714d5c	type	Sneakers of Sneaking
The Borrowers / int_5714d5c	comment	Sneakers of Sneaking: Pod tells Arrietty to wear light shoes for borrowing, presumably to avoid detection.
The Borrowers / int_5714d5c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_5714d5c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_5714d5c
The Borrowers / int_680f950	type	Gilligan Cut
The Borrowers / int_680f950	comment	Gilligan Cut: The Borrowers' way is barred by a fast-flowing river. Pod spots a very flimsy-looking bridge; Homily furiously objects to the idea of crossing it, saying "you won't get me on to that thing, and that's a fact". The next moment, they are all carefully picking their way across the bridge.
The Borrowers / int_680f950	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_680f950	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_680f950
The Borrowers / int_6a9c9b41	type	Brats with Slingshots
The Borrowers / int_6a9c9b41	comment	When Brats with Slingshots are about to decapitate Pod, George intervenes.
The Borrowers / int_6a9c9b41	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_6a9c9b41	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_6a9c9b41
The Borrowers / int_6bda9a30	type	Meaningful Name
The Borrowers / int_6bda9a30	comment	Meaningful Name: Many Borrowers are named for where they live, such as Clock, Overmantel or Harpsichord.
The Borrowers / int_6bda9a30	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_6bda9a30	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_6bda9a30
The Borrowers / int_6d443a34	type	Closet Punishment
The Borrowers / int_6d443a34	comment	Closet Punishment: Mrs Driver locks George in the nursery on several occasions.
The Borrowers / int_6d443a34	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_6d443a34	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_6d443a34
The Borrowers / int_71748a39	type	Named by the Adaptation
The Borrowers / int_71748a39	comment	Named by the Adaptation: George, the human boy who befriends the Clock family, is never named in the original books.
The Borrowers / int_71748a39	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_71748a39	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_71748a39
The Borrowers / int_77315f4f	type	You Have to Believe Me!
The Borrowers / int_77315f4f	comment	You Have to Believe Me!: Mrs Driver has this when she sees the Borrowers, but understandably no humans believe her.
The Borrowers / int_77315f4f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_77315f4f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_77315f4f
The Borrowers / int_7fbb2a3	type	Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
The Borrowers / int_7fbb2a3	comment	Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: George's well-meaning efforts to help the Clocks lead to them being discovered (and almost killed) by Mrs Driver.
The Borrowers / int_7fbb2a3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_7fbb2a3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_7fbb2a3
The Borrowers / int_8b568cb7	type	Posthumous Character
The Borrowers / int_8b568cb7	comment	Posthumous Character. Arrietty's cousin Eggletina. It is revealed in Return of the Borrowers that Eggletina is actually very much alive.
The Borrowers / int_8b568cb7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_8b568cb7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_8b568cb7
The Borrowers / int_8d0785d5	type	Didn't Think This Through
The Borrowers / int_8d0785d5	comment	Didn't Think This Through: Ditchley and Ilrick pull the out bath plug, releasing all the water onto the Clocks and Spiller, who are leaving the house via the pipes. But, as Pod later points out, that was the last supply of water in the house (the water has been turned off as the house is now unoccupied by humans), so thanks to Ditchley's prank, the Harpsichords now have no water.
The Borrowers / int_8d0785d5	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_8d0785d5	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_8d0785d5
The Borrowers / int_9335b4ba	type	Safe Behind the Corner
The Borrowers / int_9335b4ba	comment	Safe Behind the Corner: There are many moments when the Borrowers are hiding in a corner, while a human "bean" passes very close to them. It is often combined with a Bait-and-Switch moment, when the human suddenly reacts, but has then seen something else.
The Borrowers / int_9335b4ba	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_9335b4ba	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_9335b4ba
The Borrowers / int_952f8f26	type	Deadly Prank
The Borrowers / int_952f8f26	comment	Deadly Prank: All of Ditchley's pranks nearly have deadly consequences.
The Borrowers / int_952f8f26	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_952f8f26	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_952f8f26
The Borrowers / int_9dacc566	type	Leitmotif
The Borrowers / int_9dacc566	comment	Leit Motif: There is staccato music whenever the Borrowers are creeping around "borrowing". Spiller has his own theme, and there is dramatic music when a tall piece of furniture towers over the Borrowers.
The Borrowers / int_9dacc566	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_9dacc566	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_9dacc566
The Borrowers / int_a30c287	type	Good Parents
The Borrowers / int_a30c287	comment	Good Parents: Pod and Homily, to Arrietty. Pod encourages Arrietty's independence by teaching her to borrow; but in a very intense scene, scolds Arrietty severely for fraternising with humans, perhaps influenced by his own fear. Arrietty cries, but is unrelenting.
The Borrowers / int_a30c287	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_a30c287	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_a30c287
The Borrowers / int_a70223	type	Karma Houdini
The Borrowers / int_a70223	comment	Karma Houdini: Ditchley and Ilrick escape any serious consequences for their antics. They do get a The Reason You Suck speech from Pod, who informs them that as a result of them pulling out the bath plug, there is now no more water in the house and the Harpsichords will therefore have to leave.
The Borrowers / int_a70223	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_a70223	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_a70223
The Borrowers / int_a7aef9ff	type	Obfuscating Stupidity
The Borrowers / int_a7aef9ff	comment	Obfuscating Stupidity: The Clocks do not move or speak in Sidney and Mabel's presence. Sidney and Mabel assume they are stupid, and just leave them in an open cardboard box in their attic.
The Borrowers / int_a7aef9ff	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_a7aef9ff	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_a7aef9ff
The Borrowers / int_a8298592	type	Mouse World
The Borrowers / int_a8298592	comment	Mouse World: The Borrowers essentially live in the same world as mice; humans sometimes assume they are mice or rats.
The Borrowers / int_a8298592	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_a8298592	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_a8298592
The Borrowers / int_acecb17d	type	Chekhov's Skill
The Borrowers / int_acecb17d	comment	Chekhov's Skill: Arrietty's ability to read comes in handy at the end of the second series.
The Borrowers / int_acecb17d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_acecb17d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_acecb17d
The Borrowers / int_acf33d00	type	Nice Job Fixing It, Villain
The Borrowers / int_acf33d00	comment	Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Mrs Driver and the Platters capture the Clocks, but then the Platters go and keep them in an open box, in an attic full of hiding places and ideal Scavenged Punk materials, allowing them to escape.
The Borrowers / int_acf33d00	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_acf33d00	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_acf33d00
The Borrowers / int_aef5ae95	type	Accidental Downer Ending
The Borrowers / int_aef5ae95	comment	Accidental Downer Ending: This series, and The Return of the Borrowers were based on the first four books in the series. Continuity announcements at the end of the series hinted at a new series the following year, but this was never made. The series had the Bittersweet Ending of the family sailing down the river in their boat, not knowing where they will live next.
The Borrowers / int_aef5ae95	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_aef5ae95	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_aef5ae95
The Borrowers / int_b50580f7	type	Don't Look Down
The Borrowers / int_b50580f7	comment	Don't Look Down: Pod tells Homily not to look down, when crossing an improvised bridge over a fast-flowing river.
The Borrowers / int_b50580f7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_b50580f7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_b50580f7
The Borrowers / int_b8a13baa	type	Meat Versus Veggies
The Borrowers / int_b8a13baa	comment	Meat Versus Veggies: Arrietty is horrified when Spiller kills a mouse with a makeshift bow and arrow. She is also a little too gleeful when Spiller later throws the meat away to keep a passing dog off their scent, just before they are about to eat it.
The Borrowers / int_b8a13baa	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_b8a13baa	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_b8a13baa
The Borrowers / int_b9918c48	type	Nobody Here but Us Statues
The Borrowers / int_b9918c48	comment	Nobody Here but Us Statues: When the Borrowers are living in a model village, they sometimes hide by standing dead still among the model inhabitants. Miss Menzies realises Arrietty is real because she made and painted the models herself.
The Borrowers / int_b9918c48	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_b9918c48	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_b9918c48
The Borrowers / int_c435ec5d	type	Aesop Amnesia
The Borrowers / int_c435ec5d	comment	Aesop Amnesia: Arrietty never seems to learn that revealing herself to a human will inevitably lead to trouble for her family.
The Borrowers / int_c435ec5d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_c435ec5d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_c435ec5d
The Borrowers / int_c6b8d37a	type	Cliffhanger
The Borrowers / int_c6b8d37a	comment	Cliffhanger: Every episode of the miniseries ended with one of these. Sometimes, it was impossible to see any way out: in one episode, Homily is lying in the road, and Mild-Eye's horse caravan are in danger of running her over her: the episode ends when it is inches away from her. At the beginning of the following episode, Spiller is passing and drags her away, long before the caravan reaches her.
The Borrowers / int_c6b8d37a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_c6b8d37a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_c6b8d37a
The Borrowers / int_c75df49a	type	Shout-Out
The Borrowers / int_c75df49a	comment	Shout-Out: Arrietty and George read from Gulliver's Travels, noting the similarity in size between Lilliputians and Borrowers.
The Borrowers / int_c75df49a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_c75df49a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_c75df49a
The Borrowers / int_cf92fea8	type	Cassandra Truth
The Borrowers / int_cf92fea8	comment	Cassandra Truth: Naturally enough, whenever any human spots a Borrower, no other human believes them. Mrs Driver is assumed to be mad.
The Borrowers / int_cf92fea8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_cf92fea8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_cf92fea8
The Borrowers / int_da006328	type	Earn Your Title
The Borrowers / int_da006328	comment	Earn Your Title: Borrowers are known as such because they "borrow" everyday items from humans.
The Borrowers / int_da006328	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_da006328	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_da006328
The Borrowers / int_dc579c91	type	Contrived Coincidence
The Borrowers / int_dc579c91	comment	Contrived Coincidence: In the Platters' attic, Arrietty just happens to find some instructions for building a hot air balloon, and all the materials with which to build it.
The Borrowers / int_dc579c91	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_dc579c91	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_dc579c91
The Borrowers / int_e563bf09	type	Insistent Terminology
The Borrowers / int_e563bf09	comment	Insistent Terminology: Borrowers do not steal, they borrow.
The Borrowers / int_e563bf09	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_e563bf09	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_e563bf09
The Borrowers / int_e5d630b7	type	Paper Key-Retrieval Trick
The Borrowers / int_e5d630b7	comment	Paper Key-Retrieval Trick: No paper was needed when Arrietty told George to push the key out of the lock, after he had been locked in the nursery by Mrs Driver. Arrietty then pushes the key under the door to him.
The Borrowers / int_e5d630b7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_e5d630b7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_e5d630b7
The Borrowers / int_e9a3a1ed	type	Never Learned to Read
The Borrowers / int_e9a3a1ed	comment	Never Learned to Read: Pod, who apparently had to start borrowing at a young age and therefore never had time to learn. Averted by Arrietty, who has taught herself to read.
The Borrowers / int_e9a3a1ed	featureApplicability	-1.0
The Borrowers / int_e9a3a1ed	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_e9a3a1ed
The Borrowers / int_eb8ec7c8	type	Jerkass
The Borrowers / int_eb8ec7c8	comment	Jerkass: Mrs Driver, Ditchley and Ilrick, Mildeye.
The Borrowers / int_eb8ec7c8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_eb8ec7c8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_eb8ec7c8
The Borrowers / int_eeb4f505	type	Lilliputians
The Borrowers / int_eeb4f505	comment	Lilliputians: The Borrowers.
The Borrowers / int_eeb4f505	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_eeb4f505	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_eeb4f505
The Borrowers / int_f9f2c33	type	Running Gag
The Borrowers / int_f9f2c33	comment	Running Gag: Arrietty regularly parrots trivia she has read in books, usually in an earnest voice. Several times, a human "bean" reacts in surprise while the Borrowers are lurking; then it turns out they saw something else.
The Borrowers / int_f9f2c33	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_f9f2c33	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_f9f2c33
The Borrowers / int_name	type	ItemName
The Borrowers / int_name	comment
The Borrowers / int_name	featureApplicability	1.0
The Borrowers / int_name	featureConfidence	1.0
The Borrowers	hasFeature	The Borrowers / int_name
The Borrowers / int_name	itemName	The Borrowers

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

The Borrowers	hasFeature	Accidental Downer Ending / int_70790c87
The Borrowers	hasFeature	Brats with Slingshots / int_70790c87
The Borrowers	hasFeature	Caught in a Snare / int_70790c87
The Borrowers	hasFeature	Chase Stops at Water / int_70790c87
The Borrowers	hasFeature	Don't Look Down / int_70790c87
The Borrowers	hasFeature	It's Not About the Request / int_70790c87
The Borrowers	hasFeature	Mouse Trap / int_70790c87
The Borrowers	hasFeature	Nobody Here but Us Statues / int_70790c87
The Borrowers	hasFeature	Paper Key-Retrieval Trick / int_70790c87
The Borrowers	hasFeature	Safe Behind the Corner / int_70790c87

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