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The Borrowers
- 219 statements
- 42 feature instances
- 10 referencing feature instances
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The Borrowers | |
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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 |
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The Borrowers / int_name | featureApplicability |
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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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Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.