Gag Glossary

[Go With The Flow]

Another addition to The Interpreter - Where the character says a normal word in English, which turns out to be a horrifying insult in the foriegn language. A slight twist, normal words in the foriegn language turn out to be swear words or insults in English.

[Dark Sky]

...Or We Could Use The Teleporter

Where, just after one character has concocted an extremely lengthy and elaborate plan or plot, another character pips up with a really simple and obvious solution to achieve their required goal.

The Brand Name Laughathon

Quoting a brand name product / corporation usually in an out of context scenario for humorous effect.

Good uses of The Brand Name Laughathon found in: Maid Marian and Her Merry Men

ROBIN HOOD:  Look at the stain you caused in my leotard!  That'll never wash out!
GARY: Have you tried Comfort?
ROBIN HOOD: No?
GRAEME: There there, everything's going to be okay!

Bad uses of The Brand Name Laughathon found in: Jasper Fforde('s work)

"blah blah blah blah blah blah TESCOS blah blah blah blah blah SAINSBURY'S blah blah blah blah..."

[Lookalike Mark Chapman]

"I always wanted to say that"
Well why didn't you fucking say it at any point previously, then?

[Dark Sky]

"I've Gotta Get Me One Of Them!"

Said in awed voice by secondary character as they witness (usually) the title character use/zoom-away-in large, expensive and often alien/exotic piece of equipment which is quite obviously not actually available to purchase in shops.

[Marv Orange]

The Charlton Heston


When making a discovery a character will fall to their knees (although this is not oblibigitory) and shout 'damm you' or just a plain 'nooooooooooooo'.

This has been seen in recent times in episodes of the simpons.


Getting a second wind

Usually employed when falling from a great height (although this can be performed effectively from a minimum height of 4 ft 2 in). The character will be screaming then pause and then continue to scream.

[Nik Drou]

Extended/abstract/inappropriate spit-take

Character does a spit-take that's either unfeasibly long or in some other way illogical.  Most recent example is Bender in Futurama (or Mel Brooks on the Frank Skinner Show), but first time I saw it was in Freakazoid about 6 years earlier......Freakazoid had been at the tropical juice stand all day, drinking in rememberance of his most recent deceased sidekick, Expendible Lad, when Fanboy taps him on the shoulder from behind.  Freakazoid does a spit take that lasts about 10 seconds,  before taking a deep breath and doing another....and another.....and another....splutters, says "wait, wait...i think i got some more there somewhere......" splutters some more....then does another spit-take.......

Anti-Spit-Take

Peggy tosses Hank a beer.  as he's taking a sip, she tells him that Bobby is at a Christian retreat instead of participating in Halloween.  Hank's cheeks puff out in shock, before he finally swallows, gasping.

HANK: I came very close to spitting out beer!

[Go With The Flow]

The Early Landing
Where a character will fall from a relatively small height, or a large height with an unseen 'net', quite possibly another person catching them. The person will carry on screaming until either another person tells them to stop, or they open up their eyes and notice they've stopped falling.

[mycroft]

The Unexpected Expert

In which an established character reveals an extensive knowledge of an unsuspected subject. See Father Ted on the design of bras they have passed in the lingerie departement, and Lois Griffin's tallying of the street value of a specific amount of uncut Columbian cocaine.

[Bernard]

Time Waster/Filler

Extended gag payoff beyond its usual length, so the time taken for the payoff to finish becomes the joke. Used when a show is shorter than the required length. For example, Sideshow Bob stepping on rake after rake in The Simpsons. For example, Sideshow Bob stepping on rake after rake in The Simpsons. For example, Sideshow Bob stepping on rake after rake in The Simpsons. For example, Sideshow Bob stepping on rake after rake in The Simpsons. For example, Sideshow Bob stepping on rake after rake in The Simpsons. For example, Sideshow Bob stepping on rake after rake in The Simpsons. For example, Sideshow Bob stepping on rake after rake in The Simpsons. For example, Sideshow Bob stepping on rake after rake in The Simpsons. See also Extended/abstract/inappropriate spit-take above.

[Little Hoover]

Weird, Simpsons frequently does every one of these gags doesn't it.

[DJ One Record]

Now when did The Simpsons ever use that voice?

[Little Hoover]

The Gervais episode.

And don't you remember this line
Homer: Mmm pork chops *takes a bite* hey wait a second, these pork chops are rubbish

[Brutus Beefcake]

Anti-Spit-Take

Peggy tosses Hank a beer.  as he's taking a sip, she tells him that Bobby is at a Christian retreat instead of participating in Halloween.  Hank's cheeks puff out in shock, before he finally swallows, gasping.

HANK: I came very close to spitting out beer!

That's got to be my favorite spit-take gag ever, Hank's face is priceless.

[Hans Resist]

The Unexpected Expert

In which an established character reveals an extensive knowledge of an unsuspected subject.

See the Spinal Tap outakes: I love the silent drummer's sudden command of baseball minutia during the radio phone-in.

[JPA]

The Zafira

Where a role reversal takes place, with the parents of the sitcom family behaving like children, and vice versa. Usually the parents will have a childish argument,or display immature behaviour, only to be reprimanded by the children.

e.g the mother/daughter role reversal in Absolutely Fabulous


The Abnormal Break-up

Two friends will part ways and act as if they are a loving couple ending a relationship e.g Tim and Mike in Spaced.

This also applies to characters and their pets, or even inanimate objects e.g Red Dwarf Series 7 - Lister practically grieving when he realises all the curry supplies have been wrecked.