DictionaryDecimator's definitions

Eucatastrophe

A sudden, favorable resolution of events in a story; a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien to describe a "good catastrophe" that brings a happy ending.

"Just when all hope seemed lost, the hero’s pet hamster activated the hidden self-destruct button on the villain’s base. Eucatastrophe for the win!"

by DictionaryDecimator July 6, 2024

Basement Demon

A basement demon is a common yet vague term for the "Demons" or monsters that hunt you in the basement or a dark area or room after you turned off the lights in that area. Basically, it is a fear of something hunting you in the dark which makes people run for their lives after switching of the lights.
Related: Nyctophobia

"Bro I had a near escape from the basement demon yesterday"

"me too"
"what's a basement demon?"
"Did you spawn in the world as an adult or do you seriously not know what it means"

by DictionaryDecimator July 1, 2024

Bathos

An abrupt, quick and often ridiculous shift from a serious manner to a trivial or funny manner in writing or speech, to invoke humour/humor (however you like it to be called)

"The hero gave a very strong-worded and passionate speech about the fate of humanity, only to trip over his shoelaces right afterward. Classic bathos."

by DictionaryDecimator July 6, 2024

Pellucidity

the quality of being clear or transparent. It can be used in various contexts:

Physical Clarity: In a literal sense, pellucidity describes something that allows light to pass through, like clear water or a transparent material.

Figurative Clarity: In a metaphorical or abstract sense, pellucidity refers to the clarity and ease of understanding in language, thought, or expression. For example, a pellucid explanation or writing is one that is easy to understand and free of ambiguity.

Boss: Your cubicles are now installed with pellucidity, so I can know which one of you keeps taking the "67 signs you are married to Chewbacca in a parallel universe quiz"

4 year old kid: ABCs are too hard to understand, but if it was taught with skibidi toilet videos I could understand it with pellucidity
13 year old: How do you know that word? And it's subway surfers gameplay for me for pellucidity
Stereotypical middle-aged man: ...It's stock market for me

by DictionaryDecimator July 1, 2024

Time Skip

In movies or stories, a 'Time Skip' is a narrative device where the story jumps through time

"The last chapter had a ten-year time skip, and suddenly everyone was having kids, mortgages and unpaid water taxes"

by DictionaryDecimator July 7, 2024

Zeppo

A character who is part of the main cast but often sidelined and given little to do.

"The dog was the Zeppo of the show, but hey, you can't blame the writer, a use for a guard dog left in it's kernel all day except for once in two weeks has almost no part in a family time traveling to stop Titanic sinking"

by DictionaryDecimator July 7, 2024

Canon Sue

A character in fan fiction (typically the author themselves) who is inserted into an existing universe and is unrealistically perfect. A fan-fiction version of Mary Sue: A term for a character who is unrealistically perfect without any flaws in (original) novels (Male of Mary Sue: Gary Stu)

"When she wrote herself into Harry Potter as the best witch ever, becoming the headmistress of Hogwarts while being a student, defeating Voldemort with itching powder and a single sponge, she created a canon sue."

by DictionaryDecimator July 6, 2024