Tropes 101

it requires literally zero effort to not be an asshole, bobbie

MiqoRems

'moron lingo' is a pejorative phrase in English. If English is not your first language, I could understand your ignorance.

William Burns

There's language evolution to keep up with general progress and facilitate communications, and then there's language change to hinder communication. That wasn't an insult, that was applying the second pattern to emphasize a point.

Robert Heinig

Well if we're counting that...

Yelling Bird

I really wish that was when Bubbles busted out the next "Howdy" for Becky

Round these parts we tend not to insult people who happen to use different phrases to ourselves - even if we think they're silly.

David Durant

It's real

It makes me want to shake my walking cane in their general direction, so I'm thinking it's probably real.

Chris Warren

So, _is_ "toll/smol" actual current moron lingo or did you make that up for this strip?

Robert Heinig

Cute Emmett gets it from their cute mother!

Shawn K. Younkin

"high-ways." I see what you did there

Devinity

I am 5'2" and DH is 6'. How do we get in the book? Also having a tall person around is extremely useful. But "toll" makes me think of highways.

Carol Metzger

As the "toll" component of a 35-year "toll/smol" couple, I am happy now.

Hugh Eckert

I think that's "Legends and Lattes."

Hugh Eckert

How many wells must an Emmett fall down?

Hugh Eckert

Their first album will be "Dangerously Heterosexual."

Hugh Eckert

How about 1'5"? My friend Kat is 5'2" and her husband Fergus is 6'7". Poor guy spends his life trying not to looooooom over people. He now has a pure white beard and hair and hires out to parties and so forth as the tallest, most impressive Santa at Christmas time you've ever seen, though.

YsabetJustYsabet

It must have taken me 4 re-reads to realize it didn't say "TROLL/smol".

William Cole

We know you're Randy. But what should we call you?

Todd Ellner

Would you like some stupidly speculative answers?

joe velsher

I mean, 1'4" isn't the biggest height difference I've seen. Also, I'm Randy! I'm a bandicoot!

joe velsher

Figure 2. The cloaca.

Gary Walker

“All right…this is getting ridiculous. Let’s take them back right after we randomly carry this pane of glass across the street.”

Mad Marie

Even if a publisher has rejected YB, it’s entirely possible there is DNA left behind in at least one copy of one or more qualifying books.

Mad Marie

While I concede being in the Guinness Book of World Records for loudest profanity is impressive, it doesn't count as a textbook.

A normal day in the life of Emmett

Mrpink

It's cool. I'm already in several.

Yelling Bird

Might be tempted, but as far as we know Aurelia is enthusiastically, even dangerously heterosexual and recruits strapping young men to fulfil her needs. So she might also go in the textbook in the chapter on "The MILF-cougar axis"... ooh, band name.

Stephen Wells

"They"

Opus the Poet

Dear Mr Bird,

Alasdair Mackintosh

My fiancé is about 5 ft. I'm 6'4".

Yelling Bird

I have. Several questions.

Dylan T

... sigh. Again. (Rueful smile) Also, parents respecting their kid's pronouns. You love to see it.

Edward Clayton Andrews

how many wells have they fallen down?

Ace of Hearts

She’s going to smash Aurelia isn’t she

Morgan Byrd

Schrodinger's Emmet - She is simultaneously in horrible danger and completely safe at all times.

Justin

There's a certain subreddit that I won't mention because it's mostly porn, but celebrates the toll/smol dynamic. Also: "again."

Thomas A. Dennis

Emmett's other name is 'Timmy'

MikeT

* Someone tries to kidnapp Emmett * * They make it five blocks before their car breaks down somehow * * All kidnappers slip on banana peels and knock themselves out * * Emmett gets free from the ropes, only to be chased by a mob of angry alpackas for some reason * Emmett's shenanigans field keeps them at baseline level safe/in danger and tolerates no deviations

Bagge

Parents, 'mIright?

Bagge

Of course she is 😂

DaddyUmbreon

Chapter 1: Mommm

Magic Chopstick Games

They have the exact same adorable squint-smile 🥺

TubaGinger

I'm now the tol in a gay male tol/smol couple. Can confirm, living the dream.

Ace

Waitl'll Becky meets Veronica!

Michael Boettger

I want to read that textbook.

Celine Chamberlin

Smol outgoing one who does the talking, tol quite one who is nervous around new people. Yeah, thats textbook all right.

Thisguy

I imagine they lengthened both the 'o' and the 'm' sounds, but if it was written 'Mooom' or 'Moooommm', it'd look like they were saying 'Moom'. Also, I find 'ringggg' slightly easier to pronounce than 'riiiing'. The 'ng' sound feels nicer in my speaking-parts than an extended 'i'. I'd probably only say 'riiing' if I was imitating an irritating phone.

Diptych

“…she looks like one of those repair gals’ girlfriends…”

Mad Marie

I totally get that…although “mooom” gives me the impression of a different vowel sound than “mom”.

Mad Marie

"...fell down a well AGAIN"?? (emphasis added)

Jeremy Westerfield

“Oh. My. God. Becky! Look at her ‘bot! She is sooo big…”

Mad Marie

Did Emmett really say "Mommm"? It seems like they might have said "Mooom". This has been hitting my OCD the last couple of years. Why do people lengthen their consonants instead of their vowels? How would you pronounce "No! My ringggg" versus "No! My riiing!"?

Jeremy Westerfield

Bubbles in panel 3 = super cute.

Mad Marie

It's okay Becky, we're all still cheering on this ship, you're among friends here

Ed Marshall

...but we know someone who knows someone who probably does.

Ursus Ridens

Faye is only smol in comparison, though.

Dean Reilly

But we still don't know where the phone is.

Summer Sudbrink

Becky almost has a mullet!

Douglas E. Smith

Happy Mother's day Becky!

Brittany Huckey

Another good possibility, certainly. :)

Joseph Bonnar

Given the Canadian connection, I'll bet that Becky writes textbooks for Cubetown

schmod

Goodness ... you're very big... do you two need any extra friends? It's ah, for my research too.

Simon Green

Or guilt over having acquired her number surreptitiously

Solomon Garland

Tall and Small

Mason Griffith

Cutesy homophones for tall and small.

Jackson Bockus

Thanks

Ash359

My headcanon: Bubbles side glance in the second panel is caused by Yay gloating about being right (again.) Loudly. Over Bubbles' interior phone.

Joseph Bonnar

It's cutesy internet speak for Tall and Small.

Jay MacKinnon

I'm old, what's Toll and Smol?

Ash359

I love Becky

Shey

Most professors I can think of that would write about something like that also have either novels on the market, films going to festivals, or something like that.

Bill Silvia

This will be a learning experience for Emmett. Don't lose your phone or else your mom will show up and embarrass you.

Elberik

Enby or non-binary is a trans identity.

Andrea Andrew

We're sending our love down the well~

Sammitch

Unless I'm missing something, far as we know Emmett is nonbinary, not trans

Brent

"fell down a well again"

Leaflemming

So is Professor Bennett writing a history of Tv Tropes? How is she getting the grant money to write about tropes?

Miyaa

An opera minded boomer mother respectful of their child’s trans identity and a sapphic couple. How awesome is that?

Andrea Andrew