# Lousy Descriptions ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242 "2019-02-09T20:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/1 "2019-02-09T20:27:00Z")
Is there a name for this sort of lousy description. Ones like in a discussion of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, you say “My favorite one is the one with the tiger”. “My favorite episode of MASH is the one where they wear green fatigues”. “Remember that episode of Star Trek where Spock raises an eyebrow? That one was my favorite.” or “Did you see the one where Cecil answered a question? That one was the best!” There must be a better name for those non-specific descriptions? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/2 "2019-02-09T20:42:10Z")
You mean like the episode of Gilligan’s Island where they almost get off the island (actually that only happens in about 1 in 3 episodes, but still). Or the episode of Three’s Company where someone overhears something and misunderstands what’s going on, leading to wacky consequences? See this trope [Once per Episode - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OncePerEpisode) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/3 "2019-02-09T20:46:14Z")
Remember that thread where someone complained about something people do? Loved that one!!! Can someone help me find it again? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/4 "2019-02-09T20:56:50Z")
There was an episode of All In The Family where Archie got angry. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/5 "2019-02-09T21:03:01Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > There was an episode of All In The Family where Archie got angry. He also said something bigoted. That should narrow it down. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/6 "2019-02-09T21:06:03Z")
Oh yeah, I saw that one. That’s the one where he called Mike a “meathead”. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/7 "2019-02-09T21:08:51Z")
Remember that Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that everyone criticized, yet it won Tony Awards and had a long run? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/8 "2019-02-09T21:47:02Z")
I remember I once watched this episode of Scooby Doo. It had a twist ending where they found out the supernatural being that was scaring everyone was just a fake. Can anyone tell me which episode that was? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/9 "2019-02-09T21:56:01Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I remember I once watched this episode of Scooby Doo. It had a twist ending where they found out the supernatural being that was scaring everyone was just a fake. Can anyone tell me which episode that was? It’s the one where Scooby made noises approximating human speech. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/10 "2019-02-09T22:55:09Z")
No idea what it’s called, but on Friends, the episode titles deliberately used this construction, so the first episode after the pilot is called The One With The Sonogram, and the penultimate episode is The One with Rachel’s Going Away Party. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/11 "2019-02-09T23:11:52Z")
Inept, inadequate, vague, non-delimited, indistinct. Vague is probably most appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/12 "2019-02-09T23:17:11Z")
Equivocal or ambiguous would also fit. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/13 "2019-02-09T23:50:28Z")
I’m looking for the sports movie where the underdogs won. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/14 "2019-02-10T00:13:59Z")
Do you remember the episode of the Simpsons where Homer say D’oh? ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/15 "2019-02-10T07:49:59Z")
The one where The Doctor saves humanity. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/16 "2019-02-10T08:26:09Z")
All of the ones that have been mentioned so far are on YouTube. I’ll see if I can find the links. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/17 "2019-02-10T08:35:42Z")
You know that tune that goes: DA-DA-DA DA DA-DA DA DA-DA? What’s the name of that tune? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/18 "2019-02-10T13:30:46Z")
I saw this science-fiction movie. There were robots in it. What was its name? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/19 "2019-02-10T13:39:17Z")
Remember the episode of _Home Improvement_ when Al said, “I don’t think so, Tim.”? Then there was the episode of _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ when Picard pulls down on his tunic and says, "Make it so. " ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242/20 "2019-02-10T13:42:32Z")
Oh! And Riker swings his leg over the back of a chair to sit in it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lousy-descriptions/829242.md?page=2)