# What Are Spoilers?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-spoilers/155966>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 18, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-spoilers/155966 "2003-02-18T21:32:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![don\_willard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@don\_willard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_willard)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-spoilers/155966/1 "2003-02-18T21:32:10Z")

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I don’t understand what spoilers are. And I found out how to reveal them by pressing certiane keys on your computer, but now I forgot, so what do I press? What are spoilers, what is the whole concept of them.

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-spoilers/155966/2 "2003-02-18T21:36:03Z")

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Put spoiler in , then type away, then end it with [/spoiler].

Spoilers are basically giving away plot points that are relevant to the show…in essence _spoiling_ the movie. For instance, in the movie The Sixth Sense

Bruce Willis is actually dead.

This preserves the surprise for those who haven’t seen the movie. It’s a courtesy.

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-spoilers/155966/3 "2003-02-18T21:38:25Z")

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Oh, and triple clicking on the spoiler box will reveal the words.

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**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-spoilers/155966/4 "2003-02-18T21:54:15Z")

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Or click and drag over the box (as if you were selecting the hidden text)

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-spoilers/155966/5 "2003-02-18T22:09:30Z")

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Grandparents.