Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Tuesday Tropes: The "Loves Me Not"

  
It's a quiet day in the field and Suzy can't decide which of the two boys she should go to the dance with. What's a girl to do? Luckily for her, there's a daisy within reach. Destiny is only a few plucks away ...

The "Loves Me Not" - a decision-making or wishful-thinking trope (often perpetuated by a girl or woman) by plucking the petals off of a flower. This can apply to guys as well, and the object could be anything with removable parts. The remaining petal is meant to dictate what the character will do next or offer validation to their affectionous thoughts, often with humorous implications if the end result is not a favorable one.

Skip to :16

Guys are not immune to this kind of leisurely activity, even if they are supposed to protect the Triforce from the clutches of evil minions.

"She loves me, not ... stupid flower ..."

And who said you have to do this on land? Take it to space or deep under the sea - under dah sea ... almost broke into song there ...

Not even sea plants are safe.

As with other decision-making tropes, sky's the limit for possibilities. Flowers: resolving love problems since the early Cretaceous period.

Where have you seen this trope in action? Ever done it yourself?

I'm David, and this post is over. This post isn't over. This post is ...

19 comments:

  1. I think I tried once as a little girl (pre-teen). lol. How embarrassing. ;)

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  2. No, can't say I've used it or ever tried it myself!

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  3. Oh yeah, I used to do it all the time! Poor flowers...

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  4. I've never done it or had a character do it. I guess I don't understand the appeal.

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  5. First, I LOVE the new look here!

    I've never written this one or actually used it to make a decision. I think usually when I pluck a flower it's more along the lines of "Well, I wish I had something momentous to waffle over, but I don't, so I'll tear you apart anyway."

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  6. Nope,

    Never used it or didi it.... It is a classic though.

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  7. Ah, letting fate decide who you love. Such a great trope!

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  8. Where do you get all these tropes from? It's like they are endless.

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  9. I've done it, but I never based my next course of action on it. Haven't used it in fiction, either.

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  10. It was frustrating when one flower told you one thing, and another one would tell you something else.

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  11. I probably used it as a kid. Not sure I'd use it in a story.

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  12. I've done this many a times in my real life. Dating, guys, flower petals... Ugh! haha I've never used it in a story but have seen it a lot in movies.

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  13. Not ashamed to say, I've done it lots of times. I'll even go as far as to say...It totally works :)

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  14. Angela's right: it tropally works!

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  15. I've definitely done this a time or two, although I don't think it had anything to do with boys.

    It was probably more along the lines of "I'll eat some cake...no I won't...yes I will...nah I shouldn't..."

    :P

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  16. Always seemed pointless to me. It's like eenie-meenie-miney-mo, where the end result depends on where you start. Most flowers have a set number of petals.

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  17. I've never used it. Not sure that I would either.
    And you really think a guy would use it? Would you write a guy using it. Maybe something like, "If I make this basket, she loves me." LOL!

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  18. ...And now I'm gonna have to go watch The Little Mermaid. ;)

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  19. It always seemed to me to be a waste of a perfectly nice flower.

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