Tropes
I came across the word tropes related to comic-books in a book I was recently reading, so I decided to see what the internet suggested. I was amazed…
TV Tropes is an ‘official site’ noting on its home page:
Merriam-Webster defines trope as a “figure of speech.” For creative writer types, tropes are more about conveying a concept to the audience without needing to spell out all the details.The wiki is called “TV Tropes” because TV is where we started. Over the course of a few years, our scope has crept out to include other media. Tropes transcend television. They reflect life. Since a lot of art, especially the popular arts, does its best to reflect life, tropes are likely to show up everywhere.
This link got a little more academic, whilst Wikipedia explains a little more simply, including variations.
I think I’ve got it – but please, don’t ask me to try and explain.
And to cause a little more confusion – memes are introduced here (click on image)
Thanks Pablo for the image