…are figures of speech. They are NOT themes, motifs or recurring images.

“Mystical pregnancy,” the “magical Negro,” etc., are not tropes. The sexism and racism being analyzed are real enough, the analysis is at least adequate, but the term used is plain wrong.

Please, world, stop doing this. The word you are looking for is “topos” (pl. topoi). I may be a minority of one by now. I don’t care. I’m right.

[H/t deBeauxOs for pushing me over the edge.]