Weirder Than Usual

'Weirder than usual' is a dialogue trope where an eccentric (weird) character has a sudden change of behavior. Perhaps this character is acting rather normal (weird for a weird character) or perhaps this character is acting even more eccentric. It's unavoidable for friends of this character to discuss the character's behavior. Often occurs in the form "That was weird... [[[Beat]]] ...you know, weirder than usual".

It's a classic line.

Variation: "That was weird, even for you."

Compare the darker version, Not Himself.

Examples of Weirder Than Usual include:

Film

• At the beginning of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: "The captain's acting strange...er."

Live Action TV

• In a very early episode of I Love Lucy Ricky is worried because Lucy's acting crazy (she thinks he's trying to murder her). To which Fred responds, "Crazy for Lucy or crazy for normal people?"

Literature

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry: Professor Dumbledore - yesterday, when I was having my Divination exam, Professor Trelawney went very - very strange. Dumbledore: Indeed? Er - stranger than usual, you mean?

• Towards the end of Small Favour Harry Dresden is having an argument with Michael, who suspects that Harry may not be wholly in control of his own decisions.

"That's... possible," I admitted. "Anybody's head can be messed with. But if you go rewiring someone's brain, it damages them, badly. (...) If you know the person well enough, there are almost always signs. They act differently. Have I been acting differently? Have I suddenly gone crazy on you?" He arched an eyebrow. "More so than usual," I amended.

Video Games

• Used in the South Park N64 game. Chef tells the kids that Big Gay Al has been acting strange, and they're indifferent. "Okay, stranger than usual."

Web Comic

• Appears in "Fuzzy-Wuzzy Is My Head" from Little Worlds, when Derby gestures to a tooth that isn't missing as evidence that he's hurt. Lev tells him that he probably broke his head. More.

Web Original

• There was a Loading Ready Run video where Paul denied having a family of tiny people living under his hat. Graham asked Matt if he seemed odd. Matt said he wasn't odder than normal.
• The Strong Bad Email virus has a variant on this:

Strong Sad: "Have you been using the Internet irresponsibly?" Strong Bad: "No more irresponsibly than usual."

Western Animation

• Ben 10 episode "Last Laugh"

Gwen Tennyson: Ever since we decided to go to the circus, you've been acting weirder than normal. What are you scared of? Ben Tennyson: I'm not scared of anything.

• On an episode of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Sheen is caught under a weird spell. Carl runs to Jimmy to panic about Sheen "acting weird". Jimmy isn't concerned because Sheen is always acting weird. Carl then elaborates, "weirder than usual."
• Happens a few times on Invader Zim. One example, from the Halloween Episode :

Female Student: Dib's acting even crazier than usual today. Can we use one of our Crazy Cards to send him to the Crazy House for Boys?

• • In "Future Dib":

Gaz: You've been acting weird all day! Even weirder than usual!