This short glossary of scriptwriter slang, from the blog of a longtime TV writer, outlines some behind-the-scenes terminology that scriptwriters use as shorthand for various situations and cliches:

“A Nokamura”: When a large number of jokes are all predicated on a single, earlier joke. This can entail great risk.

Based on a Cheers episode. A day-player was named “Nokamura”. A vast chunk of the second act’s jokes were based on people mispronouncing, repeating, etc. the name “Nokamura.”

But the problem was, on tape night — the first mention of “Nokamura” didn’t get a laugh. This meant the rest of the jokes wouldn’t work. The rest of the show was shanked.

The worst thing about a Nokamura is that when the first joke fails, you as the writing staff know what’s coming. All you can do is watch in horror as your show unravels, the Nokamura too deeply entrenched to require anything but a complete between-tapings rewrite.

(Note: We have recent e-mails suggesting the origin of this term was actually The Bob Newhart Show. We are investigating)

[…]

“a Squiggy” or “the ‘hello’ gag”: From Laverne & Shirley. Can only be defined by example.

Laverne (crossing to door): “What sort of degenerate freak would agree to that?” Squiggy (door opens): “He-looooo.”

This is a variation of but distinct from …

“the Gilligan cut”: When you cut directly from a character declaring there’s no way he’s going to do something, to him doing it, for comedic effect.

Also called “the flip joke”, but I’ve heard this usage, and it’s more interesting nomenclature. Thanks to Jacob at Yankee Fog.

(previously listed as “the red dress”, This name comes from the way it was always described to me: a burly guy saying”There’s no way I’m going to get into a red dress and pretend to be your wife”. SMASH CUT to … you get the idea.)