History Main / ICanExplain

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''. When Sara Lance's ex-girlfriend Nyssa al Ghul of the League of Assassins turns up to [[{{Yandere}} claim her]], Sara starts to give this trope to her current lover Oliver Queen, only for Oliver (no stranger to [[DatingCatwoman complex relationships]]) to state that she doesn't have to--his only concern is for Sara's safety.

* ''Alt-Hero''. Captain Europa demands to know how Dynamique ended up a magazine covergirl when he specifically told her never to use her outfit for commercial purposes. Dynamique says she can explain. Her explanation? She was offered a '''lot''' of money. Cue Captain Europa FacePalm.

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''. When Sara Lance's ex-girlfriend Nyssa al Ghul of the League of Assassins turns up to claim her, Sara starts to give this trope to her current lover Oliver Queen, only for Oliver (no stranger to [[DatingCatwoman complex relationships]]) to state that she doesn't have to.

* A primary CatchPhrase on ''Series/GetSmart'' subverts this: "I can explain ''nothing''!"

* In ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' just after his treasonous plot against the Sultan has been revealed, Jafar tries saying "All this can be explained." Exactly ''how'' is a mystery for the ages, since absolutely no-one is willing to listen to him by that point.

* ''Discworld/MakingMoney'' features Moist von Lipwig's first words to Lord Vetinari when he has been summoned as "look, I can explain." Vetinari's actually summoned him for something else entirely, but Moist does have to spend some time why there were mongooses in the posting boxes. (Someone had come up with the brilliant idea of SummonBiggerFish to take care of snakes, who were introduced to eat the toads, who were introduced to eat the snails, who were eating the glue on the postage stamps.)

* ''Alt-Hero''. Captain Europa demands to know how Dynamique ended up a magazine covergirl who he specifically told her never to use her outfit for commercial purposes. Dynamique says she can explain. Her explanation? She was offered a '''lot''' of money. Cue Captain Europa FacePalm.

* ''Alt-Hero''. Captain Europa demands to know how Dynamique ended up a magazine covergirl who he specifically told her never to use her outfit for commercial purposes. Dynamique says she can explain. She was offered a '''lot''' of money. Cue Captain Europa FacePalm.

* ''Alt-Hero''. Captain Europa demands to know how Dynamique ended up a magazine covergirl who he specifically told her never to use her outfit for commercial purposes. Dynamique says she can explain. She was offered a '''lot''' of money. Cue CaptainEuropa FacePalm.

** And ''again'' in "Escape" when Lois caught him [[spoiler:[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments in the shower with a naked Chloe.]]]]

* The earlier ''Blackadder II'' had a similar gag where Blackadder is entertaining his fiercely Puritanical aunt and uncle while simultaneously holding a drinking competition. Things seem to be going well, until one of the drunks (dressed as a monk) bursts into the room, vomits in the fireplace, and leaves, saying "Great booze-up, Edmund!" When asked if he can explain, Blackadder spends the next minute staring into space and working his jaw as he tries to come up with an explanation, then finally says "...Yes I can."
** [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome And he does.]]

* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}'': Upon being exposed as the dirty, callous liar he truly is, Steele tries to justify his actions, but the others won't have any of it and they storm out
-->'''Steele''': You guys weren't there, so you don't--wait a minute, guys! Wait just a second...please?\\

* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}'', this forms part of Steele's HumiliationConga.
-->'''Steele''': You guys weren't there, so you don't--wait a minute, guys! Wait just a second...please!

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A DiscreditedTrope as the line is rarely played straight nowadays. And considered the number of times its been parodied/subverted, it's well on its way to be a DeadHorseTrope. As such, a common subversion is for the character in question to deliver this line... then resignedly admit that no, actually they ''can't'' explain it.

Often caused by the situation being NotWhatItLooksLike. See also the cousin Trope NoodleIncident.

** And ''again'' in "Escape" when Lois caught him [[spoiler:[[CrowningMomentOfFunny in the shower with a naked Chloe.]]]]

** [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome And he does.]]

Often, it turns out that the authority figure really wanted to talk to them about something else, and wouldn't even have known about whatever-it-was if they hadn't tried to explain.

* Subverted in ''Webcomic/NerfNow'', a chain of implausible events conspire to have Jane and newcomer Victoire (older sister of [[MissFanservice Anne-Marie]]) in their underwear, wrestling. Jane's girlfriend, [[OnlySaneMan Morgan]] senses [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling something is amiss and [[http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/2306 walks in on them.]] And, rather than jump to the obvious, but incorrect, conclusion, Morgan immediately (correctly) guesses they were fighting over the one good controller.

* In ''Webcomic/NerfNow'', a chain of implausible events conspire to have Jane and newcomer Victoire (older sister of [[MissFanservice Anne-Marie]]) in their underwear, wrestling. Jane's girlfriend, [[OnlySaneMan Morgan]] senses something is amiss and [[http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/2306 walks in on them.]] And, rather than jump to the obvious, but incorrect, conclusion, Morgan immediately (correctly) guesses they were fighting over the one good controller.

-> '''Victoire:''' How did you know what happened??
-> '''Morgan:''' C'mon, [[GenreSavvy this bullshit trope]] happens every time someone step [sic] too close to a girl in underwear."

* ''Series/{{UFO}}''. Straker spends a lot of time away from home getting S.H.A.D.O up and running, but can't tell his wife what he's up to because his organisation is top secret and may [[KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade kill anyone who knows too much.]] His wife [[MistakenForCheating suspects him of having an affair]], and hires a private eye who photographs Straker with one of his BridgeBunnies. On being confronted with the 'evidence' and a demand for a divorce, Straker is so desperate he's willing to tell her everything, but she cuts him off by saying she doesn't want to know, thinking he's referring to his non-existent affair.