History Main / IHaveThisFriend

* In ''Literature/LeylaTheBlackTulip'' from the ''Literature/GirlsOfManyLands'' series, the protagonist Laleena learns that foreign men are looking for girls to take to the Ottoman Empire as wives for rich men and they're willing to offer money to their families for their loss. She approaches them and asks what they would pay for a girl similar to her, as she has a friend much like herself who is interested. The men agree to give her the money to pass along to her "friend", understanding that she is actually referring to herself. (The whole thing is actually a cover for [[MadeASlave the slave trade]], but she doesn't recognize that.)

* ''Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection'': In one of the ''Girls of Many Lands'' books, the protagonist learns that foreign men are looking for girls to take to the Ottoman Empire as wives for rich men, and that they're willing to offer money to the families (it's actually a cover for [[MadeASlave the slave trade]], but she doesn't recognize that). She approaches them and asks what they would pay for a girl similar to her, as she has a friend much like herself who is interested. The men agree to give her the money to pass along to her "friend", understanding that she is actually referring to herself.

So you have a...problem. Maybe you just wrapped dad's car around a tree, maybe you've been snorting coke, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick maybe you just opened a dimensional rift that endangers the future of humanity]], whatever, but nobody knows about it. Still, you can't resist the urge to find out what would happen to someone who, oh say, for instance, might have, for example, hypothetically, possibly, may have, [[OverlyLongGag kinda sorta]]... did something really really ''really'' bad. Sometimes your mom/dad/friend/boss/superior officer will catch on right away, sometimes they're going to unwittingly scare you out of telling them what happened until the situation is much, ''much'' worse. Either way, [[HilarityEnsues hilarity is likely to ensue]].

So you have a... problem. Maybe you just wrapped dad's car around a tree, maybe you've been snorting coke, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick maybe you just opened a dimensional rift that endangers the future of humanity]], whatever, but nobody knows about it. Still, you can't resist the urge to find out what would happen to someone who, oh say, for instance, might have, for example, hypothetically, possibly, may have, [[OverlyLongGag kinda sorta]]... did something really really ''really'' bad. Sometimes your mom/dad/friend/boss/superior officer will catch on right away, sometimes they're going to unwittingly scare you out of telling them what happened until the situation is much, ''much'' worse. Either way, [[HilarityEnsues hilarity is likely to ensue]].

* In ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'', the title character isn't even willing to use the "I have this friend" method -- Shippou ends up doing it for him, asking Kaede for relationship advice for "a dog I know," while Inuyasha, present for the whole conversation, denies that it has anything to do with him. HilarityEnsues, particularly given that Shippou provides visual aids. Visual aids he's so proud of that he later shows to the whole village, much to Kagome's embarrassment.

** Then about hundred chapters later, Kaguya (Ice) (a part of Kaguya's personality who displays BrutalHonesty) tells Kashiwagi she won't use the "I have a friend" excuse since Kashiwagi would see though it.
** Averted in chapter 193: later when Shirogane seek advice from Maki for Iino's situation. Since he specified the friend is in previous year and Maki knows Shirogane's love life is clearly not what he describes, she figures it's Iino — Shirogane had no interest in hiding her identity, but didn't know Maki knew Iino.

* In ''Manga/SchoolRumble'', while asking her friends advice on how to tell someone she loves him, she tells them it's for a "friend of a friend".

** Both Hitomi and Millerna engage in this conversations with each other that describe their feelings and concerns about Allen. It takes both of them an ''astonishingly'' long time to realize just whom they are both, in fact, talking about. Millerna, to her credit, catches that Hitomi's basically repeating her earlier discussion, although it takes her a while to catch why that's important. Which the ditzy Catgirl Merle calls them both on.

'''Light:''' No, I'm not Kira... And you look like a meth addict so no-one will ever believe you.
* In the ''Frozen'' fic ''Fanfic/TheAlphabetStory'', Elsa starts out in denial of her crush on a woman named Kyra. Kyra's brother Kendar was courting Elsa, however he broke it off. At the same time he mentions that his sister had fallen for someone "indecent" and asks Elsa if same-gender relationships are illegal in Arendelle. Later on, Elsa contemplates what happened and believes that Kendar was talking about himself, not Kyra. It, however, turns out he was talking about his sister falling for Elsa herself.
* From the [[CharacterBlog twitter account]] of [[https://twitter.com/Dr_Dinosaur/status/243218710930804737 Dr Dinosaur]] from ''ComicBook/AtomicRobo'':

'''Luna''': So? The girl's sister won't care, and that's the only person who's opinion matters.

* Inverted in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/23908072/chapters/57973972#workskin Outfoxed]]''. Alya tells Kagami about how she and Nino are both bisexual and are in an open relationship, with both having interests in sides partners. She also tells Kagami how it might be easier for the two of them if the couple were interested in the same person. Kagami figures out that Alya is convincing her to talk to Marinette and Adrien about entering a [[{{Polyamory}} polycule]] with them if they are as interested in her romantically as she is with them.
* In a sidestory of ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'', at one point while talking with Misty and Iris about problematic Pokémon. Ash almost lets slip about his experience with Charizard during his disobedient phase in the previous timeline and how it costed him his first league. He quickly corrects himself and says "a friend's Charizard".

** After the war ends, Katara's father Hakoda has a conversation with Zuko in which he brings up Bato and Ming(Hakoda's friend from the Water Tribe and an OriginalCharacter from the Fire Nation), as an example of why such couples would not work out, and mentions that in order to help Bato, he would persuade Ming to break up with him. Unusually, the example with Bato and Ming is real, rather than hypothetical, and it's implied that Hakoda doesn't approve of them being a couple, either, even if his main goal was to break up Zuko and Katara. Some time later, Katara confronts Hakoda, and they get into an argument about "Bato" keeping "his" relationship secret from Hakoda, and Hakoda meddling in "Bato's" love life, with Katara fully aware of what she and her father actually mean.

* In ''Fanfic/SummerDaysAndEveningFlames'', [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Gilda]] (a griffin) is confused about her [[InterspeciesRomance relationship]] with Captain Iron Bulwark (a pony), so writes to her friend Rainbow Dash for advice. Rainbow is just as inexperienced in romance as her, so goes to Applejack, using the classic device to explain Gilda's situation. It's vauge enough that Applejack assumes ''she'' is asking ''her'' about their relationship. HilarityEnsues.

'''Dr. Keats:''' Douglas, get off the juice. As for the nocturnal emissions, why don't you take a swim, buy a shirt with no holes, find a wahine and take her to dinner?\\

* Shaggy in ''Film/ScoobyDooCurseOfTheLakeMonster'' -- he tells Fred and Daphne he has this friend, "Scruffy", who has a crush on a girl etc., etc. Of course, he is talking about himself having a crush on Velma.
* Heartwrenchingly executed in ''Film/SleepingWithTheEnemy'' after Laura leaves her husband. An older lady strikes up a conversation on the bus; Laura says she was visiting a friend who needed help escaping from abusive husband to explain her trip. After telling the older woman how her "friend" couldn't get the cops to help and finally risked everything to get away, the old woman whispers "How long did you stay with him?" which Laura knows exactly, to the day.

* In ''Literature/BloodyJack'', Mary (who is pretending to be a boy) tries this on a prostitute she hires, asking about getting her period on behalf of a "friend who's a girl". The prostitute sees right through it, but finds the whole thing amusing and doesn't tell anyone.
* In the children's picture book ''Bubble & Squeak'', the young mouse Bubble attributes all of her childish fears of things like the dark and monsters to her baby sister, Squeak, saying that she's a big girl. Her mother then asks what they could do to help Squeak not be so afraid of those things and suggests that that Bubble do them to test them out.

* Subverted in one of the ''Literature/DiaryOfATeenageGirl'' books by Creator/MelodyCarlson. Current main character Kim is fishing for advice to give her best friend who's having boyfriend troubles; Kim's distraught father thinks she is the one sleeping with her boyfriend in a desperate attempt to stay with him, until her best friend turns up pregnant.

* Xeo tries this on Lady Arete in ''Literature/GatesOfFire''. She sees through it immediately, but plays along out of respect for Xeo's predicament and his clear embarrassment over the situation.

* In ''Literature/HeartInHand'', Darryl uses a variant to talk about his relationship with Alex, a rival hockey player, to his friend -- he doesn't hide that it's his own problems, but he frames it as "girl trouble".

** In "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire", Robert Ferguson sends Holmes a letter supposedly on behalf of a friend, to ask him to study the friend's wife's inexplicable vampiric behaviour. Holmes reads it, and immediately instructs Dr. Watson to take down a wire: "Will examine ''your'' case with pleasure" (emphasis added).

* In Creator/OrsonScottCard's ''Literature/TheTalesOfAlvinMaker'', Alvin is a major WeirdnessMagnet; unfortunately, an evil force hanging around him has a habit of trying to make Alvin's father kill him (while the father has no idea what's putting all these terrible compulsions in his head). When Taleswapper arrives, Alvin's father asks him for advice and trots out this line, describing a fictional Swede with a son who has white-blond hair. But he can't even keep the pronouns straight. Taleswapper kindly plays along, and suggests the "Swedish friend" apprentice his boy somewhere else for safety.

* Inverted in an episode of ''Series/{{Blossom}}''. Worried about Six, Blossom confides in a counselor, who of course, laughs and says,, "Why is it always "a friend"?", before Blossom reassures him that it ''is'' a friend she's concerned about.

* In ''Series/BreakingBad'', Marie sees through Skyler's "I'm writing this stoner character" and assumes she's talking about Walter Jr., who must be experimenting with marijuana, when she's actually speaking about Walter Sr. Marie even lampshades this trope when talking to Hank about their exchange.

** In another episode, Sam goes to a priest, who sees through this, pointing out in all his years of hearing the phrase, he's never ''once'' met any of the friends in question.

* ''Series/DropTheDeadDonkey'': Helen, planning to come out to her parents, asks around the office for a purely hypothetical way to admit a personal secret to a close relative. No-one is fooled:

* ''Series/TheFBI'': In "The Divided Man", Roger Mason has been committing crimes and then [[WhatDidIDoLastNight waking up not remembering what he has done]]. He goes to see a psychiatrist and claims to want advice about to help for a frind who is doing 'bad things' and not remembering them. Although the psychiatrist obviously knows Mason is discussing himself, he plays along to keep Mason talking. What Mason does not tell him is that these 'bad things' include blowing up a chemical plant and starting a fire that kills three firefighters.

* Played with in an episode of ''Series/FridayNightLights'' where a student tries to report an attempted rape to his school counselor. She assumes he's the victim and ashamed, but in this case it's actually another person.
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Regarding the Ross, Rachel and Julie's love triangle.

* ''Series/TheHoganFamily''. Concerned that Mark and his girlfriend are sexually active, Sandy asks friend/neighbor Mrs. Poole if she can ask her "a hypothetical question". Mrs. Poole promptly lampshades this trope by replying, "I love it when people ask hypothetical questions, because I know they're really talking about themselves."
* On ''Creator/TylerPerry's Series/HouseOfPayne'', Malik's friend Kevin actually did contract syphilis but was ashamed/didn't know how to get help, so Malik offers to talk to his own dad, CJ and uses the trope to talk to him about it. Of course, CJ mistakenly believes that Malik is the "friend" and promptly flies off the handle until Kevin confesses that he is the one who actually needs help.

* In an episode of ''Series/MenBehavingBadly'', Tony needs to buy glasses but is embarrassed to tell the optician, so he claims they're for a friend in prison. When she points out that the eye tests she does on him wont be very useful for his friend's eyes, he says that his friend "only wants to see quite well".

** In Season Four, after a particularly ugly night at a club, a clearly wasted Ryan tells Michael that "his friend Troy" might have a drug problem. Michael doesn't get the hint, and tells Ryan that he should put a wire on Troy so they can bring down whoever's been selling him the drugs.

* On ''Series/SavedByTheBell'', Zack wants to go on a skiing trip, but is failing his classes. He tells his father that a friend of his is in a similar dilemma, and his father says that if he were the friend's father, he'd ground the friend for life. Cue Zack going off on some tangentially related daydream regarding the latter...

** In "Velocity", Clark and Lex do about the same thing, in which the "friend" is Pete Ross, who's in trouble.

* This is played with on ''Series/{{Suits}}''. Harvey goes to Louis with some documents given to him by "a friend at another law firm" that seem to be showing evidence of embezzlement. Louis falls for this completely and is delightful in digging through another firm's dirty laundry. He does not realize that the documents not only belong to his own firm but that they seem to show that Louis is the one doing the embezzling. He then inverts things by pointing out that the apparent embezzler is just "a shmuck" and is being set up to take the fall for the real thief. He saves himself without even realizing that all along he was talking about himself.

* ''Series/WithoutATrace''. A suspect in the VictimOfTheWeek's disappearance claims that she was hounding the woman for money to buy medication for her sick mother. The agent questioning her rolls his eyes, shows her his NA sobriety chip (he developed a painkiller addiction after being shot) and tells her, "Quit lying to me. I know a junkie when I see one."

* ''La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein'' combines this with ObliviousToLove: the Grand Duchess is in love with Fritz, but tries to convince him that her declarations of love are from a friend of hers. Fritz takes it at face value, but is confused by the multiple allusions the Duchess uses, so in the end she thinks he's gotten the message and is now aware of her feelings for him (he isn't).

-->'''Guard''': Do you, you know, get to use it at home? For parties and things like that I mean.\\

* In ''WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail'' #140, "[[Recap/StrongBadEmailE140Highschool highschool]]," Strong Bad says that before they were in middle school, the residents of Free Country, USA were [[HollywoodEvolution parameciums living in a petri dish]]. When Strongbadiophage catches Homestarmecium purchasing some "[[PainToTheAss rear end cream]]," the latter explains that he's buying it for his twin brother. He backs this up by dividing in two and repeating "These are for my twin brother" several times, until Strongbadiophage is scared off by the sight of a growing crowd of Homestarmecia.

* ''Webcomic/QueenOfWands'' subverted this when [[http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20031231.html Kestrel asked her friend Shannon for advice]]. The [[DVDCommentary commentary track]] points out that [[http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20051008.html this happens a fair bit]]. A similar scenario played out on ''Series/That70sShow'' when Kelso saw Hyde cheat on Jackie, and went to Donna for advice.

* [[Franchise/HarryPotter Draco Malfoy]] doesn't even get to say what his hypothetical brother's question was before Lucius says he'd kill him in a ''Simply Potterific'' [[http://ktshy.deviantart.com/art/Simply-Potterific-16-29185449 strip]]. This is part of an existing arc where Draco sees Hermione at the Yule Ball and falls for her, as referenced by the author underneath the comic (and can be seen [[http://ktshy.deviantart.com/art/Simply-Potterific-14-28325563?q=gallery%3Aktshy%2F642792&qo=13 here]] and [[http://ktshy.deviantart.com/art/Simply-Potterific-15-28644730?q=gallery%3Aktshy%2F642792&qo=14 here]]). So the question Draco was going to ask would be 'what if his hypothetical brother fell for a muggleborn girl'. That said, the [[http://ktshy.deviantart.com/art/Simply-Potterific-20-32407999 follow up comic]] already mentioned could be taken to read either way (of Lucius suspecting Draco of being gay or of being a muggle lover).
* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'': A certain event causes Tuuri to start experiencing a phenomenon that so far seemed exclusive to the setting's mages. She asks her mage cousin Lalli about it, but pretends to be asking on the behalf of Reynir, the other mage who has known he has powers at all for only about a month at this point. Her lie includes claiming Reynir has just started experiencing the phenomenon. Reynir was shown to experience that particular thing (or at least something close enough) about a week ago in-story, and his reaction indicated it was nothing new to him.

-->'''Randy:''' ''(drunkenly)'' I have this... friend and his name is Ran-Randy and... Well, let's just say Randy has to sleep with 248 men in the past six days so he can get the past six days so he can get the cash to pay his rent and now he's considering shooting himself in the mouth with a gun he found in an alleyway.

** In "Doug and the Little Liar", Doug also does this with Mr. Dink for advice about Loretta's lies to Skeeter. Assuming that Doug is talking about ''him'', Mr. Dink immediately bursts into tears and confesses to lying about being captain of his high school football team (he was really the equipment manager). A confused Doug forgives him anyway, and this gave him the idea to confront Loretta to get her confess as well.

* The ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode "[[Recap/HeyArnoldS3E45HelgaBlabsItAllHaroldTheButcher Harold the Butcher]]" has Harold shoplifting a ham from Green Meats, ruining it in the process. When he is brought to [[InformedJudaism Rabbi Goldberg]] to confess stealing the ham from Mr. Green, Goldberg tells him a story about someone from his childhood who stole a vest from a tailor shop and had to work there for a period of time to learn how much work it takes to produce such a product and run a business. This friend may or may not have been Goldberg himself, but it eventually gives him the idea that Harold [[WorkOffTheDebt works at the butcher shop for an entire week to pay off the ham]].

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Subverted in "Teacher's Union". Lincoln goes to his sister Lori for advice on how to hook up a friend with a girl. Lori thinks that Lincoln has a crush on a girl, but in reality he is really trying to pair up two of his teachers.

* ''WesternAnimation/PlanetSheen'': While he isn't exactly asking for advice, Sheen uses the "friend" excuse when he's trying to explain a the concept of a crush to ''his'' crush Aseefa.

* This happens in ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower''. On one occasion Reggie uses this on Tito, who thinks she's talking about somebody he knows, keeps asking about her and tells Reggie to give his regards.

* Funnily inverted in ''Simpleton'' by Creator/SergeyLukyanenko. Trix asks a tailor if he has any off-the-shelf clothes for a friend about his size. The tailor wrongly assumes that Trix needs them for himself, but is mystified by possible reasons to pretend. Trix doesn't want to confess that the clothes are for a princess running away from a political ArrangedMarriage, so he plays along.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E9TheLastTemptationOfHomer The Last Temptation of Homer]]", Homer realizes that he has a crush on his hot co-worker, Mindy. He brings it up at Moe's by mentioning his fictional "friend", Joey-Joe-Joe-Junior Shabadoo. Of course, the ''real'' Joey-Joe-Joe is in the bar at the time, and [[InelegantBlubbering runs out in tears]] when Moe says that it's "the worst name I ever heard". Then Homer just admits his problem.
** In another episode Smithers purchases estrogen tablets saying that "They're for a friend... who's trapped in the body of another friend".
** A variant in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E15HomerAlone Homer Alone]]"; whilst Marge is away on vacation, Maggie runs away. Marge calls home, and Homer takes the opportunity to find out what her reaction would be if the dog ran away. Marge is upset. Homer finds this discouraging.
** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E22SecretsOfASuccessfulMarriage Secrets of a Successful Marriage]]", Homer tries to invoke this trope but messes up when he wants to talk about his private life without upsetting Marge.
--->"So, anyway, Mr. X would say, Marge, if this doesn't get your motor running, my name isn't Homer J. Simpson."
** And in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS18E18TheBoysOfBummer The Boys of Bummer]]", Reverend Lovejoy asks his advice on a new mattress because "I have a friend. Well, a friend ''of'' a friend." Homer loudly replies, "Sex problem, eh?"
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' did this every time something happened and he needed advice, usually from his friend Skeeter. One time is when he assumed Skeeter stole something and [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Skeeter thought he was asking a math problem]] (which Doug thought he was playing innocent); another is when he thought the foreign exchange student is in love with Patti and Skeeter tells Doug to just tell the exchange student how he feels about her.
-->"Skeeter, I have this friend, well it's not me..."
** In "Doug and the Little Liar", Doug also does this with Mr. Dink for advice about Loretta's lies to Skeeter. Assuming that Doug is talking about ''him'', Mr. Dink immediately bursts into tears and confesses to lying about being captain of his high school football team (he was really the equipment manager). A confused Doug forgives him anyway, and this gave him the idea to confront Loretta to get her confess as well.
* ''WesternAnimation/HomeMovies'' uses the twist where every time Brendan tries to introduce his friend to the girl he has a crush on, his friend runs away so the girl thinks he's the one with a crush on her. Later, when Brendan tells his mom about what's going on, she again thinks he's talking about himself rather than his friend.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
** In "[[Recap/SouthParkS8E3ThePassionOfTheJew The Passion of the Jew]]", after Kyle watches ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist'', he feels guilty about being Jewish, and asks the Priest for advice regarding his "Jewish Friend".
** Randy attempts this in "[[Recap/SouthParkS3E8TwoGuysNakedInAHotTub Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub]]", when trying to discuss whether or not watching another guy masturbate would make you gay. This merely drives the other men in wanting to kick this "friend"'s ass, until Randy mentions he lives in Florida.
** In "[[Recap/SouthParkS3E16AreYouThereGodItsMeJesus Are You There God? It's Me, Jesus]]", Stan is anxious to [[ItMakesSenseInContext get his period because his friends already have.]] He tells Chef that he has this friend who is upset because everyone already got their period. When Chef asks if he means his sister Shelly or his girlfriend Wendy, Stan says the identity of the person is irrelevant. He then talks to Dr. Mephesto about puberty and asks what happens if someone never went through it. Mephesto wants to know who never went through puberty, so Stan tells him his dad. He explains that's why he's there as his dad is too embarrassed to show up; Dr. Mephesto says he can't blame him.
* This happens in ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower''. On one occasion Reggie uses this on Tito, who thinks she's talking about somebody he knows, keeps asking about her and tells Reggie to give his regards.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'' (Pregnant Pause), [[MistakenForPregnant Beavis thinks he's pregnant]] and tells Butthead he knows this guy who wants to know what it's like to have babies.
-->'''Butt-Head:''' What a dork.\\
'''Beavis:''' Yeah, he's a real dumbass.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', after Zapp Brannigan's [[OfCorsetsFunny girdle breaks under the pressure of gravity]]: "Let me ask you a serious question, Leela: Does the company that made your bra make a girdle as well? I ask because a friend of mine..."

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/DragonTales'', Emmy accidentally breaks Wheezie's trumpet and asks Quetzal about a hypothetical situation in which a mouse with a red ribbon in her hair broke something that belonged to a two-headed turtle. Quetzal isn't fooled for a moment.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/PeterRabbit'' episode "The Tale of the Mystery Plum Thief", Peter tells his mother that he has a friend who is having trouble stealing a plum from Mr [=McGregor=]'s garden. She replies that his friend shouldn't be doing anything that dangerous.
* ''WesternAnimation/PlanetSheen'': While he isn't exactly asking for advice, Sheen uses the "friend" excuse when he's trying to explain a the concept of a crush to ''his'' crush Aseefa.
--> '''Sheen:''' Let's say I like a girl. Not ''me''. My friend, named "I."
* In ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'', Booster tries this when asking for advice on love in "Plasma Monster".

-->'''[=SpongeBob=]''': This is getting a little out of hand. All I did was throw a peanut. I didn't mean to make the oyster cry. I just wanted to see it perform spectacular stunts! Aw, everyone's gonna ''hate'' me! I-I need some advice! Now let's see now, who could never hate me no matter what I do? [''Cut to [=SpongeBob=] knocking on Squidward's door''] Squidward? Squidward! Oh, Squidward!\\

'''Squidward''': (''eagerly'') You know the guy who did it?!\\
'''[=SpongeBob=]''': [''[[BigGulp Gulps!]]'']\\

(''Squidward slams the door in [=SpongeBob=]'s face'')
* ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'': When Sofia tells her Mom that one of her friends is being bullied by a fliegel, Miranda assumes the "friend" is Sofia herself. Sofia explains it's one of her troll friends.

* The ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode "[[Recap/HeyArnoldS3E45HelgaBlabsItAllHaroldTheButcher Harold the Butcher]]" has Harold shoplifting a ham from Green Meats, ruining it in the process. When he is brought to [[InformedJudaism Rabbi Goldberg]] to confess stealing the ham from Mr. Green, Goldberg tells him a story about someone from his childhood who stole a vest from a tailor shop and had to work there for a period of time to learn how much work it takes to produce such a product and run a business. This friend may or may not have been Goldberg himself, but it eventually gives him the idea that Harold [[WorkOffTheDebt works at the butcher shop for an entire week to pay off the ham]].
* ''Franchise/TheLoudHouse''
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Subverted in "Teacher's Union". Lincoln goes to his sister Lori for advice on how to hook up a friend with a girl. Lori thinks that Lincoln has a crush on a girl, but in reality he is really trying to pair up two of his teachers.
** Lynn tries this in "Hurl, Interrupted", where she asks Clyde for advice on how to deal with her fear of barfing. However, when he points out he doesn't deal with hypotheticals, she admits it's ''herself'' who's afraid of barfing, not her friend.
** Subverted again in the ''WesternAnimation/TheCasagrandes'' episode "The Horror-Scope!", in which Lincoln asks Ronnie Anne for advice about a friend who has a crush on a girl, both of whom are in a long-distance relationship. Since she's just received a prediction about finding love that day, she thinks he's about to confess his feelings for her until he clarifies he was talking about his actual friend Rusty.
* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'': One sketch has Stretch Armstrong in sex ed class. When the teacher opens the floor for questions, he asks if it's normal for a penis to get stretched out and stringy (like the doll). When he sees the look of shock on the teacher's face, he quickly declares that his ''friend'' asked him, and he was like, "No way."
* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': After challenging a robotic driver to a race, Launchpad tries to do this when asking Gyro for help. He claims to have a friend named "Not Launchpad" who challenged a robot to a race, and "Not Launchpad" isn't worried at all, but "Not Launchpad" has a friend named "Launchpad" who ''is'' worried about it. Gyro (who witnessed the challenge in the first place) doesn't care enough to either play along or call him out, and simply delegates the conversation to his intern.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'': In "[[Recap/RecessS4E15GusAndMisdemeanors Gus and Misdemeanors]]", Gus tells T.J. that he has a friend named "Russ" who stole from Mr. Kelso. T.J. sees right through it, but he plays along and suggests that "Russ" should confess to what he did, or else he will have to deal with the guilt for the rest of his life. When he sees Gus confessing to Mr. Kelso and having an ice cream after promising never to steal again, T.J. says "Good job, Russ."

'''Marie:''' She ''strongly'' inferred it. Like, 'doctor, 'my friend' suffers from erectile dysfunction.' Please, come on already.

''[{{beat}}]''\\

-->'''Henry:''' See them face to face, just spit it out. Say 'I'm a lesbian.'\\

'''Henry:''' Say 'Mum and Dad, I'm a muff-muncher. I, er, I like shagging other women! So damn the lot of you!'\\

** Played with in one instance when Frasier does this to a woman he's chatting up. He's trying to do it for Niles, who's been having no luck talking to any of the women at a party, but the woman Frasier's talking to assumes it's this, and tells him she'd be delighted to go out with his "friend".

* ''Series/{{My Babysitters a Vampire}}'': The little girl from the vampire councils asks Dirk for an autograph and then sheepishly says it's "for a friend".

-->'''Kardashian''' I think... I mean, well... one thing they were wondering is about Nicole's blood. How it got in your Bronco.
-->'''O.J.''' How the hell do I know? How the hell do I know, Bobby? The police. Faye's Colombian friends. I don't know.
-->'''Kardashian''' Yeah, but it's everywhere. Nicole's house, the Bronco, your driveway, your socks. It...
-->'''O.J.''' And this is ''them'' asking?
-->'''Kardashian''' Yeah. This is them asking.

-->'''Melania:''' Hello, Michael, it’s Melania.\\

''[Kirk makes a "YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe" face]''\\
'''Spock:''' ''[looking as smug as possible for a Vulcan]'' Enjoy yourself, Captain.

* ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'':
--->'''Dick:''' I have this friend... whose brother Harry is a much better artist than he is.\\
'''Mary:''' Ah, so this is about you and Harry.\\
'''Dick:''' Am I that transparent?
** In another episode, Don stole one of Sally's panties while she was doing laundry. He tried using this trope:
--->'''Don:''' It's, uh, it's another case. A robbery.\\
'''Sally:''' What'd the guy steal, Don?\\
'''Don:''' Um, money -- money from a beautiful bank teller -- [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial not you]]. She was folding this stack of bills because she's a teller, see?\\
'''Sally:''' Yeah, I got it, she's a teller.\\
'''Don:''' And so when she turned her back from the bills, he just... had to touch them.\\
'''Sally:''' Why'd he do that, Don?\\
'''Don:''' Because he wanted to be near her. Vicariously, you know. And when she came back, he was so ashamed that he just [[SayingTooMuch shoved the underwear in his pocket!]] ''[beat]'' The money! The money! He shoved the money in his underwear. IN HIS POCKET!

-->'''Brian:''' ''[after finding out that his new mechanic, Budd, is hiding something about his past]'' Hey, Roy, let me ask you something. If you knew somebody who had some sort of incident in their past, what would you--\\
'''Roy:''' ''[becoming nervous]'' What are you looking at me like that for? What did you find out? Damn it, those records were supposed to be sealed! Don't you believe in a fresh start? ''[walks away, leaving Brian dumbfounded]''

* Played straight in the Prefab Sprout song 'Lions in My Own Garden' which features the lyric 'I've got this friend who thinks he's in love with you/ And it wouldn't sum it up to say he's singing the blues'.

* Music/TheCivilWars' "I've Got This Friend". A man and a woman sing a duet in which each one assures the other they know the perfect "friend" to fix the other person up with. The implication is that both of them are actually talking about themselves but are too TwiceShy to admit it.

* Music/{{CHVRCHES}}' "Asking For A Friend" doesn't even try to hide who the friend is.
-->''But if I can't let go, will you carry me home?\\
Can we celebrate the end? I'm asking for a friend''

'''Doctor (unfazed):''' No problem; take off your pants and let's have a look at this friend of yours.

-->'''Miss Piggy:''' "I have this friend, who is absolutely devastating. But she has this itty-bitty weight problem..."

* Bridget Christie on ''Radio/TheNowShow'': "Now I have this close personal friend, who is very similar to me in many ways. We're the same age, we both have size six feet, that sort of thing. [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial But she is absolutely not me.]] So what happened to this other woman was..."

* In the Creator/GilbertAndSullivan play ''Theatre/{{Ruddigore}}'' two characters sing of their unspoken love for each other in third person by asking the other for advice on what their "friend" who is in love ought to do.
* Played both ways in Chekhov's ''Theatre/UncleVanya'', where Sonia, in love with Astrov, asks him "Tell me, doctor, if I had a friend or a younger sister, and if you knew that she, well--loved you, what would you do?", he says he couldn't love her because he doesn't love anyone; later when Yelena tells him outright that Sonia is in love with him, he assumes she's making use of this trope, and confesses how much he loves Yelena.

* In ''Theatre/MeasureForMeasure'', Angelo tries this on Isabel, suggesting that someone who might be able to reverse her brother's death sentence if she gave up her virtue to ... this someone.
* ''La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein'' combines this with ObliviousToLove: the Grand Duchess is in love with Fritz, but tries to convince him that her declarations of love are from a friend of hers. Fritz takes it at face value, but is confused by the multiple allusions the Duchess uses, so in the end she thinks he's gotten the message and is now aware of her feelings for him (he isn't).
* In ''Theatre/SheLovesMe'', Georg talks about "Dear Friend" as a chance acquaintance of his when consoling Amalia after the Cafe Imperiale fiasco.
* In ''Theatre/DogInAManger'' by Lope de Vega the two main characters (a countess and her secretary) exchange letters supposedly meant for the countess' friend to express their feelings for each other.
* In ''Theatre/TheLittleFoxes'', Oscar tells Ben that, while Horace might ultimately be unwilling to put up his share of the money, "Leo's got a friend" with bonds worth $88,000 that he'd kindly lend until he needs to look at them again in about five months. Oscar has to discreetly warn Leo about not letting out that these bonds are actually Horace's and will be lifted straight out of his safe-deposit box.

* In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'', after procuring the relics the Monastery wants, you can drop in to chat with Abbot Hugo, who tells you of this... acquaintance... he has, who happens to be a HenpeckedHusband. He begs you to discreetly acquire a bottle of wine for "his" problem. Hugo, however, is considerably less than adept at concealing this.
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'', in an area that is essentially TheThemeParkVersion of Mexico, you might run into [[http://kol.coldfront.net/thekolwiki/index.php/La_Farmacia_de_Sueños a pharmacy]] where the worker informs you that you need a bigger weapon. You take offense at the implication, but...
-->'''You''': But, y'know, I think my friend was talking about how he wanted his weapon bigger the other day. Maybe I'll pick up some for him.\\
'''Pharmacist''': Certainly, amigo. I hope you -- I mean, your friend will enjoy them.\\
You acquire an item: [[BlandNameProduct Meleegra]][[TradeSnark ™]] pills
* Stocke from ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria'' runs into someone asking for advice in this manner. [[spoiler:It's Raynie, asking about love issues. Specifically, her love for him.]] He instantly finds out what's going on, though the details caught him off guard.
* In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', one of the "services" James Garret of the Atomic Wrangler asks you to find is a {{Sexbot}}, which he insists is for those disgusting machine fetishists. When you get him one, his reaction is nothing short of the best day of his life, thinking about the [[{{Squick}} the possibilities]] and how he'll learn about F.I.S.T.O. via trial and error. For the customers of course!
* In ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', Byakuya Togami, in his final Free Time Event, tells of a certain person who could only live by lying to himself and the entire world, which, for him, essentially is [[spoiler:admitting to being the Ultimate Imposter, and not the real Byakuya Togami]]. Hajime suspects that Byakuya is talking about himself, but tells him that it's up to him whether he wants to tell him the entire story.
* In ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII'', one of the side quests involves a man named Armand who tells Lightning of a friend of his who was a journalist whose stories of corruption drove an innocent victim to suicide, as he had been wrong, and in fact the individual in question was not corrupt. Lightning has to visit him over three days and on the final day he admits the truth: ''he'' was the journalist who did this.
-->'''Armand:''' I apologize. I've been lying to you this entire time. I had no such friend. The reporter, the one who killed the innocent woman... That was me.\\
'''Lightning:''' I had a feeling. The way you've been telling the story...seems to be hitting a little too close to home.

-->'''Peanut:''' So, say there was a girl. Let's call her... Jam. Jam is thinking of cutting her hair short. Or growing it longer. Or... leaving it exactly the same. What sort of input would you give Jam on that kind of life choice?
* In ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'', one of the pre-battle lines between Reinhardt, a warrior in heavy armor, and D.Va, a [[UsefulNotes/ProfessionalGaming professional gamer]], has the former asking the latter for an autograph ''totally'' not because he wants one.
-->'''Reinhardt:''' I was wondering if you'd sign something for me? It's, [[HesitationEqualsDishonesty ahem]], it's for a friend.\\
'''D.Va:''' Of course, here you go! Love, D.Va.
* ''VisualNovel/IkemenSengoku'' has a variant in Hideyoshi's route where the main character doesn't try to hide from Mitsuhide that she's the one who needs advice but she does try to hide from him that it's Hideyoshi who's the source of her love-related problems. Mitsuhide isn't fooled for a moment.
-->'''MC:''' So there's this guy...\\
'''Mitsuhide:''' [[DeadpanSnarker I can't possibly imagine who that might be.]]
* In ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' during the Miami level, [[ItMakesSenseInContext one of the obtainable disguises]] is [[GoofySuit a ridiculous flamingo suit]], which 47 can feel free to wear wherever if the player so chooses. If you choose to "blend in" and sit down next to a random bodyguard while wearing it, he'll ask about it as things go in an... interesting direction.
-->'''Guard''': Do you, you know, get to use it at home? For parties and things like that I mean.\\
'''47''': No.\\
'''Guard''': Right, right. I, eh, I have a friend that is into [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom that sort of thing]]. Cosplay, assuming imaginary identities. He says it's very liberating. Takes him out of the stress of everyday life and work, you know?\\
'''47''': [[TheComicallySerious Not really]].\\
'''Guard''': Yeah, I guess it's different when you do it for a living. How's the pay?\\
'''47''': Sufficient.\\
'''Guard''': Nice! Okay, good talk.

%%* And ''Tang's Weekly Comic'' offers up [[http://tang.comicgenesis.com/d/19981206.html this one]], which uses the trope ''twice''.
* ''Webcomic/QueenOfWands'' subverted this when [[http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20031231.html Kestrel asked her friend Shannon for advice]]. The [[DVDCommentary commentary track]] points out that [[http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20051008.html this happens a fair bit]]. A similar scenario played out on ''Series/That70sShow'' when Kelso saw Hyde cheat on Jackie, and went to Donna for advice.
* [[Franchise/HarryPotter Draco Malfoy]] doesn't even get to say what his hypothetical brother's question was before Lucius says he'd kill him in a [[http://ktshy.deviantart.com/art/Simply-Potterific-16-29185449 Simply Potterific strip]]. This is part of an existing arc where Draco sees Hermione at the Yule Ball and falls for her, as referenced by the author underneath the comic (and can be seen [[http://ktshy.deviantart.com/art/Simply-Potterific-14-28325563?q=gallery%3Aktshy%2F642792&qo=13 here]] and [[http://ktshy.deviantart.com/art/Simply-Potterific-15-28644730?q=gallery%3Aktshy%2F642792&qo=14 here]]). So the question Draco was going to ask would be 'what if his hypothetical brother fell for a muggleborn girl'. That said, the [[http://ktshy.deviantart.com/art/Simply-Potterific-20-32407999 follow up comic]] already mentioned could be taken to read either way (of Lucius suspecting Draco of being gay or of being a muggle lover).
* In ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}'', after [[BedmateReveal waking up in bed with]] Vashiel, a hangover, and no memories of the previous night, Ash asks her dad (a gynecologist) how one could hypothetically tell if a woman was a virgin. For a "friend" at school who was curious.

'''Ari:''' ''[Incredibly detailed summary of her most recent character arc.]''

* In [[http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=1229 one strip]] of ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics'', T-Rex does this ''retroactively'' -- after saying something embarrassing, he later claims that he was "pretending to be a friend of his" when he said it.

* ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'': In [[http://www.housepetscomic.com/2013/03/08/too-late-to-think/ this strip]] Fox asks his cousin Bailey about a hypothetical dog with a romance problem, but she in turn cuts straight to the chase and tells him to just go ahead and hook up with the object of his newly discovered affections.
* ''Webcomic/DumbingOfAge'':
** Joyce [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/bestfriend/ tries to explain to Dorothy]] how "her best friend" has been dating a gay guy to "help" him and hide from her own sexuality, only to learn ''her'' best friend is a lesbian.
--->'''Dorothy:''' Your best friend's ''best friend'' is a lesbian.\\
'''Joyce:''' Yeah. NO OKAY I HEAR IT NOW LET'S START OVER.
** Joyce does this ''again'' when she accompanies Ethan to his group meet for people who are questioning their sexuality to be supportive. She [[http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/04-walking-with-dina/meetup/ asks the group leader for information she can take home to Becky]], then immediately realises how this sounds and starts DiggingHerselfDeeper by insisting that no, really, she ''does'' have this friend...

* In ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'', when Renee learns Beepatrice tests sex toys her reaction is "Oh, nice! What's the best sex toy for a vagina-haver? I'm asking for a friend, [[SubvertedTrope who is me]]."
* In ''Webcomic/IWantToBeACuteAnimeGirl'', when Cheryl first 'appears', so to speak, her dad sits down for a talk, and she briefly pretends to be a stranger in order to ask about, well, Charon. Obviously in this case, it's just a veneer so that they feel more comfortable hashing things out.

* Inverted in WebVideo/RhettAndLink's ''The Surrogate Sharers'' series, in which they confess having done something themselves on another's behalf.
-->"If somebody sent you this video, maybe you should sit down."

-->'''Randy:''' ''[drunkenly]'' I have this... friend and his name is Ran-Randy and... Well, let's just say Randy has to sleep with 248 men in the past six days so he can get the past six days so he can get the cash to pay his rent and now he's considering shooting himself in the mouth with a gun he found in an alleyway.
* A purported example from real life (debunked by ''WebSite/{{Snopes}}'' [[http://www.snopes.com/military/amputee.asp here]], hence the reclassification of this entry from "Real Life") is a soldier telling his parents about his crippling injuries as if they happened to "a friend" he wants to bring home with him. When his parents say they can't possibly care for this friend, [[DrivenToSuicide he commits suicide]]. Somehow, this is supposed to [[BrokenAesop make the soldier look noble]], even though he didn't reveal the whole truth about his condition. While it's still very broken, the idea seems to be that if he'd told them the truth they'd have felt obliged to look after him, so he uses the "friend" story to find out what they ''really'' think. Which doesn't work, for the reasons Snopes gives.
* In the ''WebVideo/SuperMarioLogan'' episode, "The Couch!", Franchise/{{Shrek}} tells Mario about his ogre friend "Hrek" and his not-so-ogre friend "Honkey" to break the news to Mario that he ate expired cheesecake against his wishes and [[PottyFailure accidentally pooped on the couch]].
* ''WebVideo/{{Unraveled}}'' has this happen in "When Can Mario Retire?", where Brian David Gilbert, after being surprised at how old Mario would have to be, starts plugging in "random numbers" for "hypothetical reasons" It becomes very clear, very quickly, that those "random numbers" are ''his'' income level and job situation--and he seems deeply, personally shocked when those "random numbers" say that Brian--er, Mario would have to work for 88 years to save up enough money and retire.
* In the ''WebVideo/{{OddTube}}'' episode "Interview with Olive", Olympia is interviewing Olive over the phoen and listing ten questions for her to answer. At the end of the interview, Olympia tells Olive that she has a friend who wants tips on how to be more like her. Olive, being someone who's worked with Olympia before, doesn't buy it for a second.

'''Olympia:''' ''[to the camera]'' Busted.

-->'''Girl:''' ''[after taking a bite]'' Thanks, I needed that.\\

* In ad for [=CarMax=], a guy asks if they will buy a purple van with a wizard painted on it and a unicorn sneezing rainbows. He says he's asking for a friend, except he himself is [[ImplausibleDeniability the only other person there with said van.]]

* In ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'', Kaguya and Shirogane seek advice from Kashiwagi and Ishigami, respectively, after an incident that happened while Shirogane was visiting a sick Kaguya. Both of them claim to be asking on behalf of a friend, but neither of the people they speak with is fooled. Ishigami lampshades it by saying that Shirogane is probably asking about himself, while Kashiwagi also realizes that Kaguya's asking about herself but doesn't say anything — until she accidentally switches to "you" and Kaguya doesn't notice.
** Then about hundred chapters later, Kaguya (Ice) (a part of Kaguya's personality who displays BrutalHonesty) tells Kashiwagi she won't use the "I have a friend" excuse since Kashiwagi would see though it.
** Averted in chapter 193: later when Shirogane seek advice from Maki for Iino's situation. Since he specified the friend is in previous year and Maki knows Shirogane's love life is clearly not what he describes, she figures it's Iino — Shirogane had no interest in hiding her identity, but didn't know Maki knew Iino.
** Variant in chapter 233: Kaguya explains a situation to Shirogane using random names rather than specifying which of their closest common friends — [[spoiler:Iino and Ishigami]] — are involved.
* Chapter 61 of ''Manga/TheQuintessentialQuintuplets'' has a two-way example. First, Fuutarou tells Miku that "a guy he knows" just got a LoveConfession from a girl who said she didn't want an answer, and he's completely dumbfounded about it. Miku isn't fooled and giggles, but then immediately tells him that "someone she knows" wanted to confess to a boy she liked, but chickened off at the last second. [[spoiler:Later chapters strongly hint that he ''did'' realize she was talking about herself, and he was that boy she wanted to confess to]].

* ''Anime/{{Oresuki}}'': During the BeachEpisode, Joro runs into Sasanqua, who uses this trope to ask him how to approach and apologize to him, since she's ashamed of bullying him due to some gossip that was later proven false (and turns out she too has a crush on him).
* ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'': When judging an amateurish bento on quality vs. effort, Tomita poses a hypothetical of him receiving a hand-knitted sweater and Okamura receiving a bookstore gift certificate for 10,000 yen. Keiichi notes how specific the scenario is and wonders if it's really just an example.
* ''Manga/CrossplayLoveOtakuXPunk'': [[{{Crossdresser}} Hanae and Shuumei]] ask their friends Shimazaki and Yuzuru what a girl would give someone to show her gratitude (hypothetically, of course). Both tell their friend "a kiss on the cheek".

* In one ''ComicBook/GreenLantern''/''ComicBook/GreenArrow'' story, the famous anti-drugs VerySpecialEpisode, Speedy responds to Green Lantern wondering why anyone would use drugs by giving the hypothetical example of a young man whose father figure neglects him to go "[chasing] around the country." Which the heroes have, of course, been doing. Green Arrow is contemptuous of this hypothetical "sob story"... and then walks in on Speedy, his own surrogate son, shooting up.
-->'''Green Arrow:''' Oh, dear God! You ''are'' on drugs! You're really a junkie?\\
'''Speedy:''' Who ''else'' did you think I was talking about?
* In ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'', Secret lays out the situation involving a (male) friend whose mother is about to be executed for murder to all her friends to get their opinions on whether it would be wrong to break her out of jail. Robin understands right away that she's talking about her own father, and so does (surprisingly) Slobo.
* In ''ComicBook/TheIntimates'', Punchy suspects that one of his classmates is suicidal, but isn't positive just who it is. So when he tries to tell a guidance counselor about it, he vaguely alludes to someone who is "''not'' me, okay?" The counselor naturally assumes Punchy is talking about himself.

* ''ComicBook/ForgottenRealms'': Priam Agrivar, a recovering alcoholic, tells the halfling Foxy Cardluck a story about "a friend" who struggles with alcoholism. He does this to commiserate with Foxy, having deduced that Foxy is similarly struggling with a past addiction to [[FantasticDrug "cheeeese"]], and to assure him that if he needs help, his friends will be there for him.

* In ''FanFic/AllYouNeedIsLove'', [[Manga/DeathNote Light]] calls an informal meeting with L and Naomi Misora to tell them that [[SecretIdentity Kira]] texted him for advice in the case of say he might have uh, "misplaced" [[ArtifactOfDoom a Death Note]]... [[HilarityEnsues so what should we do about it?]]

* "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/44950582/ Disrespect Authority]]": Ginny uses this in a relatively roundabout way to help Harry when he's having trouble with Snape's Occlumency lessons. Since Dumbledore has already decided that the lessons from Snape are needed, Ginny approaches [=McGonagall=] to explain that she's asking for help on behalf of a friend who's having trouble with extra classes assigned by a professor. Ginny's reasoning is that [=McGonagall=] will assume she's asking on behalf of a friend in her year rather than Harry and bring it to Dumbledore's attention, forcing Dumbledore to basically acknowledge that he wouldn't ask any ''other'' student to be in Harry's position so it's unfair that Harry gets singled out for something else he doesn't want.
* ''FanFic/FairyDanceOfDeath'' plays with this. Yoshihara says that a friend of hers used to date [[spoiler:Prophet]]. Asuna thinks this trope is in effect. Kirito thinks she might be telling the truth. [[spoiler:They might both be right. While Yoshihara isn't Prophet's former girlfriend, the girl who is, Philia, serves as her body double. It's never outright stated if the Yoshihara they talked to was actually Philia in disguise or not, but it is implied.]]

* In ''FanFic/HuntingTheUnicorn,'' this is PlayedForDrama in "The Butterfly" (chapter thirteen). David goes to a counselor, claiming that a friend of his might be in trouble. He literally ''does'' have a friend in trouble. It's Blaine, who has no idea that [[spoiler:he has a stalker]].

** ''Fanfic/IHaveThisFriend'' calls out this trope by name in its title. Twilight asks Celestia for some romantic advice -- specifically, about her friend's romantic feelings for another mare. A regal, elegant mare who is well respected in Canterlot society. Twilight's friend doesn't want to cause her any trouble, you see. It doesn't take long for Celestia to cotton on to what's going on, and she encourages Twilight to come clean about her feelings. [[spoiler:{{Inverted|Trope}} at the end; Twilight really was asking for a friend, specifically whether or not Applejack should ask out Rarity. Not that she ever tells Celestia, who is left wondering just what romantic move Twilight is going to make.]]

** The I-really-am-asking-for-a-friend variant happens ''twice'' over the course of ''[[FanFic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse To Cherilee with Love]]''. In the first case, Sweetie Bell has a crush on Cherilee. After she asks Dinky Doo for help, Dinky asks her mom for help in turn. Unfortunately, Ditzy Doo doesn't realize that Dinky really is asking on behalf of a friend, and thinks that Dinky's confessing to a crush on her teacher. And while she knows that Cherilee would never encourage such a crush, Trixie has been teaching Dinky magic, and Trixie is known to love people's attention and adoration. So she flies out to confront Trixie. The ensuing argument ends with Dinky convinced that Trixie wasn't encouraging Dinky to have a crush on her, but it also ends with Trixie convinced that Dinky ''has'' a crush on her. And that's where round two comes in. Trixie goes to ask Lyra for help, but fails to specify exactly who she's talking about, only mentioning that "a unicorn" has a crush on "her teacher". Naturally, Lyra assumes that Trixie's confessing to a crush on the one who taught ''her''--Princess Luna. To make matters worse, Lyra shares this conclusion with the Princess. HilarityEnsues.

* ''FanFic/TheOneToMakeItStay'': Marinette uses this in order to talk to her mother about how Chat Noir has been [[DoggedNiceGuy doggedly pursuing her]] despite her attempts to discourage him.

* In ''FanFic/{{Pretender}}'' when Chrom asks how the Shepherds are handling [[spoiler:Emmeryn's death]], Frederick tells Chrom that morale is at an all-time low, not all Shepherds are handling the events well and should an eye watched out for them.

* {{Inverted|Trope}} in ''FanFic/ThisNearlyWasMine'', when Frederic admits to Octavia that he's in love with a friend, and describes her as a beautiful, talented mare that he lost to somepony else because he was too afraid to speak up. In this case, ''Octavia'' is the friend (and she's currently dating Vinyl Scratch), but she never realizes this.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7709344/3/Stricken-Principles-of-Lust Stricken: Principles of Lust]]'' Harry writes to Hermione asking for advice for "this girl in the restaurant of the inn" who's pregnant and doesn't know how to tell the father.
* Inverted in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/23908072/chapters/57973972#workskin Outfoxed]]''. Alya tells Kagami about how she and Nino are both bisexual and are in an open relationship, with both having interests in sides partners. She also tells Kagami how it might be easier for the two of them if the couple were interested in the same person. Kagami figures out that Alya is convincing her to talk to Marinette and Adrien about entering a [[{{Polyamory}} polycule]] with them if they are as interested in her romantically as she is with them.

'''Abu:''' ''[confused squeak]''\\

'''Abu:''' ''[annoyed chittering]''\\

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'': After Kovu's banishment, Timon and Pumbaa attempt to 'hypothetically' explain to Simba that Kiara ran off alone ... but Simba sees right through it.

'''Timon:''' ''[screams]'' Good question. Uh, let me ask you one.\\

'''Timon:''' No, no, he's not a lion. Yeesh, ''definitely'' not a lion. ''[stammers]'' And his daughter, say... vanished?\\

* In the ''Literature/{{Franklin}}'' film ''Back to School With Franklin'', Franklin Turtle uses this, telling his parents that Bear has reservations about Miss Koala as the replacement teacher for Mr. Owl. Really the one who isn't so sure about her because she had made him switch seats away from his best friend for goofing off and also took away a decorated pencil case he had brought to school.

* Used to some extent in ''Film/SpiderMan2'' to his doctor. Who is most certainly not a psychiatrist, or for that matter a psychologist. What's worse, Peter starts out talking about his actual experiences as, "I've had these dreams where I'm Spider-Man". And then says that it was actually his ''friend's'' dream. The doctor clearly catches on that the "friend" is really Peter (though he doesn't say anything), but mistakes the ''reason'' for why he's doing the routine. Peter is trying to hide the fact that he ''is'' Spider-Man; the doctor thinks he's embarrassed about the dreams.
* Parodied in ''Film/AnalyzeThis'', where Paul Vitti attempts to use this to describe his problem to Dr. Ben Sobel, who immediately sees through this. When he calls Paul out, Paul is impressed thinking that it showed that he was a skilled psychologist, and not that he was paper transparent.
** Also when Paul is transparently using this to explain his problems to his henchman Jelly, Jelly anxiously asks, "This friend- is it me?"
* Used in ''Film/IfTheseWallsCouldTalk'', where Creator/DemiMoore's pregnant 1950s widow asks a neighbor and a coworker where "a friend" could get a safe abortion.
* Subverted in ''Film/CabinFever''. [[MsFanservice Brunette bombshell Marcy]] is stuck in a remote cabin where some of her friends have caught a fatal flesh-eating disease and describes it ''[[SarcasmMode hypothetically]]'' as "like being on a plane that's about to crash. And all you'd want to do is grab the person sitting next to you and [[GreatWayToGo f--k the s--t out of 'em, because you're about to die, anyway.]]" Immediately cut to a shot of her literally grabbing the incredulous guy sitting next to her, throwing him down on the bed, and riding him like there's no tomorrow.

* Creator/KevinKline's character in ''Film/InAndOut'' goes to a confessional booth:
-->'''Father Tim:''' Are you Catholic?\\
'''Howard:''' I have a friend who is... but he's very busy.

* Heartwrenchingly executed in ''Film/SleepingWithTheEnemy'' after Laura leaves her husband. An older lady strikes up a conversation on the bus; Laura says she was visiting a friend who needed help escaping from abusive husband to explain her trip. After telling the older woman how her "friend" couldn't get the cops to help and finally risked everything to get away, the old woman whispers "How long did you stay with him?" which Laura knows exactly, to the day.

'''Selina Kyle:''' ''[annoyed]'' You were supposed to be a shut-in.\\

* ''Film/{{Austenland}}'': While Jane and [[spoiler:Nobley]] watch two other characters kiss in the distance, Jane and he discuss whether the other two are having a short-term fling or starting something more lasting; of course, they are really talking about themselves. Jane reuses one of the exact phrases from this dialogue later in the movie, applied to herself of course.
* ''Film/TheCommuter'': Michael's search for Prynne eventually leads to him sitting down with Tony and Jackson and using this to provide an outline of the situation, asking what they'd do partially to test their reactions and partially to see what they'd say.
* Shaggy in ''Film/ScoobyDooCurseOfTheLakeMonster'' -- he tells Fred and Daphne he has this friend, "Scruffy", who has a crush on a girl etc., etc. Of course, he is talking about himself having a crush on Velma.
* Inverted in ''Film/GingerSnaps'', where Brigitte tells Sam that she's the one who's turning into a werewolf in order to find out how to treat her sister Ginger's transformation. Sam eventually catches on, however, with it being implied that he knew all along.

* ''Film/TheMiracleOfMorgansCreek'': When Trudy and Emmy discuss with the family lawyer Trudy's problem - she's pregnant and married, but by and to a soldier whose name she doesn't remember - they use this trope. Unusually, the lawyer doesn't see through the ruse. Later, when Trudy and Emmy are discussing her situation while walking down the street, Emmy insists on using this trope.
* ''Film/DearZindagi'': During her first session Kaira pretends that she's in Goa to help out a friend struggling with guy problems and her job. Once she starts all the details come rushing out. Jug immediately clocks that Kaira's friend is made up and these are actually her problems but humors her for a bit.

* In the Literature/MissMarple short story collection ''Literature/TheThirteenProblems'', the actress Jane Heiler tells Miss Marple and a number of other guests at a dinner party about a strange thing that had happened to a "friend" of hers. Everyone at the party immediately assumes this trope, figuring that it was something that had happened to Jane herself. [[spoiler: They were half-right. Jane was the actress in the story, but it wasn't about something that ''had'' happened to her, but something she was going to do. She was planning to commit the crime described, and her story was a TrialBalloonQuestion to see if Miss Marple could figure it out.]]

* In one of the ''[[Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection Girls Of Many Lands]]'' books, the protagonist learns that foreign men are looking for girls to take to the Ottoman Empire as wives for rich men, and that they're willing to offer money to the families (it's actually a cover for [[MadeASlave the slave trade]], but she doesn't recognize that). She approaches them and asks what they would pay for a girl similar to her, as she has a friend much like herself who is interested. The men agree to give her the money to pass along to her "friend", understanding that she is actually referring to herself.

* In the medieval RomanceNovel "''Enchanted''", the heroine tells her husband that a "friend" of hers was raped to explain her fears of consummating their marriage. Only after they finally do make love does she admit that there was no friend and that it's she who was assaulted.
* In the children's picture book ''Bubble & Squeak'', the young mouse Bubble attributes all of her childish fears of things like the dark and monsters to her baby sister, Squeak, saying that she's a big girl. Her mother then asks what they could do to help Squeak not be so afraid of those things and suggests that that Bubble do them to test them out.
* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': In ''Shards of Honor'', Aral and Cordelia each talk about painful romantic events that happened to "a friend". (Aral's "friend" fought [[DuelToTheDeath duels to the death]] with his wife's lovers, after which she killed herself; Cordelia's gave up a promotion to her lover, who promised her marriage and children but left her afterwards.) It's obvious to both of them that they're talking about themselves.
* Xeo tries this on Lady Arete in ''Literature/GatesOfFire''. She sees through it immediately, but plays along out of respect for Xeo's predicament and his clear embarrassment over the situation.

* In ''FanFic/HuntingTheUnicorn,'' this is PlayedForDrama in "The Butterfly" ([[ThirteenIsUnlucky chapter thirteen]]). David goes to a counselor, claiming that a friend of his might be in trouble. He literally ''does'' have a friend in trouble. It's Blaine, who has no idea that [[spoiler:he has a stalker]].

* One episode of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' did the ''Tale of Two Cities'' inversion: While Turk is insisting there's nothing wrong with him, Molly asks him to diagnose one of her patients, listing the same symptoms he's been displaying. Turk instantly realises the "patient" has diabetes.

* Often used by Akko in ''Manga/GirlFriends'' when she tries to discuss her love woes with her friends, without giving away they are about her and another girl, Mari. The last time she used this is especially hilarious since she placed herself in the boyfriend of the friend role, leading to this exchange:

* ''LightNovel/{{Oresuki}}'': During the BeachEpisode, Joro runs into Sasanqua, who uses this trope to ask him how to approach and apologize to him, since she's ashamed of bullying him due to some gossip that was later proven false (and turns out she too has a crush on him).

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', Angelica does this with Tommy after her parents tell her they'll be having another baby, causing her to worry that she won't get as much attention. Tommy's reply: [[ComicallyMissingThePoint "Well, at least it's happening to your friend and not to you!"]] Soon after, Tommy's mom knows about the news and tells Angelica about it. Tommy finds it an amazing coincidence both Angelica and her "friend"'s parents are having a baby.

'''Crusher:''' "It's a classic case of stress-related ailments brought on by overwork. Exhaustion, irritability, muscle spasms. Yet he insists on ignoring them.\\

'''Picard:''' Impossible.\\

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Subverted in an episode. Lincoln goes to his sister Lori for advice on how to hook up a friend with a girl. Lori thinks that Lincoln has a crush on a girl, but in reality he is really trying to pair up two of his teachers.
** Lincoln does it again in the ''WesternAnimation/TheCasagrandes'' episode "The Horror-Scope!", in which he asks Ronnie Anne for advice about a friend who has a crush on a girl, both of whom are in a long-distance relationship. Since she's just received a prediction about finding love that day, she thinks he's about to confess his feelings for her until he clarifies he was talking about his actual friend Rusty.

** Then about hundred chapters later, Ice Kaguya (a part of Kaguya's personality who displays BrutalHonesty) tells Kashiwagi she won't use the "I have a friend" excuse since Kashiwagi would see though it.
** Averted in chapter 193: later when Shirogane seek advice from Maki for Miko's situation. Since he specified the friend is in previous year and Maki knows Shirogane's love life is clearly not what he describes, she figures it's Miko — Shirogane had no interest in hiding her identity, but didn't know Maki knew Miko.
** Variant in chapter 233: Kaguya explains a situation to Shirogane using random names rather than specifying which of their closest common friends — [[spoiler:Miko and Ishigami]] — are involved.

* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'': One sketch has Stretch Armstrong in sex ed class. When the teacher opens the floor for questions, he asks if it's normal for a penis to get stretched out and stringy (like the doll). When he sees the look of shock on the teacher's face, he quickly declared that his ''friend'' asked him, and he was like, "No way."

* The ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode "[[Recap/HeyArnoldS3E45HelgaBlabsItAllHaroldTheButcher Harold the Butcher]]" has Harold shoplifting a ham from Green Meats, ruining it in the process. When he is brought to [[InformedJudiasm Rabbi Goldberg]] to confess stealing the ham from Mr. Green, Goldberg tells him a story about someone from his childhood who stole a vest from a tailor shop and had to work there for a period of time to learn how much work it takes to produce such a product and run a business. This friend may or may not have been Goldberg himself, but it eventually gives him the idea that Harold [[WorkOffTheDebt works at the butcher shop for an entire week to pay off the ham]].

* The ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode "[[Recap/HeyArnoldS3E45HelgaBlabsItAllHaroldTheButcher Harold the Butcher]]" has Harold shoplifting a ham from Green Meats, ruining it in the process. When he is brought to Rabbi Goldberg to confess stealing the ham from Mr. Green, Goldberg tells him a story about someone from his childhood who stole a vest from a tailor shop and had to work there for a period of time to learn how much work it takes to produce such a product and run a business. This friend may or may not have been Goldberg himself, but it eventually gives him the idea that Harold [[WorkOffTheDebt works at the butcher shop for an entire week to pay off the ham]].

* The ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode "[[Recap/HeyArnoldS3E45HelgaBlabsItAllHaroldTheButcher Harold the Butcher]]" has Harold shoplifting a ham from Green Meats, ruining it in the process. When he is brought to Rabbi Goldberg to confess stealing the ham from Mr. Green, Goldberg tells him a story about someone from his childhood who stole a vest from a tailor shop and had to work there for a period of time to learn how much work it takes to produce such a product and run a business. This friend may or may not have been the Rabbi himself, but it eventually gives him the idea that Harold [[WorkOffTheDebt works at the butcher shop to pay off the ham]].

* The ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode "[[Recap/HeyArnoldS3E45HelgaBlabsItAllHaroldTheButcher Harold the Butcher]]" has Harold shoplifting a ham from Green Meats, ruining it in the process. When he is brought to Rabbi Goldberg to confess stealing the ham from Mr. Green, Goldberg tells him a story about someone from his childhood who stole a vest from a tailor shop and had to work there for a period of time to learn how much work it takes to produce such a product and running a business. This friend may or may not have been the Rabbi himself, but it eventually gives him the idea that Harold [[WorkOffTheDebt works at the butcher shop to pay off the ham]].