History Main / IllNeverTellYouWhatImTellingYou

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue: Recreation'' has Sarge pulling several in a row early in the series, when trying to warn Donut, "captured" by Caboose, not to tell him about their new vehicle or hologram chamber. Of course, since this is [[RalphWiggum Caboose]] we're dealing with, nothing comes of it.

A sort of AccidentalPublicConfession, with a little SuspiciouslySpecificDenial thrown in for good measure. If the person is doing this ''deliberately'', it's CouldSayItBut. Or it could be that the villain has a gun in his face and he's a coward. If the person saying this is not a ''complete'' moron, he may follow it with "DidIJustSayThatOutLoud" Also related to YouJustToldMe. TruthSerums in fiction have been known to cause this. Compare CannotKeepASecret.

* ''RurouniKenshin'':

* In an episode early in the second season of ''KeroroGunsou'' Keroro leaves a robotic copy of himself to head the invasion so he can go to the amusment park and see the Java Risers live show. After discovering the robot Giroro presses Tamama to tell him where Keroro went and Tamama replies by saying that he'll never tell them that Keroro's at the amusment park. Later in the episode Tamama finds a candy house and assumes it's a gift from Keroro for keeping his secret (This adds on to an already established gag of Tamama not being able to keep secrets)
* ''MegamanNTWarrior'' manga:

* ''BunnyDrop''

[[folder:Comics -- Books]]
* The very first appearance of Mr. Mxyzptlk in the comic book ''{{Superman}}'' is a textbook example of this trope, when the imp declares, "Ha! You thought you could trick me into telling you that the magic word is 'Kltpzyxm'!"(poof). Also played with in the animated series:

:: ...and so on and so on...
** Eventually reached the [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome height of awesome]] when Mxyztplk showed up, screwed up, and poofed ''without Superman saying a word''. All he does is smile... and continue drinking his coffee.

[[folder:Comics -- Newspaper]]

* Calvin in ''CalvinAndHobbes'' writes Susie a ransom note for her doll, which reads:

* In a variant, the Death of ''{{Discworld}}'' once tricked a swan into singing its "swan song", a necessary prerequisite before it could die, using this trope:

* In the functional finale of ''[[BigBadBeetleborgs Beetleborgs Metallix]]'', [[spoiler: the heroes have just managed to swipe the Astral Axe, which controls one of the two HumongousMecha of the season, Boron. The one who snatched it holds the axe high, intending to summon Boron by shouting his name...nothing happens. The villains laugh at him, one of them snorting derisively about how he forgot to say "Arise," after which of course the hero repeats the incantation, giving them the key to defeating the bad guys' plot.]]

* From ''Series/{{Glee}}'', when Brittany is asking Will embarrassing questions.

* Launce, of ''TheTwoGentlemenOfVerona'', does this in monologue to the ''audience:''

* Invoked in ''BatmanArkhamAsylum'', when Harley Quinn says, regarding the Joker's location: "You'll never find him! He's in a [[spoiler: secret lab in the gardens]] and... aw, ''[[DidIJustSayThatOutLoud crap]]''!" Of course, [[CrazyPrepared Bats already knew]], so this just served as another item on the HumiliationConga she was currently going through.

* In ''SuperPaperMario'', Luigi announces that he'll never give his name to scoundrels like Count Bleck. Which he then immediately follows with "Now taste the wrath of Luigi!"

* In ''TheLegendOfZelda: TheWindWaker'', there are two girls on Windfall Island who embody this trope. They "won't" tell you anything, not even for two Rupees!
** And in ''TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'', a Goron tells you that, since you're an outsider, he shouldn't tell you that the Elder's home is right over there, in this spot on your map! (Of course, the home is a big and obvious cave anyway.)

* In ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'', Alec confronts Lucas regarding Claus's whereabouts (this is before Lucas becomes a HeroicMime). He says:

* ''Webcomic/OrderOfTheStick''

* In SuburbanKnights, AskThatGuyWithTheGlasses helpfully hands Team B a map showing the location of [[spoiler: Malacite's Hand]] after telling them that he doesn't want anyone to know its location.

* In ''AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'', Robotnic captured Tails and used him as a bargaining chip to convince Sonic to deliberately lose a race, which will have every member of a sheep race put into slavery. It works until Sonic demands Grounder (his opponent) to reveal where Tails is. Grounder responds, "You'll never find him under the arena."
* The classic in this genre: PrivateSnafu - ''Spies'', from a series of WWII training films. "Private Snafu has a military secret which he tells us he will never tell." Directed by ChuckJones, written by DrSeuss.
* This was done in a [[LooneyTunes Tweety & Sylvester]] cartoon. Sylvester had immobilized the dogs in a dog pound, and Tweety wanted to know how to break the spell. Sylvester's reply: "You expect me to tell you that the only way to wake them up is with a police whistle?"

* In an episode of ''GoofTroop'', Goofy tells a group of criminals, "I'll tell you where I live, but I'll never tell you where ''my next door neighbor'' Pete lives".
* It happened to Slushhead at least once in TheNewAdventuresOfHeMan. During a peace meeting with the Galactic Guardians, he slips the fact that the meeting is just a diversion while Skeletor and Flogg attack Primus.

* In ''{{Mother 3}}'', Alec confronts Lucas regarding Claus's whereabouts (this is before Lucas becomes a HeroicMime). He says:

* In ''{{Mother 3}}'', Alec confronts Lucas recarding Claus's whereabouts (this is before Lucas becomes a HeroicMime). He says:

* In ''Mother 3'', Alec confronts Lucas recarding Claus's whereabouts (this is before Lucas becomes a HeroicMime). He says:

* In ''EndlessFrontier'', CuteWitch (and TokenLoli) Kyon does this. A lot. Usually followed by "Oops. Now I have to kill you."

** Also happens in ''[[SonicRushSeries Sonic Rush Adventure]]''; apparently, Captain Whisker is ''that'' dumb.

'''Eggman:''' Because [[YouJustToldMe you just told me]], Fox Boy!
::: To Eggman's credit, he did know there was ''a'' fake Emerald, due to him having 6 and there being 2 more aboard the ARK (and 6+2≠7, for those who can't do math).

-->-- ''DadsArmy''

* ''OnePiece''

* ''DadsArmy'', regarding Pike's name:

* ''TheBigBangTheory'': Sheldon Cooper is absolutely unable to keep secrets.

* From ''{{Glee}}'', when Brittany is asking Will embarrassing questions.

* ''FinalFantasyVII'' plays with this trope a bit, if this is the right trope; Elena doesn't exactly tell you what she's denying, but she does continue to tell you the enemy's plans verbatim after being told explicitly that she talks too much...for telling you the enemy's plans verbatim.

* ''RedVsBlue: Recreation'' has Sarge pulling several in a row early in the series, when trying to warn Donut, "captured" by Caboose, not to tell him about their new vehicle or hologram chamber. Of course, since this is [[RalphWiggum Caboose]] we're dealing with, nothing comes of it.

* From an episode of ''TheSimpsons'':

* ''SpongebobSquarepants''

* ''NewspaperComic/BrewsterRockitSpaceGuy'' Brewster Rockit does this once when he decides to narrate his life out loud.

----

* In ''Super VideoGame/PaperMario'', Luigi announces that he'll never give his name to scoundrels like Count Bleck. Which he then immediately follows with "Now taste the wrath of Luigi!"
* Also, in ''VideoGame/PaperMario 2'' Proffesor Frankley says 'I don't think we can trust this box. We'd better not tell it we're looking for the Crystal Stars.

Alice has defeated Bob, TheDragon, whose boss has kidnapped Carol. Alice demands to know where Carol is, but Bob just smirks at her and says, "Ha! I'll never tell you that she's in the warehouse in Somewhere City!"

This is when someone -- usually a villain -- grabs ahold of the IdiotBall, and denies information in such a fashion that ''states exactly what is allegedly being denied''.

* Done by the title GentlemanThief in DonRosa's [[ScroogeMcDuckUniverse Scrooge McDuck-story]] ''The Black Knight Glorps Again'', not out of stupidity, but sheer ballsiness. In his civilian persona of [[UpperClassWit playboy millionnaire]] [[{{Expy}} Arpin Lusene]] he gives the following statement to the press:

* ''La vita e bella'' (''LifeIsBeautiful''):''
-->'''Guido:''' You can't imagine how much I feel like making love to you. But I'll never tell anyone, especially not you. They'd have to torture me to make me say it.\\
'''Dora:''' Say what?\\
'''Guido:''' That I want to make love to you -- not just once, but over and over again! But I'll never tell you that. I'd have to be crazy to tell you.

* A particularly clunky example occurs in a second-season episode of ''LieToMe'': a guy suspected of killing a woman named Connie claims to not know her husband, Eric. When asked if he'd ever been to Connie's house, the suspect immediately replies, "No, I've never been to ''Eric's wife's'' house." As an inadvertent slip, it seems oddly deliberate.

* ''TheOrderOfTheStick''

* A ''Mad TV'' sketch has the following exchange:

'''Mxyzptlk:''' '''KLTPZYXM'''! ''Gosh'', you're thick! Now, for the last time... ''(realizes)'' ahh nuts! ''(disappears)''\\

-->'''Mxyzptlk:''' ''(reappearing in the bathroom mirror)'' Hi guy! Your three months are up, and ''this'' time, you're not gonna cheat me out of my fun!\\

* In ''TheLegendOfZelda: TheWindWaker'', there are two girls on Windfall Island who embody this trope. They "won't" tell you anything, not even two Rupees!

* Yori almost gets himself killed doing this early on in ''NoNeedForBushido''.

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Have you ever seen a story where a character claims he/she will never tell something but then telling that very thing? Those characters fall into this trope.

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

* RurouniKenshin character Misao Makimachi once told some of Shishio's [[{{Mook}} mooks]] she's Misao Makimachi and would never tell her name to people like them. One of them then pointed out she just did it.

[[AC:Comics]]

* In one story of MonicasGang, Smudge (Cascão) had his right arm in a cast and Jimmy Five (Cebolinha) wrote on it that Monica was short, fat and buck-toothed. Upon reading it, she became furious but realized it wasn't Smudge who wrote it. When she asked who was, he told her she'd never make him tell it was Jimmy.

[[AC:Western Animation]]

* In one DangerMouse episode, Penfold is hypnotized into going with Danger Mouse in a roller coaster ride and not telling anyone it was a trap. While in trance, he constantly mentioned in front of Danger Mouse he'd never tell anyone it was a trap. Because of how much the show follows the RuleOfFunny, Danger Mouse didn't suspect a thing until Penfold broke free from the trance and "told" him it was a trap.