History Main / JustSmileAndNod

* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'': Kaguya attempts to exploit this when she, Shirogane, and Fujiwara are playing a banned word game [[LoopholeAbuse by simply not talking at all to avoid accidentally saying her word]]. [[ObviousRulePatch Shirogane adds in a rule forbidding this when he realizes what she's doing]], since otherwise they'd all be trapped in an endless

-->-- '''Skipper''', ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}''

* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'': Kaguya attempts to exploit this when she, Shirogane, and Fujiwara are playing a banned word game [[LoopholeAbuse by simply not talking at all to avoid accidentally saying her word]]. [[ObviousRulesPatch Shirogane adds in a rule forbidding this when he realizes what she's doing]], since otherwise they'd all be trapped in an endless

[[/folder]]

-->--'''Skipper''', ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}''

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
* ''Film/WizardsOfWaverlyPlaceTheMovie''. Alex can't understand the locals but uses a spell to create a literal caption floating in the air that translates for her. The locals talk about how she's a strange girl and maybe if they just smile and nod she'll go away.
* There's a movie called ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410146 Just Smile And Nod.]]''

* Dorothy Lamour sometimes found herself in this position whenever she shared scenes with Creator/BingCrosby and Creator/BobHope in their ''Film/RoadTo'' movies. Justified in that Crosby and Hope more often than not were off-script.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': Brought up as how to respond to the Doctor explaining something that makes no sense to... [[LastOfHisKind anyone else]]. Specifically in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink "Blink"]], Martha notes you should just nod when he takes a breath.

-->'''Will''': Now remember: agree with everything I say and disagree with everything they say.\\
'''Carlton''': Why don't I just smile and nod?\\
'''Will''': ''[beat]'' Even better.

* Used as a joke in the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode ''Film/TheHorrorOfPartyBeach'', in reference to an OnlySaneMan black maid:
-->'''Servo:''' ''(as Eulabelle)'' Just smile at the stupid white people...

-->'''Veradux''': Just shut up and nod, Sonny. Shut up and nod.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel II'', when Sara suggests that the final free day is a good day for the students of Class VII to "get some ooh-la-la," the other students mock her as being as "shining counterexample" of this, given the time that she spends alone in her room drinking. Gaius eventually suggests that the polite thing to do would be to just smile and nod, but they continue anyway, Fie suggesting that Sara should just find some cats to snuggle up with if she keeps setting her sights on men like Laura's dad (a famed swordsman known as the Radiant Blademaster.)

* In ''Webcomic/LatchkeyKingdom'', when the dungeon rats give Willa a piece of [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang unidentifiable garbage]] as a reward for slaying the [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Navi]] rip-off, the InteractiveNarrator advises her to just smile and nod to avoid being rude.

[[folder:Web Original]]

-->Have you ever not heard what someone said\\

So you just smiled and nodded your head?

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

'''Will''': [beat] Even better.

-->'''Servo (as Eulabelle):''' Just smile at the stupid white people...

* ''Series/{{Sharpe}}'': in ''[[Recap/SharpeS4E1SharpesRegiment Sharpe's Regiment]]'', the titular hero ends up at dinner with Mad King George (the third, to be precise), who starts telling the tale of one of Sharpe's earlier adventures to his guests. One of the other gentlemen present kindly explains the situation:

* In ''VideoGames/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel II'', when Sara suggests that the final free day is a good day for the students of Class VII to "get some ooh-la-la," the other students mock her as being as "shining counterexample" of this, given the time that she spends alone in her room drinking. Gaius eventually suggests that the polite thing to do would be to just smile and nod, but they continue anyway, Fie suggesting that Sara should just find some cats to snuggle up with if she keeps setting her sights on men like Laura's dad (a famed swordsman known as the Radiant Blademaster.)

* There's a movie called ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410146/ Just Smile And Nod]]''.

* This is a general reaction to Hannelore from ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' as shown [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=596 here.]]

* ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''. The Basterds infiltrate a Nazi gathering with Von Hammersmark introducing them as an Italian film crew.. When Colonel Landa comes up to them and starts speaking in fluent Italian, they can only respond like this. Landa finds their PaperThinDisguise a lot more amusing than they do, despite the smiles.

** Also in ''Discworld/GoingPostal'', Moist is a con man, and so demonstrates how good he is at this when some people who run the clacks go into technicals.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'': One of Skipper's catchphrases. "Just smile and wave, boys," along with, "Cute and cuddly, boys, cute and cuddly." Also used in the first movie.

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]

* ''Anime/YugiohGX''. Dimitri, a [[MonsterOfTheWeek Duelist of the Week]] whose shtick is copying the decks and strategies of other players, is apparently convinced he's Yugi Muto when he steals Yugi's original deck and challenges Jaden with it.
-->'''Dimitri:''' That move takes me back to our duel against Seto Kaiba at Battle City. Those were some good times, weren't they old friend?
-->'''Syrus:''' Battle City? This guy's gone batty!
-->'''Chumley:''' Just smile and nod Sy, smile, and nod.

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': This is the Archchancellor's stock reaction when Ponder Stibbons tries to explain anything to him. At least, when he's not [[SidetrackedByTheAnalogy confused by the metaphors]]. He's had to cut down on the habit, however, as Stibbons tends to play this to his advantage, which has resulted in Ridcully finding his signature in things he "agreed to".
** Also in Discworld/GoingPostal, Moist is a con man, and so demonstrates how good he is at this when some people who run the clacks go into technicals.
* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', Ward uses this while ObfuscatingStupidity, to pretend that he doesn't understand something someone tries to explain to him. He also causes this reaction in people, intentionally, at one point by explaining the exact difference between two different kinds of sheep. In great detail.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Brought up in ''Series/DoctorWho'' on how to respond to the Doctor explaining something that makes no sense to...[[LastOfHisKind anyone else]]. Specifically in "Blink", Martha notes you should just nod when he takes a breath.

-->'''Will''': Now remember: agree with everything I say and disagree with everything they say.
-->'''Carlton''': Why don't I just smile and nod?
-->'''Will''': [beat] Even better.
* In ''Series/{{Numb3rs}}'', The FBI gang do this when Charlie explains some very complicated math theories.

* Penny on Series/TheBigBangTheory does this when the science jargon goes over her head (which is all the time).
* On ''Series/{{Friends}}'', there's a montage dedicated to moments where Joey does this, due to not understanding the other five's conversation.

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* [[http://www.facebook.com/pages/Someone-Says-Something-Odd-Just-Smile-And-Nod-/364128950785 A Facebook group.]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* In one episode of Series/{{Sharpe}} the titular hero ends up at dinner with Mad King George (the third, to be precise), who starts telling the tale of one of Sharpe's earlier adventures to his guests. One of the other gentlemen present kindly explains the situation:

* This is regarded as standard policy for dealing with Brian from ''{{Rhapsodies}}'' when he's in [[http://rhapsodies.wpmorse.com/comic/10152009/ full rant mode.]]

-->'''Chumley:''' Just smile and nod Sy, smile and nod.

* ''Film/WizardsOfWaverlyPlaceTheMovie''. Alex can't understand the locals, but uses a spell to create a literal caption floating in the air that translates for her. The locals talk about how she's a strange girl and maybe if they just smile and nod she'll go away.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': This is the Arch-chancellor's stock reaction when Ponder Stibbons tries to explain anything to him. At least, when he's not [[SidetrackedByTheAnalogy confused by the metaphors]]. He's had to cut down on the habit, however, as Stibbons tends to play this to his advantage, which has resulted in Ridcully finding his signature in things he "agreed to".

* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', Ward uses this while ObfuscatingStupidity, to pretend that he doesn'T understand something someone tries to explain to him. He also causes this reaction in people, intentionally, at one point by explaining the exact difference between two different kinds of sheep. In great detail.

* In ''Series/{{Numb3rs}}'', The FBI gang do this when Charlie explain some very complicated math theories.

* Penny on Series/TheBigBangTheory does this when the science jargon goes over head (which is all the time).

* [[http://www.facebook.com/pages/Someone-Says-Something-Odd-Just-Smile-And-Nod-/364128950785 A facebook group.]]

* On Series/{{Friends}}, there's a montage dedicated to moments where Joey does this, due to not understanding the other five's conversation.

* On ''Series/Friends'' , there's a montage dedicated to moments where Joey does this, due to not understanding the other five's conversation.

* On ''Series/Friends'', there's a montage dedicated to moments where Joey does this, due to not understanding the other five's conversation.