History Main / YouDidntAsk

A stock response to YouNeverDidThatForMe. Compare DidntSeeThatComing and LockedOutOfTheLoop. Often, They Didn't Ask about something that [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot could have prevented the whole mess]].

* ''[[Literature/Twilight Breaking Dawn]]'': Edward knew all along that Jacob and the other wolves are no actual werewolves, but ''shape shifters''.

* ''Literature/TwilightBreakingDawn'': Edward knew all along that Jacob and the other wolves are no actual werewolves, but ''shape shifters''.

## [[NotNowKiddo dismissal]]: ("You ''told'' me to [AirQuotes] [[PreemptiveShutUp "Shut Up!"]] ").

%%* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' uses this; noticeably Lars asks the sensible [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061016 follow up]].

*** The same applies to the fact that Luffy himself is the son of Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionaries, and the grandson of Monkey D. Garp, a Marine Admiral; he just never thought it was relevant enough to tell people without being asked about it first. Used for a joke too in ''Film/OnePieceFilmRed'', when Luffy reveals that [[spoiler: Shanks had an adopted daughter, Uta,]] but only because he was asked how he knew a celebrity like her.

** A smaller example came in the Alabasta arc: After traveling across half the kingdom to get to the rebel based in Yuba, they find out it was moved to Katorea, a city near where they started. They could have been saved most of the trip if Eyelash(es) (the camel who Chopper was able to talk to) mentioned that the wagon full of guns that accidentally brought Chopper to Katorea was being used by the rebels. He was promptly kicked in the face by Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp for not mentioning this, scoffs it off, and is then kicked in the face again.

* In the ''Literature/AscendanceTrilogy'', Sage tries to use this to defend himself when Amarinda confronts him about not telling her [[spoiler: that he was Jaron.]] She is NOT mollified.

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', the Justice League is none-too-pleased with the reveal that Captain Marvel had been lying about his age, and is actually just a kid. Billy points out that he didn't lie -- they just never asked, and he never told. Wonder Woman, however, just says that a lie of omission ''is'' still a lie.

* ''Fanfic/JWITCHSeason1'': [[WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures Uncle]] gives this reply when Jackie, Jade and Tohru are bewildered to learn that he used to date [[WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}} Yan Lin]].

-->'''Oliver Queen:''' "So, you never told me you were fourteen, what's that about?"\\
'''Clark Kent:''' "You never asked and it didn't really matter, did it?"\\
'''Oliver Queen:''' "I guess not, I was just surprised, that's all."

-->-- ''Machinima/RedVsBlue''

* In ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'', when the Emperor tells the history of the entire universe, the first question (after the two listeners pick their jaws from the floor) is:
-->'''[[spoiler:Magnus]]''': Anyway, why did you not tell anyone of this before?\\
'''The Emperor''': [[AC: Because you never fucking asked, that's why. Besides, what was written down was apparently censored by those charming fucknuggets in the Inquisition.]]
** Magnus knew that [[spoiler: Rogal Dorn]] was still alive, though not where. When the Emperor confronted him about him knowing and not telling them, Magnus was surprised that the Emperor didn't know because he's the more powerful psyker.
* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'': When Gary effortlessly disables a bomb about to blow up the base the cast is standing in:
-->'''Sarge:''' Gary, you mean to tell us you could have disabled the bomb this whole time, and you didn't say anything? And don't say it was because I didn't--\\

'''Sarge:''' [{{angrish}}]

** In Season 14 episode "Get Bent" Church learns that the Female!Reds were able to renovate their base simply by asking Command for the necessary materials;

'''Apricot:''' Science, engineering...it's my thing. I built the Pear Detector.\\

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''WebComic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'': In "Futures Trading", the Doctor sends a message to Dracula to ask him to [[ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext use his giant moon laser to help the humans against the space dinosaurs]], and he immediately complies. Naturally, the reason he didn't do this until more than a decade after the initial invasion was because they hadn't asked. They don't usually ''like'' the laser, after all, so best to wait until asked. (It ''is'' true that using it at just this time was the best way to save the day.)

%%* ''WebComic/GirlGenius'' uses this; noticeably Lars asks the sensible [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061016 follow up]].

-->'''Doc Scratch''': If I do not volunteer information you deem critical to your fate, it possibly means that I am a scoundrel, but it does not mean that I am a liar. And it certainly means that you did not ask the right questions.

-->'''Dave''': Also, live tissue comes out as a pulpy shapeless blob of protoplasm.\\
'''Helen''': Let's do it!\\
'''Dave''': See, ''this'' is why I didn't want to tell you about the teleporter.
* In ''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' strip "[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1085.html Omission Possible]]", this is the first reason Durkon gives for not having told [[spoiler: the evil spirit controlling his body]] that [[spoiler: the keystone to the dwarven temple would crumble to dust if someone used it without the owner's permission.]] The second reason is "Also, I hate ye an' I want ye ta fail."

* Parodied in [[http://yahtzee.comicgenesis.com/d/20010413.html this]] ''Yahtzee Takes on the World'' comic. (Yes, [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation that]] Yahtzee.)
-->"How the hell was I supposed to ask [whether you're really a space alien]?!!"\\
"Hey, it's your culture's code of etiquette, not mine."

* Kotomine gets to do this a lot in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. Since he WillNotTellALie he finds it highly amusing to mention, for example, 'Oh yeah, I do have an ulterior motive [[spoiler:for saving Sakura. I wanted her to eat everyone and give birth to an UltimateEvil.]] Shirou actually tries to avoid asking for awhile because when he does Kotomine tends to make him either look like an idiot or depress him. [[MrExposition Kotomine]] tends to drone on at such length on the information he ''will'' reveal that if Shirou hasn't forgotten the question, he's reluctant to ask.

* ''Fanfic/MaulingSnarks'': A very prominent part of this fic:

-->'''Brennan:''' Didn't you tell him your wife was in the Drug Squad?
-->'''Faithful:''' Bastard never asked me. ''(both laugh)''

* Literature/TheTalmud has [[https://www.sefaria.org/Megillah.23a.8?lang=bi at least one]] "thought you knew that" example:
-->When Rav Yosef taught this, Abaye said to him: What is the reason that until now the Master did not explain the matter to us in this way? Rav Yosef said to him: I did not know that you needed this information, as I thought that you were already familiar with the baraita. Have you ever asked me something and I did not tell you?
** Perhaps fittingly, Pirkei Avot also gives us the proverb "A shy student (i.e., one who won't ask questions) cannot learn."

* It's a big plot point late in ''Manga/MobPsycho100'' that Tome and the Telepathy were so unmotivated to pursue the stated goal of their club that they completely failed to realize that [[spoiler:the boy who dropped out of the club at the very beginning, Takenaka, was a telepath the whole time]].

* ''WebComic/GirlGenius'' uses this; noticeably Lars asks the sensible [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061016 follow up]].

* ''Webcomic/MegaTokyo''. [[http://www.megatokyo.com/strip/596 As seen here]] [[http://www.megatokyo.com/strip/546 and here]].
* ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'': As in the page header, [[http://narbonic.com/comic/august-5-10-2002/ here]]. Dave had a damned good reason for not wanting to mention the teleporter; it was specifically designed to provide TheAlcatraz with supplies without risking escapes -- it's "receive" only...

** Toko Fukawa [[AlternateIdentityAmnesia doesn't share memories]] with her SplitPersonality [[SerialKiller Genocide Jack]]. This fact becomes key in the final trial where it's revealed that [[spoiler:14 of the 16 students (the other two having orchestrated the plot) all had their memories erased of the time they spent together in school, and that the Mastermind explicitly erased those two years in order to kickstart the DeadlyGame by making them want to leave without knowing that [[ApocalypseHow/{{Class 1}} the outside world is in ruins from the Tragedy]]]]. If nothing else, [[AxCrazy Genocide Jack's complete insanity]] could explain this one away.

** Touko Fukawa [[AlternateIdentityAmnesia doesn't share memories]] with her SplitPersonality [[SerialKiller Genocider Syo/Genocide Jack]]. This fact becomes key in the final trial where it's revealed that [[spoiler:14 of the 16 students (the other two having orchestrated the plot) all had their memories erased of the time they spent together in school, and that the mastermind explicitly erased those two years in order to kickstart the DeadlyGame by making them want to leave without knowing that [[ApocalypseHow/{{Class 1}} the outside world is in ruin from the Tragedy]]]]. If nothing else, [[AxCrazy Genocider's complete insanity]] could explain this one away.
--->'''Asahina:''' Why didn't you say anything until now?!\\
'''Genocider:''' My motto is never to say anything unless asked directly! [[BlatantLies I'm the silent type, you know!]]
** Kyouko Kirigiri has a tendency to withhold information out of pragmatic distrust/paranoia (supposedly any of the other students could be the mastermind). This trait is relatively harmless until the fifth chapter, where she reveals upon being pressed about the issue [[spoiler:that she's had LaserGuidedAmnesia the entire game of what her special talent was and didn't bring it up because [[CassandraTruth she assumed no one would believe her]]. One wonders how much quicker they could have reached that particular plot twist if it had been established earlier that the mastermind can tamper with people's memories]].

* A justified version appears in ''VideoGame/{{Unavowed}}'', with [[spoiler:Melkhiresa, the knowledge demon (or rather ''[[InsistentTerminology daimon]]'')]] as it is actually a limitation in its powers. [[spoiler:A daimon might possess practically limitless knowledge, but it cannot recall or divulge any of it of its own volition -- it must be asked a direct question by its summoner before it can access what it knows.]]

* During the pre-production of ''Film/GoneGirl'', the production team spent months trying to find the perfect town that could stand-in for the book;s fictional town, and finally settled for Cape Girardeau. When Creator/DavidFincher mentioned this to the book's author, she casually said, "Oh yeah, that is perfect. I was actually thinking of Cape Girardeau when I wrote it." Fincher was dumbfounded for about a minute before stating: "You know, these things don't have to be a fucking secret."

* In a ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' comic, Ben finds out that for ''years'' Reed has been taking a cut of the profits from each of his inventions and depositing it in a bank account in Ben's name. When Ben asks why Reed never told him about this, Reed's response is "I...assumed you knew." followed by several flashback scenes of the team meeting with their accountant for the annual financial review. Reed, Sue, and Johnny are all shown being very attentive and taking notes. Ben, on the other hand, is reading a magazine, playing with a Rubik's Cube, playing with a Gameboy, totally not paying attention... And Ben only found out because he was lamenting about not having any money. The team accountant, who was standing right there, told Ben that ''his'' money was just fine. The accountant said it in a very matter-of-fact manner, assuming Ben knew about it because ''for years he'd been sitting in annual meetings where his finances were reviewed.''
* In the Franchise/GreenLantern miniseries ''ComicBook/EmeraldDawn'', when Hal Jordan asks why the lantern never told him it could talk, it responded "No inquiry was made". Immediately [[LampshadedTrope lampshaded]] by Hal.

* In ''ComicBook/InvincibleIronMan'', [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] has been in a coma and Riri has been aided by an AI of him. When Tony is missing, a huge search is on with various twists and dead ends. Talking it over, it suddenly hits Mary Jane and Riri that they've failed to see if the AI knows about what happened. After a long pause under their gazes, the Tony AI states "To be fair...no one directly asked me before now."
* Elbee's reason in ''Comicbook/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' for never mentioning a very crucial fact from #10 until 37 issues later. [[spoiler: The [[TheFaceless Mandalorian]] warrior Rohlan Dyre weighed 17 kilos less after returning from picking up the unconscious war criminal Demagol, thus proving that Demagol has been impersonating Rohlan the whole time.]]
* ComicBook/NickFury once showed up in one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s {{Flying Car}}s to pick up ComicBook/TheMightyThor's civilian identity -- yeah, S.H.I.E.L.D. knew who '''he''' was, anyway. When Thor made his transformation, Fury nearly lost control of the car, and exclaimed, "Why didn't ya warn me about the special effects?!" Thor's response: "Thou didst not ask."
* Seems to be an actual mystic rule binding the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone in ''ComicBook/TheSandman''. Even if they want to help a questioner -- and they often don't -- they can't unless the questioner asks the right questions.

** In ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004'', when Franchise/{{Superman}} tells ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} he didn't know she could already use her XRayVision, Kara answers: "You didn't ask".

** In ''ComicBook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'', when Supergirl demands to know why neither of her partners warned her that she'd die if she took her [[Franchise/GreenLantern Red Ring]] off, Guy Gardner answers it wasn't an easy thing to bring up, i.e., she didn't ask.
* ''Franchise/XMen'':

** Wolvie was the living embodiment of this trope while Claremont was building him up. "You speak Japanese?" "You worked with them?" etc. For a while it was practically his CatchPhrase.
** It was also turned around one time, when Wolverine was surprised ("I didn't know.") to learn the Beast speaks Pashtun, and Hank replied....

** The main party accuses Savyna for being a spy. Instead of denying it, she simply says, "You only asked for my name, not who I was."

* In ''[[Videogame/FireEmblemElibe Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword]]'', swordsman [[BloodKnight Karel]] asks Dart the pirate in their support conversations if he knows any strong enemies. Dart then tells him about a few he heard rumors about, only to find out they are all already dead. Then, in the final conversation, Dart remembers one more: a man named Karel, better known as the "Sword Demon", who only lives to kill and has done some pretty brutal stuff according to the stories. Karel answers that he cannot duel himself, leading to the following exchange:
-->'''Dart:''' Hunh...? You're joking... No way... So you're the... You're THAT Karel?!\\

-->'''[[UncleTomfoolery Detective James Carter]]:''' All of a sudden you're speaking English?\\

* Less "joke" than "morality tale," but one old story talks about a teenager from a wealthy family who expects a car as a graduation present, as is the tradition with rich people in his town. On graduation night, his parents present him with a book instead; he's so angry that he [[DisproportionateRetribution storms out the house and refuses to speak to them for years.]] When he finally comes back decades later -- usually because one or both of the parents have died -- he finds the book sitting on his table, untouched. He opens it...and discovers either a check for the exact amount of money for his dream car or the title of ownership for it. Since he never bothered to ask ''why'' his parents gave him another gift and was an UngratefulBastard instead, he lost everything. A variation (which goes [[TastesLikeDiabetes heavier on the glurge factor]]) has the present be a Bible instead, with the moral of opening your heart to Jesus and His word to discover salvation.