History Main / YouDidntAsk

** In the radio series moments later, Marvin repeats it when he's asked why he didn't tell the others beforehand that the spaceship they've stolen belongs to the space fleet Admiral.

** In the radio series moments later, Marvin repeats it when he's asked why he didn't tell the others that the spaceship they've stolen belongs to the space fleet Admiral.

* Bill Clinton's famous "definition of 'is'" quote is actually an example of this. He interpreted the question "Is there a sexual relationship between you and Monica Lewinsky?" to mean "Is there presently...." when apparently the interlocutor intended to ask "Is there now or was there ever..." and just formatted the question poorly.

* A variation from ComicBook/Gen13: When their housekeeper Anna comes to the kids' rescue, it's revealed that she is in fact [[spoiler:a battle droid]]. When Freefall remarks that Mr. Lynch never bothered to tell them that, Lynch replies "It just never came up."

A stock response to YouNeverDidThatForMe. Compare DidntSeeThatComing and LockedOutOfTheLoop. Often, They Didn't Ask about something that [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot could have prevented the whole mess]] (mostly if it would've ended the episode/work prematurely and left the characters with nothing to do).

* This is a running problem in ''Literature/DifferentlyMorphous''. The Fluidics know a lot of important information their human friends are not aware of, but thanks to a near pathological aversion to "causing a fuss" hate to volunteer anything. One of the biggest is that everybody knows they came to England as refugees, but with all the fallout from the BrokenMasquerade nobody thought to ask what they were seeking refuge ''from''.

* [[StraightGay Toono]] in ''Manga/IThinkOurSonIsGay'' talks freely about the man who turns out to be his boyfriend, but doesn't confirm that they're in a relationship until one of his coworkers asks him directly. He admits that he finds it easier just to wait until the topic comes up in conversation.

*** 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 ''Anime/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 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 and its raison d'être is to always seek out new information, but it cannot recall or divulge any of it by its own volition -- it must be asked a direct question by its summoner before it can access what it knows.]]

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

* In ''Literature/DivineMisfortune'', it isn't until they agree to let Lucky into their lives do Phil and Teri find out that he has a StalkerWithACrush (his ex-girlfriend, the Goddess of Heartbreak) and a GodOfChaos and [[GodOfEvil Evil]] who has vowed to torture and kill everyone who ever makes contact with, ''especially'' his followers. He insists that they don't have to worry about it and that he has it handled, but that doesn't necessarily make it all better.

[[caption-width-right:350:Dave's a jerk.[[note]]He should have [[ForbiddenChekhovsGun pointed out]] the "[[Film/TheFly no flies]]" warning sticker instead of saying that.[[/note]]]]

* ''LightNovel/NoGameNoLife'': Sora asks Steph what the chances are of drawing the ace of spades from a normal deck (minus the jokers) are. Steph says one in fifty-two. Sora says that normally that's correct... but if it's a brand-new deck, the ace of spades will be on the bottom, making it easy to draw intentionally. He admits that he didn't specify it was a brand-new deck, but then, she didn't ask. His point is that the reason she keeps losing is because she doesn't have enough information; she just accepts the rules as presented to her.

* ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'': Xellos often cheerfully informs the group of such hidden things when they finally ask him about them incredulously. Examples include the fact he used their entire planned heist as a distraction for ''his'', his nature as a mazoku (demon), and numerous other such subjects. However, he does have limits: if he doesn't feel like revealing something, his trademark CatchPhrase "That... is a secret!" is all anyone's going to get from him.\\\

* ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'':

* '''Version one:''' The detectives or crime labs find evidence that their main suspect in the crime couldn't possibly have committed the murder because he had some other alibi. Usually, the secret they are keeping is illegal, immoral or highly embarrassing to such an extent that they would rather go to prison for the primary crime. It is usually used in crime dramas to get the RedHerring out of the way and move suspicion off of the patsy.

** The PRT deliberately avoids telling Wards about certain aspects of the job, like access key classes, access to the garage, and certain secret passages in the building, in order to encourage them to ask the right questions instead of waiting for information to be given to them. Besides, it's all there in the PRT informational app; they just need to [[ReadTheFreakingManual look it up]].

* A particularly sinister example comes from cult classic ''Film/ReturnToOz''. The Nome King has transformed the Scarecrow into an ornament for his palace, and offers Dorothy and her friends the chance to play a guessing game to change him back. Of course, the penalty for losing the guessing game is to be transformed into an ornament yourself, which the FauxAffablyEvil Nome King didn't even mention until the first member of their party lost. When called on it, he gives them a reasonable second option they can take instead of the guessing game.

* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3'': After Mantis and Nebula are unable to communicate with the children held prisoner by The High Evolutionary (and Nebula's shouting at them just cause them to cry hysterically), Drax is able to calm the children down by doing his impression of a monkey, and then is able to tell the children in their language to go to a safe place.

-->'''Ladybug:'' You're always so quick to invite me out to places. I figured you'd ''insist'' on helping as soon as I mentioned it, if you'd really wanted to help.

* In ''FanFic/TheInfiniteLoops'', this was the reason [[spoiler:[[Franchise/StarWars Yoda]]]] managed to go for a long time without anybody realizing he was a looper.

* ''Fanfic/BoldoresAndBoomsticks'': Team CFVY gets mad at Team JNPR for not telling them anything about what happened to Team RWBY, only for Nora to defuse them by pointing out that they didn't ask Ozpin.