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Freudian Slip / Live-Action TV

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In General:

  • In this collection of TV bloopers a female newscaster, after a seeing a scene from Africa with a lion in it, comments "Mm, nice pussy", probably ensuring that questions of her sexual preferences will follow her throughout her entire career.
  • Avenue Q presenting Animania on the Comedy Channel:
    Lucy the Slut: You really have a one-track mind, don't you?
    Trekkie Monster: Porn.

By Series:

  • All in the Family: In "Class Reunion", Edith doesn't want to go to her class reunion without Archie, but changes her mind when she finds out that her old crush, Buck Evans, will be there. When Archie hears this, he decides he will go too. When Gloria asks if it's because of Buck Evans, he answers: "No! Because no real man lets his wife go out alone at night after Buck! Dark!"
  • America's Funniest Home Videos managed to compile a whole sequence of people saying "sex" instead of "success" (see Real Life below).
  • Angel:
    • Played for Drama, of course. In the first season episode "I've Got You Under My Skin", when Cordy and Wes start bickering, Angel accidentally calls Wesley "Doyle", revealing that Doyle's death got to him more than he lets on.
    • In the fourth season episode "Spin the Bottle", Wesley blurts out "Let's not give up probe", after Fred rambles about how aliens must have probed her helpless, naked body.
  • Arrested Development:
    • Tobias and Buster often come up with these, supposedly communicating their subliminal homosexuality/Oedipus complex respectively.
    • Also this example:
      Gob: It's him! Gilligan killed the Skipper! Stripper!
  • Barry: A non-sexual version is played for drama in the series finale. Two characters Hank and Fuches have found themselves vicious rivals over the course of the series, and have met with their respective gangs to try and resolve it. Among other things, the latter takes exception to the hypocrisy of the former in denying a crime he clearly committed specifically, Hank's refusal to admit his culpability in the murder of his lover, Cristobal and eventually offers to end their feud and never trouble the former again if he will just admit what he did. The former seems on the verge of doing so, but cannot bring himself to do so, and ends up shouting "You're a liar!" at the latter and pulling a gun on him, resulting in a shootout. Tellingly, however, after making his offer the latter has said nothing except to agree with statements the former himself made; the latter is accidentally admitting that he himself is the liar by refusing to admit what he did.
  • Battlestar Galactica (2003): After Colonial One is damaged in an accident Bill Adama invites Laura Roslin to stay aboard Galactica by telling her she's "welcome in one of my beds". Laura's reaction suggests she definitely caught the subtext.
  • Blossom: Blossom addresses Six by the name "Sex" at least once... and blurting out the word made her conclude (incorrectly) that her boyfriend, Vince, was trying to pressure her into taking their relationship to the next level.
  • Breaking Bad: An example of this trope Played for Drama. In the season two finale, "ABQ", we see air traffic controller Don Margolis at work, stricken by grief after the recent death of his daughter Jane. Eventually, he says "Jane Mike two one" instead of "Juliet Mike two one", inadvertently causing two planes to start heading on a collision course that culminates with them crashing in midair, killing all 167 people aboard the planes.
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Amy has an innocent one when referring to Team Dad Captain Holt and his husband:
    "Rosa, those are our dads!—I mean, heh, that's not what I think. Captain Dad is just my boss. ...Never mind! I'm teaching Father the math!"
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
    • Xander's first words to Buffy are a Freudian slip:
      Xander: Can I have you? I mean, can I help you?
    • In Season 7, Buffy lets slip that she had and likely still has feelings for Spike while trying to tell Willow they're Just Friends:
      Buffy: Why does everyone think I'm still in love with Spike?
    • "We're your bosom friends! The friends of your bosom!"
    • Xander also does this in "Teacher's Pet", when seeing the She-Mantis in a rather tight and revealing dress: "It's the most beautiful chest—dress I've ever seen."
    • In the final episode, Willow has to do some powerful magic, and tells her lesbian lover Kennedy she might have to kill her if she turns evil. Kennedy retorts, "Bite me!" Willow says, "I will... I mean I do mean it."
    • Discussed by Willow and Tara in their first major fight over Willow's overuse of magic.
      Tara: Oh, but you're way beyond me there! In just a few- I mean... it frightens me how powerful you're getting.
      Willow: That's a weird word.
      Tara: (nervous smile) "Getting"?
      Willow: It frightens you? I frighten you?
      Tara: That is so not what I meant! I meant i-impresses - impressive.
      Willow: Well, I took Psych 101. I mean, I took it from an evil government scientist who was skewered by her Frankenstein-like creation before the final, but I know what a Freudian slip is.
  • Charmed (1998): "Sand Francisco Dreamin'" gives an interesting slip where Piper is anxious about a dream where she makes out with another man:
    Piper: I don't get it. I mean, why would a demon be interested in killing people's dreams? I mean, they're just harmless erotic fun.
    Paige: Did you say erotic?
    Piper: Exotic. I said exotic.
  • El Chavo del ocho: A Running Gag for Quico is that he frequently calls Professor Jirafales "Daddy" by mistake, but then again, he's not exactly subtle about his wish to have him get together with his mom and become his father figure.
  • Cheers: One episode had Cliff explaining to Woody that a Freudian slip was "when you say one thing when you're actually thinking about a mother."
  • The Colbert Report gave us an interesting opening non-sequitur:
    Stephen: Sigmund Freud was born this week in 1850-sex. Oh, did I say "sex"? I meant "boobs". This is The Colbert Mommy!
  • Community, "Debate 109":
    Jeff: We should study separately, by ourselves.
    Annie: Yeah, that way we can be more reproductive—productive!
  • Coupling
    • Jane comes out with a beauty, when she compliments a co-worker she fancies on his fantastic penis. And goes on to say 'I used to have one of those'. During a later conversation, she goes into a full-blown Freudian Slippery Slope.
    • In another episode, when Jeff is trying to explain Captain Subtext and his Helmet of Truth to Patrick, the sticking point turns out to be that Patrick doesn't believe in subtext at all because "people don't say one thing and mean another" and "not everyone has a subconscious". He then says his penis just won't start when he means his car. At the end of the episode (which takes place in Captain Subtext Vision), he says the big end's gone, and the Helmet of Truth overloads.
  • Doctor Who:
  • Frasier:
    • Frasier lost a girlfriend because he kept calling her Cassandra, the name of his most recent ex-girlfriend.
    • Niles pulled off a truly epic one in the episode "Adventures in Paradise."
      Niles: If you ask me, Frasier, your trepidation is well-founded. It is possible to move a relationship along too fast and ultimately marry too hastily. You could find a few years down the line that the person isn't really right for you, and then, what happens if you meet the right person? Someone who really excites you and makes you feel alive, but you can't act upon it because you're trapped in a stale, albeit comfortable Maris! [several awkward beats] ...marriage. I have to go now.
    • In another episode, "The Last Time I Saw Maris", Frasier tries to talk Niles out of apologizing to Maris after she files for divorce:
      Frasier: If you back down now you will go through the rest of your life feeling weak and small because you never had the courage to say "I will not let you treat me like this, Lilith! ...Maris!" ...well, I've lost all credibility here. Dad, will you please say something?
  • Friends: Ross called Emily "Rachel" at the altar, after which the whole marriage went to hell.
  • Game of Thrones: Ser Loras Tyrell subconsciously lets it slip that Renly Baratheon (his lover) was far more than a brother-in-law to him when he tells the court, "My sister Margaery, her husband was taken from us before..." He should've said, "her husband was taken from her," or simply, "her husband was taken," instead.
  • Glee:
    Santana: I've got to gay... go! Go. I-I've got to go.
    • Kurt, approving Santana's prom dress:
      Kurt: I have no criticisms. Go with God, Satan! [beat] Santana!
  • The Golden Girls: When Rose introduces her new boyfriend to Dorothy and Blanche, they try desperately to ignore his smallness, but it just becomes an unfortunate string of these.
    Dorothy: May I take your height?—hat!
  • Nickelodeon's Hi Honey, I'm Home! had the teenage son introducing his mother to Babs, the girl next door. Noticing how Babs fills out her tight sweater, Mother stammers, "Nice to meet you, Boobs—uh, Babs."
  • The Late Late Show: Craig Ferguson once tried to say, "Glass is breaking", but it came out as, "Grass is breaking". After catching himself, Ferguson remarked, "That was a bit of a Freudian penis."
  • Major Crimes: Captain Sharon Raydor has this when she's talking about the foster child she's taking care of.
    Raydor: My primary concern as his mother is—as his guardian—is his safety.
  • Married... with Children:
    • Al has a fantasy about a sexy girl coming to the shoe store:
      Girl: Hi there, shoe man. I was in last week, and I can't stop thinking about you. Remember me?
      Al: Nightly. I mean, vaguely.
    • Escorting a pretty woman out of the house:
      Al: After you, my rear. I mean, my dear.
    • Al and Steve go to a bra shop:
      Saleswoman: May I help you?
      Steve: Uh, yes. We'd like to buy some breasts. A bra!
      Al: And breasts.
  • M*A*S*H:
    • Frank Burns loses his temper and snaps at Father Mulcahy:
      Hot Lips: Frank!
      Frank: Oh, sorry, Father. Sorry, Mother... Margaret.
    • In "To Market, To Market", Frank is talking with Henry Blake in his tent, which is strewn with nurses' lingerie:
      Frank: Sir, I'm afraid there may be black stockings... er, marketeers operating in the camp.
    • In "A Full Rich Day", the 4077th has seemingly misplaced the body of a fallen Luxembourgian officer, to the outrage of the man's commander. By way of apology, Henry proposes holding a memorial service, stating "It's the lost we could do."
      Henry: [officiating at the ceremony] Lost but not least... I mean, uh... least but not lost...
  • Match Game:
    • A blooper that did not officially air but has been seen in blooper shows had Gene Rayburn introducing new contestant Karen Lesko, then commenting on her dimples. Instead he said "nipples".
    • An elderly challenger introducing herself, sending Gene and the panel into hysterics:
      Contestant: I live in Orange County... I'm retar—I mean retired...
  • Mock the Week: Several with "Bad things to hear at the psychiatrist's":
    • "Hello, and welcome to your first session of Freudian analysis. Now, what seems to be the penis?"
    • "Ok, word association time. I'm going to say a word and I want you to say the first thing that pops into your breasts."
  • Monty Python's Flying Circus:
    • From the episode "Owl-Stretching Time":
      Colonel: I object, in the strongest possible terms, to this obvious reference to our own slogan "It's a dog's life... er, a man's life in the modern army."

      Colonel: I have already warned this programme about infringing the Army copyright of our slogan "It's a pig's life... man's life in the modern army". And I'm warning you if it happens again, I shall come down on this programme like a ton of bricks... right.
    • A later sketch has a list of composers that includes "Panties... sorry."
    • In the "Science Fiction Sketch", after Angus Podgorny's wife is killed by a blancmange, an inspector tells him:
      Inspector: Do sit down, Mr Podgorny. I think what's happened is terribly, terribly, funny.. tragic.
    • Once, after an escalating series of slips:
      Art critic: I'd like to talk to you tonight about the place of the nude in my bed... i-in the history of my bed. Art! Art. In the history of art. The nude in the history of tart... call girl! Sorry. Start again. [clears throat] Bum. Oh, what a giveaway!
  • The Newlywed Game: At least twice during his long tenure as host, Bob Eubanks said "25-point boner" instead of "bonus question".
  • Now You See It: On an episode of the 1989 revival, host Chuck Henry was revealing one of the answers that the contestant had missed in the Bonus Round. One of them was "Peanuts", but when saying it, Henry accidentally omitted the "T".
  • Our Miss Brooks: Miss Brooks sometimes slips something marriage or romance related when talking to Mr. Boynton.
  • Peep Show: Mark is doing some word association with a therapist, and decides to lie. We hear the answer he thinks and then the one he says: "Work." Snake pit. "Snake... charmer." Eventually we get, "Mother." Sophie. "Fuck! No, not 'fuck'!"
  • QI, "Fashion":
    Stephen Fry: Anything else were just Freudian slits—SLIPS!
  • Radio Enfer:
    • When Vincent accidentally tells Carl that Dominique is his sister, he immediately fixes that mistake by saying that he meant she's his sister metaphorically speaking.
    • After Vincent gains the reputation of being a really good kisser, Maria asks Carl to get some lessons from him. When Carl tries to ask Vincent about it, he accidentally says, "Vincent, kiss me." Carl is embarrassed and Vincent is taken aback by this until the former corrects himself and asks, "Show me how to kiss, okay?"
  • Red Dwarf: Kryten accidentally calls Rimmer's mother a "silly old trout", and tries to excuse himself with "I've no fish to embarrass you further, I'll let myself trout."
  • Ripley: In the final episode, Tom Ripley accidently refers to himself in the third person. He's so used to impersonating Dickie that it's strange for him to return to his true identity.
  • Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Used as a plot device, near the end of the series, Sabrina has a Freudian Slip (interestingly in front of her fiance's psychologist mother) when she meant to say "I love Aaron", what she ended up saying is "I love Harvey!"
  • Scrabble: On one episode, host Chuck Woolery accidentally said "Let's recrap the scores".
  • Scrubs: In an early episode, Dr. Kelso unloads a difficult patient on Elliot after she pisses him off. The patient in question is an elderly man who has a habit of disrobing for no reason. The first time he does this in front of Elliot, she nervously makes an excuse to leave the room:
    Elliot: Excuse me while I go check on another penis. Patient! Um, he's a—he's a penis patient.
  • Sesame Street: In one episode, Gina and some children (including Elmo) are trying to avoid saying the word "nose" to Cyranose de Bergerac, since that's his Berserk Button. Unfortunately, Gina accidentally asks him if he wants milk in his nose when she meant "coffee".
  • The $64,000 Question: The British Bob Monkhouse version saw Bob accidentally saying "Should you wish to piss" instead of "pass". What is more funny is how he quipped about it afterwards:
    Bob: ...if you do, we can take you out of there for just over...!
  • Skins: Emily, just after a fairly intense conversation with Naomi.
    Thomas: Which [twin] are you?
    Emily: Gay... I mean Emily!
  • Star Trek:
  • Superstore: In "Black Friday", when Amy is calling her husband Adam to tell her about the results of her pregnancy test, she says "I'm not happy! I mean, pregnant. I'm not pregnant."
  • Tattletales: A question posed to the wives asked if a woman in her husband's employ who was fired because she had an affair with him would be asked about the wheres and whens of this affair. Panelist Wink Martindale blooped that his wife Sandy never questioned his "fertility" when he meant to say "fidelity."
  • Temps de chien: On their way to heal a cow, Kim tells Antoine she'll check tutorials on YouTube to help him with the cow. He's dismissive of the idea of checking videos on YouTube, leading to this conversation:
    Kim: You know it features other stuff besides little kitten videos.
    Antoine: Watching those videos help me relax.
    Kim: You always watch the same one.
    Antoine: Can we focus on the cow I'm gonna kill?
    Kim: Heal.
    Antoine: What did I say?
    Kim: Kill.
    Antoine: [looking horrified] Fuck! Go check on YouTube.
  • The Thin Blue Line: After the sex therapist Fowler and Patricia are seeing starts stripping—"Thank you, Constable Nipple."
  • Two and a Half Men: Alan is called in for a meeting with Jake's principal after his son makes fun of a girl's large breasts. Outside the office, Alan meets the girl's mother, who has similarly large breasts, and uses this trope to dig himself and Jake a bigger hole.
  • The West Wing:
    • In "The Crackpots and These Women", Josh is explaining to his therapist how he was the only Senior Staff member to get an evacuation card from the Secret Service. He unintentionally lists his late sister Joanie alongside the other staffers, which his therapist immediately picks up on. After some prodding the therapist works out that Josh's Guilt Complex over his sister's death (she died in a house fire while he escaped) has been triggered by the knowledge that he'd have to leave his friends behind in an emergency.
    • Dramatic example in the episode "Noel". Josh is bemoaning the presence of Christmas bagpipe players in the foyer of the West Wing, and at one point snaps "I can hear the damn sirens all over the building!", substituting 'sirens' for 'pipes'. Dramatic because it is just one of the numerous signs that Josh is acting increasingly irrational and unstable as a result of a rapidly approaching Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder breakdown he is heading towards as a consequence of being shot a few episodes earlier.
    • A more traditionally Freudian family-related one would be in "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail," when Sam finds out that his father has been having an extramarital affair for the last twenty-eight years. On the same day, a friend of Donna's asks him to look into clearing the name of her grandfather, a State Department staffer accused of being a Soviet spy in the 1950's. He throws himself into it, only to find out that the guy actually was a spy. Donna tries to stop him from telling her friend, and he launches into a passionate speech about betrayed loyalty, ending it with, "This girl's going to find out who her father was!" Donna softly says, "Sam... you meant grandfather."
  • Wheel of Fortune: On the first episode after the retirement of the shopping rounds, a contestant asked to buy an owl instead of a vowel. Host Pat Sajak quipped that they no longer sell birds on the show.
  • Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Thank you, Colin, for showing us your deep desire for Animal Porn!
  • Wizards of Waverly Place:
    • In "Alex Does Good", Alex is forced to join the Happy Helpers Club, where they get rewards for doing next to nothing. Alex ends up questioning whether anyone thought that the club was wrong for it, this is followed by Harper standing up and yelling "I don't, it's time I got some appreciation, Mom!"
    • We also see this in The Movie, when Justin lets slip that the reason he's always tried so hard to be perfect is that he's afraid that his parents won't love him otherwise.
    • And Harper again in "Monster Hunters" when she's teaching Alex study tricks. She starts singing a mnemonic song and it turns into a rant on how Alex is a bad friend.

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