Can Not Spit It Out - Television Tropes & Idioms

Bernard: The day your father died...I cleaned his wound. The blade that pierced his body...came from his glider. There's no question about it, your father died by his own hand.
Harry Osborn: You are so fired.
Bernard: What?
Harry Osborn:: You've known all this time...and you wait until NOW to tell me?
Bernard: I thought this would be the best time to tell you the truth!
Harry Osborn: I took a grenade in the face, DUDE!
Spiderman 3: How It Should Have Ended

There is a piece of vital information that would clear up a character's problems, whether it is a misunderstanding of romance or combat. If the character just spit it out, it would save entire episodes... entire seasons of trouble and tears.

...so, naturally, they don't.

Whether it's due to embarrassment, ego, or just plain stupidity, they rush into whatever situation is going on. Sometimes this leads to a moral about the benefits of clear-headed conversation over fighting needlessly. However, most of the time it's just to provide padding to the series.

Sometimes, the reason one character Can Not Spit It Out is because the other side won't let them. Or else they seem to have a wall around their mind against the information.

Other times the character is just sometimes an ass. While the Ineffectual Loner has many chances to clarify his role, most of the time he'll just tell the heroes to figure it out themselves.

Of course, any time someone finally summons up the courage to actually say it, they will be interrupted. It could be sudden events in the plot taking priority, or another of their circle of friends suddenly feels the need to announce some unimportant item that needs everyone's attention right now. The moment is lost, and even when it isn't, they likely won't be believed anyway.

See also You Didnt Ask, Idiot Plot, Oops I Did It Again, Three Is Company, Hint Dropping. If it's a magical curse that prevents the character from sharing information, then that character may be Tongue Tied.

Examples:

Anime

Pretty much any series that heavily uses misunderstandings and He Said She Said situations for comedy or drama:
- Comedic example: Ranma 1/2. After spending most of the series calling Akane an 'uncute tomboy', Ranma finally musters up the courage to tell her that actually, he thinks she's really cute -- and then she doesn't believe him because she thinks he's trying to trick her.
  - This is more or less Rumiko Takahashi's S.O.P.: At least one member of the pairing must not be able to confess their feelings:
  - Urusei Yatsura: Ataru can't admit he really loves Lum because if he did, he'd have to give up his dreams of a harem. (It should be noted that this makes sense to no one other than Ataru, given his horrible luck with women).
  - Maison Ikkoku: Godai is openly in love with Kyoko, but is too wishy-washy to 'fess up. Kyoko is aware of this, but is conflicted both by a rich rival suitor and her inability to let go of her dead husband.
  - Inu Yasha: Although Inu Yasha and Kagome seem to have "reached an understanding" as to how they feel about each other, neither has been able to actually say the words, even to themselves.
  - Even worse (and more obvious) is the Sango/Miroku quagmire, where one side can occasionally get their feelings out, but the other either locks up or spoils the moment. (though they did eventually get on the same page)
- Dramatic example: Peach Girl
- Love Hina did this a lot, and eventually referred to this in the Kanako arc OVAs
- In Hana Kimi, Mizuki loves Sano, and Sano loves Mizuki pretty much from chapter 3 onwards. Also, that's about when Sano also finds out that Mizuki really is a girl. And neither knows about what the other knows until chapter 133.
- Keroro Gunsou spent an entire episode milking the trope, as Momoka's attempts to refer to Fuyuki on a first-name basis lead to increasingly absurd changes in the conversation.
Many love triangles, such as the one in Kimagure Orange Road, have a third wheel who thinks that the main character returns their feelings. In the case of KOR, he doesn't, but feels it's far better to lead her on for the entire series instead of sitting her down and explaining the situation, as that might hurt her feelings. Itr certainly doesn't help that he girl whom he does have feelings dfor is the best friend of the third whel *and* a Hot Amazon who already promised to help the wheel girl, as well as willing to beat the shit out of him if he causes said girl harm.
Actually referred to in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. In both seasons, the villains have their own reasons for doing what they're doing, but refuse to tell why despite Nanoha wanting to talk to them. Nanoha (whose main characteristic is her honesty and straightforwardness) decides that the only way to get them to explain their actions is to beat them in combat and demand an explanation.
In Eureka Seven, three of the characters, a seasoned rebel named Holland, his girlfriend/second in command Talho, and a young boy named Renton get into an argument over an injured teammate. Holland pretends he doesn't care, and goes on a mission to save a head priest "for a lot of money." Renton is furious that he doesn't care. Talho understands that Holland is saving this priest because he can save their teammate. Holland beats Renton up for his suggesting they try to save their teammate, Talho slaps Holland for not telling Renton that he wants to save their teammate, she also slaps Renton for not realizing that Holland wants to save their teammate (but she doesn't tell him this). This leads to Renton leaving the crew, and falling into the company of a rival mercenary. Just because everybody Can Not Spit It Out.
Ai Yori Aoshi would have been much simpler if Aoi and Kaoru could just tell Kaoru's Unwanted Harem that he was taken.
- Also much shorter. On the upside, it paves the way for Tina's crowning moment.
  - Shorter, maybe, but not much. Tina already had a strong suspicion, Mayu clearly doesn't care if Kaoru is taken (even after he's married), Taeko never considered actually chasing after him until very late, and Chika...hard to tell just how serious she was being.
- Tina is a even better example. Her inability to confess her love to Kaoru before the series begins leads to her going on a year-long trip around the world, mainly to try and get over it.
  - This troper still greatly respects her for her grace in loss, and her retaining her loving friendship with Kaoru and Aoi.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! stars Tsunayoshi "Tsuna" Sawada, an Unlucky Everydude with a crush on his classmate Kyoko who Can Not Spit It Out. One of Reborn's first tasks in making Tsuna a suitable heir to the Vongola Mafia family is using his "Dying Wish Bullet" to make Tsuna confess his love to Kyoko. But in the end, she still thinks he was joking, and he has yet to convince himself to confess a second time.
Used famously in CLAMP works, especially Card Captor Sakura, Wish and the newer series Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles and xxxHolic.
- They also tend to use a unique variations of this trope especially with the dreamseers. Who can see the possible futures both good and bad. They'll tell the rest of the cast whenever the future is good, however when the future is generally bad they won't say anything. The reason behind this is because as long as they don't tell the key players that future then they can change it, but telling others of that future can set it in stone.
The inability of various characters in School Rumble to confess their love, Harima's feelings for Tenma being the principle example.
Hagino in Blue Drop for the largest part doesn't tell Mari that she is the commander of the space ship that caused the disaster in which Mari's parents died.
This trope is played to sometimes excruciating levels in Maison Ikkoku, where the inability of Godai and Kyoko to convey their feelings for each other makes up the largest part of the 96-episode run of the series.
Kaorin of Azumanga Daioh can't do anything about her crush on the resident Huge Schoolgirl, as she becomes so flustered around Sakaki that it's amazing that she can talk at all.
The fact that the two sisters Asu and Kyou from Binbou Shimai Monogatari love each other a lot can't prevent them from communicating poorly on a regular basis, making them run in panicky circles where a few choice words would have helped immensely. But the making-up hugs are cute indeed. Awww...
In Kannazuki No Miko the plot would have been almost completely different if Chikane had told Himeko about what happened in their past lives.
After episode 9 of Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai, Sasshi finds himself unable to bring himself to tell Arumi that Masa-jii is dead.
In Tekkaman Blade, an early episode has D-Boy's transformation crystal being broken, forcing him to use a modified Pegas robot to transform into Blade. Late in the series, when he's losing his memory due to a Deadly Upgrade, he forgets that his crystal broke and starts trying to transform on his own. Despite that he is searching the ground frantically and asking, over and over again, where his crystal is, Pegas refuses to say even something as simple is "I have your crystal, give me the command," instead uninformatively urging D-Boy to transform. Later, he dryly explains, "D-Boy refuses to access my Tek-Set function."
In Kanon, no one thinks to mention to the main charrie that the girl whose death traumatized him 7 years ago was still alive in hospital.
This is a somewhat less obvious example, but this troper has long suspected that in Code Geass, Suzaku might not have gone to such extremes if he had known that the Euphinator incident was completely accidental, and Lelouch had actually intended to cooperate with Euphie, were it not for a poorly timed Mode Lock. Predictably enough, Lelouch never thinks to mention this, and Suzaku is left with the impression that he deliberately and ruthlessly betrayed both of his childhood friends and orchestrated a genocide of the same people he was supposedly acting on the behalf of to make himself seem like a hero for intervening, when he was actually simply making the best of a disastrous situation.
- While this troper sees this as quite sensible, the odds that Suzaku would actually believe Lelouch if he told him are rather low at best.
In Kaleido Star, IllBoy Ken Robbins tries often to tell Sora Naegino that he greatly loves and admires her, but never gets the chance. In a more adult version, Kalos Eidos loves his best friend Sarah Dupont, but feels guilty for their common past and doesn't want to let her know. And last, Jerry can't tell his best friend Kate that he loves her since they've been friends for decades and he fears to lose that friendship.
In Princess Tutu, Ahiru can't tell Mytho that she loves him -- Not because of nervousness, but because she'll cease to exist once she does. This becomes very troublesome in the first season finale when Princess Kraehe offers to return Mytho's emotion of love, but only if she says that she loves him.
Evangelion: This troper wonders if telling Shinji beforehand that Touji was piloting Unit 03 would have made Episode 18 turn out differently. This is not necessarily a case of Can Not Spit It Out--it might actually have ended the same way...

Live Action TV

Subverted in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, "Once More, With Feeling", in which several "Can't Spit It Out" plot threads that could have been milked for weeks, if not seasons, are dragged into the open by a demon's musical curse.
- Sadly, since this was all-wangst-all-the-time season six THEY STILL &%$@ MILKED THEM!!
Lost. That is all.
In the series Smallville, arguably every problem befalling the characters stems from Clark's refusal to tell anybody about his powers.
A lot of problems in the show Reaper come from Sam's inability to tell Andi about his problem with the devil.
- However, he does tell her about them later, in the second Season when she witnesses Sam beheading one of the souls.

Western Animation

In one episode of Spongebob Squarepants, after Squidward has played a prank on Spongebob, he realizes how much he's humiliated him and goes to his house to apologize...but every time he tries to say "I'm sorry", he just can't pull it off without doing weird cartoon-takes.

Film

In the movie Spider-Man 3, Harry Osborne has a terrible grudge against Spider-Man, as he believes Spider-Man was responsible for the death of his father, Norman. As one of the only people who knows Spider-Man's real identity, he spends the greater part of the movie making things difficult for Peter Parker, battles Spider-Man a few times as the Green Goblin, and eventually, in one of said battles, gets injured. Later in the movie, Peter asks Harry to help fight the team of Venom and the Sandman, but Harry declines the offer. At this point, the Osborne family's loyal butler arrives, and tells Harry that Spider-Man was really never responsible for Norman's death, and that he died of his own folly. Apparently, the butler knew this all along, but still allowed Harry to play out his vendetta against Spider-Man.
- And lets not forget Mary Jane. If she had just said that she got fired from her job, about half of the conflict in the movie would disappear.
Several Abbott and Costello films play with this, with Costello needed to impart some important information, usually that the movie's villain is nearby. However, while he mimes speaking the words, he's so scared that he literally cannot make any kind of audible sound.

Literature

In The Rise of Endymion, the eponymous main character spends a great deal of energy angsting over a period of time that his love spent unaccounted for while he was off touring planets, having kidney stones, and eluding the Space Pope. No, really. He deduces that this time was spent with another man, and angsts accordingly. At length. Of course, he can't bear to ask her about it; otherwise she might have told him that thanks to some time travel tomfoolery, the other man was him. However, considering how much of the plot's pacing hinges on said lover's constant reluctance to give information that would explain anything to anyone, maybe not.
- To be fair, he did ask, and she tearfully told him she had a baby, and begged him not to ask further.
In Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time series, all characters assume they know best. Each lies or hides the truth "for the greater good." The resulting confusion, interpersonal conflict, jealousy, and setbacks invariably stem from the main characters' inability or unwillingness to communicate. In the end, it turns out all the good guys are on the same side! Who knew?
A recurring theme in Anne McCaffery's books, where couples spend entire books (occasionally several) pining for each other until something forces one or both to admit their feelings. (See: F'lar and Lessa in Dragonquest, Afra and Damia in Damia, Sebell and Menolly in Dragonsinger)
In the book Destiny (book 3 of the Rhapsody series), dragon-blooded Marty Stu Ashe cannot reveal the identity of his new wife to his soulmate, the equally sueish lead character, Rhapsody, for reasons that were never made very clear (possibly spelled out in greater detail in the previous book). It turns out that the wife was Rhapsody herself (who had the memory magically zapped from her mind for the same reason Ashe couldn't tell her himself).
Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier). The heroine is convinced that she's a complete failure compared to Rebecca, her husband's first (dead) wife, until she finds out that the husband murdered Rebecca. Which cheers her up immensely.
Everything ever written by Russell T Davies.
Sophie Hatter in Howls Moving Castle is cursed to take the form of a 90 year old woman - and part of the curse is that she can't tell anyone. If she tries to, she's either interrupted or people misunderstand her.

Video Games

Final Fantasy VII did it, but it did it right. Cloud is convinced he used to be a member of SOLDIER, and all evidence is towards this - he has the uniform, the sword, the skills and the glowing eyes. However, after leaving town to join SOLDIER, he failed to get in, and instead enrolled as a basic grunt. After his idol burned down his hometown, maimed the closest thing he had to a childhood friend, nearly killed his best friend, and stabbed him through the chest, he was patched up by Evilutionary Biologist Hojo as part of an experiment. However, the combination of the drugs and trauma completely destroyed his mind, and when they escaped and Zack died defending him he utterly snapped, adopting an elaborate system of Fake Memories and osmosed personality from Zack. The only person who knew all this was Tifa, who met Zack on the mission. But, being in love with Cloud, she was unable to tell him anything. Her inability to do so earns Cloud a Mind Rape and a Heroic BSOD, which Tifa has to fix in a Journey To The Center Of The Mind, after the damage has been done.
- Don't even start on Irvine's inability to mention his past association with the other main characters and even the villain.
A significant portion of the conflict and tension in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2 could have been easily avoided if Grovyle had taken a moment to explain himself. Indeed, once the main characters find out the truth, they go into hiding for several days and a number of tense sequences result... until the main character comes up with the brilliant idea of telling the guild about it. This simple act eliminates at least 80% of the angst, reduces the events of at least three earlier adventures to a simple off-screen quest, and helps give the main characters transportation and escorts to the next few areas.
In Fire Emblem 7, Hector and Florina's entire support conversation set is based on Florina being unable to say two words to Hector, when all she wants to do is thank him for saving her from certain doom in Laus. It takes Hector and her pegasus fighting to get her to finally spit it out.

Webcomics

In Order Of The Stick, Haley at one point becomes unable to speak intelligibly at all for some time until she expresses her feelings for Elan by an Anguished Declaration Of Love.
For the first year of Avalon, the characters seem (progressively less) unable to say the word "lesbian," which complicates Ceilidh's attempts to ascertain whether her best friend Phoebe is one (as rumor would have it). When she finally asks Ryan outright why he would ask out a lesbian, she learns all about what started the rumor, among other things. Unfortunately, by this time Ceilidh's constant innuendo has half the school - including Phoebe herself - convinced that she's a lesbian.
Eric (one of the Loserz webcomic's protagonists) has this problem with Alice. Despite the fact that she already told him she liked him. See here.

Music

This is the premise of the song Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by The Police. The narrator is in love with a girl, but can't work up the courage to tell her.

Comic Books

Charlie Brown's inability to talk to the Red-Haired Girl in Peanuts.
In the 1990s Marvel Comics series Sleepwalker, Rick Sheridan finds himself unable to explain his sudden sleeping problems, caused by Sleepwalker being trapped in his mind, to his girlfriend Alyssa, mostly because he's afraid of how he thinks she'll react.
Spider-Man suffers from this trope in spades, with Peter Parker unwilling to reveal his dual identity to his Aunt May, because he fears the shock will kill her, and later because he doesn't want her constantly worrying about him risking his life as Spider-Man. This became a Wall Banger in and of itself after a while, and it became even worse when Peter wouldn't tell his first girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, the secret either. He never told Mary Jane while they were dating, either-she had to tell him that she knew his secret.

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