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Shutting Up Now

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Optimus Prime: Bumblebee, my small little friend. You look... different.
Bumblebee: Yeah, I just totally got rebuilt. I feel better than ever. I feel like a gold bug.
Optimus Prime: Ha Ha! And that's who you'll be from now on, Bumblebee: Goldbug!
Goldbug: [uneasy laughter] Uh... thanks... Uh, gee, Optimus, I was kinda thinking I could still be called Bumblebee.
Optimus Prime: Quiet, Goldbug.
Goldbug: Shutting up now, Optimus.

This is where a character "voluntarily" decides to be quiet, removing themselves from the argument/conversation. This can be through defeat (being proven wrong), threat, everyone staring at them accusingly or suggestion, or simply because as the lackey, they were told to.

Common phrases would be "I'll be quiet now" or "Okay, I'll just shut up" or simply trailing off or abruptly falling silent. One key theme of this trope would be that they really do want to talk, but humiliation or perhaps painful humility stops them.

Another form of this is when someone realises they're babbling, are clearly making a losing argument, realizing that they have embarrassed themselves or someone else by Saying Too Much or just saying something profoundly stupid and/or offensive, losing track of their analogy and/or are getting increasingly off topic, ending their spiel with "I'll just shut up now".

See also That Came Out Wrong and Digging Yourself Deeper for the reasons people may end up shutting up and Chewbacca Defense for a discussion of why this is an admission of defeat. Compare ...And That Would Be Wrong, Change the Uncomfortable Subject, I Have Nothing to Say to That, Open Mouth, Insert Foot.

Contrast Preemptive "Shut Up".


Examples:

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    Anime & Manga 

     Comics 
  • In one Batman comic, Batman has just apprehended a crazed serial killer who launches into a mocking "Not So Different" Remark about how Batman is driven by the same bloodthirsty impulses the killer is and that it's only a matter of time before he gives into them. Batman calmly interrupts to point out that if this is true, his first victim is almost certainly going to be any crazed serial killer he happens to be next to, especially if the crazed serial killer in question is insulting him. The crazed serial killer decides that shutting up now is a good idea.

    Fan Works 
  • In Kyon: Big Damn Hero, after Kyon notes Haruhi's too calm reaction to her learning Kanae involuntarily teleported herself to Kyon's bed during the night.
    Kyon: Part of me wants to say that your reaction to this is incredibly unreasonable. Rather, only you would look at something so incredibly unreasonable, and choose to be so reasonable about it.
    Haruhi: [gives a pointed look to the other person in the conversation] I'm the only one who's reasonable? What about your fiancée?
    Kyon: I am going to forego speaking privileges for the rest of the day.
  • In The Keys Stand Alone: The Soft World, John mumbles this sort of thing after one snarky comment too many prompts the wizard Shaamforouz to threaten to kick the four out of his tower before answering Paul's question.
  • In the first episode of I'm a Marvel... And I'm a DC: After Hours, while most of the superheroes in the bar are in fairly good moods, The Punisher is morose over his movie tanking out, and Spider-Man tries to cheer him up.
    The Punisher: So why am I here? I need time. Time to think. To plan. To question... why? Why couldn't Thomas Jane hang on just a little bit longer? Isn't there something he could have said or done? Doesn't he know that outside, there are countless armies of scum and trash just waiting to kill and maim and rape the innocent—
    Spider-Man: —people of the world. I agree, man; you totally got screwed out of a good thing there! He really was the right guy for— [Punisher cocks handgun loudly] I'm walking away, I'm slowly walking away...
  • The Night Unfurls: After Olga teases Celestine about the latter's spiel on how Kyril is "important" to her, Celestine tries to defend herself by saying the knight has been loyal and tirelessly working to help them win the war, so that's why he's important. Olga merely raises one of her eyebrows further, and Celestine promptly gives up in embarrassment.
  • In this Twilight Princess abridged series, we get the line (twice): "Threat acknowledged. I will shut up now."

    Films — Animation 
  • In A Bug's Life, Molt starts babbling about Hopper's near-fatal encounter with a bird when the grasshoppers threaten the ant colony, and plays this trope when Hopper threatens him into silence.
    • Molt does it again during the climax, trying to impress upon Hopper the importance of a magician never revealing his secrets and completely ignoring the far more pressing matter of the missing Queen. An expertly aimed piece of grain earns a very meek "shutting up."
    • Molt does it again at the end, when he joins P.T. Flea's circus, and thanks P.T. for hiring him; he gets the caravan door closed on him, leading him to say, "Shutting up."
  • The Lion King subverts this. Banzai promises Mufasa: "Okay, we're going to shut up right now," but never actually does so. Neither do his compatriots.
  • Shrek 2:
    [Donkey and Shrek stare accusingly at Puss in Boots]
    Puss in Boots: Uh. sorry. I thought that question was directed at me. [shuts up]

    Films — Live-Action 
  • The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Penny Priddy does this to herself when she gets excited at the press conference when she seems to understand the science Dr. Banzai is explaining. Buckaroo then subverts it.
    Penny: Oh, oh, I get it! What you're saying is that oppositely charged particles collide and blow each other up in a burst of energy. Like a tiny Big Bang, like a... a... a... b-b-Baby Bang! [looks at the faces of the audience looking at her, feels self-conscious] Well, I'm, uh, probably just, uh, stating the very obvious. Shut up, shut up...
    Buckaroo: No, no, it's not obvious at all. If it was obvious, everybody would be doing it every day.
  • Marie says this in The Bourne Identity on the way to Paris when she explains that she tends to ramble when she's nervous. And she was nervous, because Jason had been stoically staring out of the window the entire time, not saying a word. Jason says he doesn't mind, though, and even asks her to keep going, saying it has been a while since he had a casual "conversation" with someone.
  • High Anxiety: After Brophy finds out Thorndyke isn't the real killer by enlarging the newspaper picture until he can be seen in the background, the bad guys show up and plan to kill him, but Diesel points out the same picture is on the front page of every local newspaper and they can enlarge it as well. Montague comes with a ridiculous plan to buy every newspaper in the city before anyone can see it. Diesel and Norton just glare at him, and he eventually realizes how stupid he sounds and trails off.
  • In Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, after awkwardly stumbling through his "icebreaker" Pac-Man anecdote, Scott shuffles away from Ramona with "I'll leave you alone forever now." She replies with a curt, "Thanks." Then he stalks her until she leaves the party.
  • C3PO in Star Wars: "Shutting up, sir."
  • Jessica Biel's character in Summer Catch rambles endlessly to her love interest and eventually says, "I am going to shut up now."
  • In What's Up, Doc?, a bailiff repeats everything a rage-filled judge says:
    Judge: Order in the court!
    Bailiff: Order in the court!
    Judge: Everybody be quiet!
    Bailiff: Everybody be quiet!
    Judge: [to bailiff] You, too.
    Bailiff: Me, too.

    Literature 
  • Animorphs:
    • Usually a result of banter between Rachel and Marco:
      Marco: [whining because this is INSANE]
      Rachel: [death glare]
      Marco: I'm shutting up.
    • There was another when Rachel lost control of her morphing power, and Marco decides to crack some of his usual jokes, annoying Rachel and causing her to morph. When told that she could go full grizzly bear, and asking if he wanted her angry at him and a grizzly bear, Marco got the point.
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation novel Imzadi depicts how Troi and Riker first met while he was stationed on her home planet. During his time there, Riker meets and is frequently mentored by a tough Sergeant Rock who has a Running Gag of saying that something is "all part of the service." The sergeant tries to counsel Riker when it looks like Riker isn't going to get the girl, but by that point Riker is tired of it and just tells the sergeant to shut up. After a beat, the sergeant says "Shutting up. All part of the service, sir".
  • In Queen of Wands, spoken word for word by Hjalmar to Sharice during their quest to rescue Janea.
  • In Erewhon, the narrator says this, making this trope both potentially meta and Older Than Radio
    I have dwealt too long upon opinions which can have no possible bearing upon our own, but I have not said the tenth part of what these would-be reformers urged upon me. I feel, however, that I have sufficiently trespassed upon the attention of the reader.
  • From the Book of Job, Job gets an earful from God, and responds with "I put my hand on my mouth."

    Live-Action TV 
  • Arrow gives us the following quote when Felicity's wearing an earbud so she can talk to Oliver inside a casino:
    Felicity: It feels really good having you inside me. By "you," I mean your voice. And by "me," I mean my ear. I'm going to stop talking now.
    Oliver: That would be my preference.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
    • From "Once More, With Feeling", where they're trying to figure out who's made them all sing:
      Xander: It could be witches! Some evil witches—
      [he sees disapproval from witches Willow and Tara]
      Xander: —which is ridiculous, 'cause witches they were persecuted,
      Wicca good and love the earth and woman power
      and I'll be over here.
    • In "Doppelgangland", after Willow's alternate dimension vampire self appears and Willow comments that she's evil, skanky, and kind of gay, Buffy comforts her that the vampire has nothing to do with the actual person.
      Angel: Well actually — [Buffy gives him a Death Glare] — that's a good point.
    • Willow is feeling ill after eating too much in "The Body":
      Tara: Oh, baby, want me to rub your tummy? [to the others] She likes it when I... [quietly] stop explaining things.
  • One survey question on Family Feud was to "Which of the Seven Dwarves best describes your wife in bed." Both men at the podium refused to take the Schmuck Bait. One of them was a decorated Marine.
  • The Fast Show — "I'll get me coat."
  • Friends: Joey sets Monica up on a blind date
    Monica: You've never met him, have you?
    Joey: Well, uh, technically...
    Monica: Oh my God, Joey, for all we know this guy could be horribly—
    [stunningly handsome guy walks in]
    Monica: ...horribly attractive. I'll be shutting up now.
  • The IT Crowd — Moss's "I'm talking, aren't I?" and Jen's "I'm sorry, did that sound like words?"
  • In the Night Court episode "Auntie Maim", the defendants are the contestants in a ballroom dancing marathon, the rules of which require them to keep dancing for several consecutive days and nights, without sleep, including during the court proceeding:
    Judge Stone: Well, isn't that kind of dangerous?
    Bobby Baumgarner, DJ: (into microphone) Hey, that's half the fun!
    Harry gives him a Death Glare.
    Bobby Baumgarner, DJ: (still into microphone) I'll shut up now!
  • In season 2 of The Office (US), Jim lets Michael in on the fact he has feelings for Pam, and of course, Michael can't help but leak it to everyone, so Jim gets ahead of it and lets Pam know that he had a crush on her but no longer does. At the end of the episode, Pam tells Michael not to feel bad and Jim already told her about, but Michael again can't help himself:
    Pam: No, really, it's okay. I know that Jim had, like a crush on me when he first started. But that was a long time ago, so—
    Michael: It wasn't that long ago. It was on the booze cruise.
    Pam: Jim had a crush on me on the booze cruise or he told you about it on the booze cruise?
    Michael: [to self] Yehhh, okay, shuuttt it Michael. I'm done. That's it.
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation:
  • Whose Line Is It Anyway?:
    • On a game of Questions only (In which the dialogue of the scene must be composed strictly of questions), Drew buzzes out one of the contestants.
      Karen: Gaah, what's the matter with you? How do I look?
      Drew: [hits the buzzer] That was a question and a sta— Oh, no, that was two questions. [Karen gives Drew a Death Glare] I'll be over here if you need me.
      Colin: Where were we?
    • During Greatest Hits, Colin would sometimes ramble about something, and usually, Ryan stops him and asks if he's been drinking. Once, Colin puts himself to sleep before Ryan can say anything.
  • The West Wing: "I'll just sit here quietly now."
  • In an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati, Andy gives a huge speech to his feuding coworkers about how there are too many walls dividing them, and they need to break down the walls that separate people, ending it with "and that's the corniest thing I've ever said. I'm gonna sit right over here and be sick."

    Radio 
  • In The Goon Show, "Shut up, Eccles!" was Eccles's own catchphrase.

    Video Games 
  • Mass Effect 2:
    • When Tali explains to female Shepard about quarians linking suit environments as a show of trust and intimacy.
      Tali: I haven't trusted anyone enough for that, though. Except... well... um, no quarians. You know what I mean.
      Shepard: I appreciate the thought, Tali, and I feel the same way, but you don't have to prove anything to me.
      Tali: I know. But I would be honored to join suit environments with you... i-if you were a quarian, and we weren't already on a suicide mission, and—I-I'm going to tinker a bit more, thanks for coming by.
    • EDI and Joker are bickering over something. One of the dialog options makes Shepard get fed up with it.
      Shepard: What is this, high school? Both of you, find something better to do with your time.
      EDI: Understood. It is a minor matter.
      Joker: With a nuclear response!
      Shepard: Joker!
      Joker: Shutting up now, commander!
    • Tali causes Garrus to have this response, when she threatens the guy with her shotgun, after he started teasing her in the stairwell.
      Garrus: You ever miss those talks we had on the elevators?
      Tali: No.
      Garrus: Come on, remember how we'd all ask you about life on the flotilla? It was an opportunity to share!
      Tali: This conversation is over.
      Garrus: Tell me again about your immune system!
      Tali: I have a shotgun.
      Garrus: Maybe we'll talk later.
  • Merrill in Dragon Age II does this to herself constantly. In the first scene where she meets Hawke, she admits that she's nervous because she's heard so many bad stories about humans but she's sure that there are no bad stories about Hawke, though it's not because Hawke isn't notable enough to have stories told about them and she'll just stop talking now. She later says "I'mbabblingagainlet'sjustgo" very quickly when she embarrasses herself.
  • Spider-Man in Marvel Ultimate Alliance.
    Spidey: Why can't we ever go to an alternate dimension filled with lonely supermodels?
    Wolverine: 'Cause we're going to save Nightcrawler, you got a problem with that?
    Spidey: Nooo. I'll... just... be quiet now.
  • Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade: In the mission where you first get to command her, telling Florina to move to a space other than the one the game wants you to send her will have her correct you and say, "I'll shut up now..."
  • The Prinny Commentator from Hour of Darkness' DS incarnation will say "I'll shut up for a while" when the dialogue becomes abnormally serious.
  • Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction has this exchange:
    Captain Slag: That will teach you to meddle with the affairs of corsairs!
    Rusty Pete: That's a good one captain, you made a rhyme!
    Captain Slag: SHUT UP, PETE!
    Rusty Pete: Aye aye, sir, shutting up!
  • Early on in Control, The Board attempts to explain to Jesse what the Objects of Power she must subdue are. Problem: The Board is an extraplanar entity with hyperreal levels of understanding who has an issue of translating even simple concepts into consistent English, and even they quickly realize that it's probably a lost cause.
    < Objects of Power are Holders/665 >
    < to the Other/Blessing >
    < We hold the reins/law >
    < We are failing in translating hyperreal concepts >
    < Secrets/Instructions will be lost >
    < Ignore this message >

    Web Animation 
  • Episode three of the Super Smash Bros. machinima The Legend of SMASH:
    Mario: Hey, it isn't my fault if you can't remember your own name for some dumb reason!
    Vincent Weatherfoot Pain: [pulls out enormous Cracker Launcher]
    Mario: And oh my goodness I mean uh... yeah... [coughs] shutting up now.

    Webcomics 
  • MegaTokyo: Kimiko trying to explain about how she got mad because people were sneering at pathetic fanboys like Piro.
  • 8-Bit Theater:
    • It takes three knives to the head from Black Mage to get there, but Red Mage does get there.
    • Much earlier in the story, when Black Mage returns to the world after his death (and having forcibly taken over Hell in the few minutes since he died) Thief tries to argue that due to a contract that Black Mage signed before his death, he is still technically Thief's minion. Black Mage responds by simply willing the contract away. This trope is Thief's reaction.
      Thief: Ah. In that case, I will just be over here in the corner where I will concentrate on not gaining your ire.
      Black Mage: You do that.
  • The Order of the Stick:
    • #356: villainous lackey Pompey is cheering on the death of the police force when Roy steps up behind him.
      Pompey: You know, technically, I'm just an innocent victim here.
      Roy: Shut up.
      Pompey: Shutting up, yessir.
    • And again in #1256: The heroes are trying to win Serini Toormuck over to their side by agreeing with her that the gods are basically selfish jerkasses. Their paladin teammate Lien keeps disagreeing that the gods are good. Then she realizes that she's not helping:
      Lien: I'm just realizing that it helps us if you agree with what's-his-name so I'm going to be shutting up now.
  • This happens to John in Homestuck, when he attempts to converse with a grimdark Rose.
    John: by the way, did you know that karkat thinks we are supposed to get married?
    Rose: Gorthytch svulk borbly'ahth?
    John: wait! i hope that didn't come off as a proposal or anything! sorry, i'm just making conversation. i guess i am a little nervous... because technically, this is the first time we have ever met, and also, you are talking like an eldritch monster, so i'm kind of babbling. we don't actually have to get married though. i mean, not if you don't want to.
    Rose: ...
    John: heheh. ok, i'll shut up now.
  • Girl Genius: After Moloch makes the mistake of pointing out the logical end-result of the deranged Castle Heterodyne's current line of thinking re: keeping its owners "safe"..
    Agatha: Thank you. For your help.
    Moloch: I'll just..
    Agatha: Shut up?
    Moloch: Yes.

    Web Original 

    Western Animation 
  • In the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episode "A Royal Problem", Starlight Glimmer swaps the cutie marks of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Celestia and Luna decide to go along with it, though Starlight confides it's not like they had much of a choice. The princesses glare at Starlight with a look that could peel paint, to which Starlight meekly says "I'm gonna stop talking now."
    Kerfuffle: I'm Kerfuffle, spelled like it sounds but with a double "ff" for the "fuff"... I should really stop talking now.
  • The Phineas and Ferb episode "Gaming The System", after Harmless Villain Dr. Doofenshmirtz has zapped Perry the Platypus with his Ballgowninator:
    Doofenshmirtz: You know, Perry the Platypus, that dress sort of suits you, if, you know, you just accentuate the positive, as they say... Um... I'm going to stop talking now, I'm moving into a weird area...
  • Looney Tunes:
    • After having had enough of Foghorn Leghorn telling them what to do, the person he has harassed throughout the episode will yell "AHHHH SHADDAP!" while smacking him with the can and he will reply he will shut up while continuing to talk. One cartoon ends this way:
      Foghorn Leghorn: Okay I'll shut up. I'm not one who has to keep talkin'. Some fellas just have to keep their mouths flappin', but not me! I was brought up right, my pa used to tell me "shut up" and I'd shut up! I wouldn't say nothin'! One time, darn-near starved to death... [at this point, the cartoon starts to iris out to end, but the rooster stalls it briefly] Wouldn't tell him I was hungry! [cartoon finally ends]
    • Sometimes, a character does this before instigator then tells them to "Shut up shuttin' up". For example, when Bugs Bunny is confronted by a gangster in "Bugs and Thugs":
      Rocky: Shut up!
      Bugs: Shut u-up? Why certainly! You don't think I'm the type that would keep on blabbin'? Some people never know when to stop. When I'm told to shut up, I shut up...
      Rocky: [sticks gun in Bugs's face] Shut up shut-in' up!
    • Bugs also does it almost the exact same way in an earlier cartoon, "The Fair-Haired Hare", toward Yosemite Sam, who gives the exact same response as Rocky.
  • Beast Wars:
    • One of the numerous Running Gags of the series is Rattrap proclaiming "we're all gonna die!" when a situation looks dire, which would immediately be followed by someone replying "shut up, Rattrap!". In one episode, Rattrap says "we're all gonna die!" and, before anyone else can respond, he adds in "I know, I know, 'shut up Rattrap!'"
    • Subverted in the final episode when the Nemesis is using a tractor beam to pull up the Ark to destroy it in a monstrous bladed mechanism inside the Decepticon warship:
      Rattrap: We're all gonna die.
      Rhinox: Yup.
  • Beast Boy in Teen Titans says this word for word in the first episode with Terra.
  • Used in the The Critic episode "Miserable". Jay uses a cardboard cutout of himself which is hooked up to a clapper to knock out the villain of the episode. However the cardboard cutout's repeated chanting of "Buy my book!" is so incredibly annoying that Jay's best friend Jeremy blows its head off with his gun, saying "It had to be done". When Jay asks why and begins repeating the chant until Jeremy points the gun at him complete with Dramatic Gun Cock. Prompting Jay to say he'll be quiet.
  • Danger Mouse usually says "Penfold, shush," and one episode has Penfold complying saying "Yes sir. I am now in a state of complete shushness."
  • During the Ben 10: Ultimate Alien episode "Video Games", Kevin tells Gwen to back off his car, using an ill-advised analogy of "You have to treat a car like you treat a woman." Gwen's Death Glare immediately prompts a remarkable display of self-control on Kevin's part.

Alternative Title(s): This Trope Will Be Quiet Now

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