History Main / CensorshipBySpelling

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' features a variant that combines this trope with FunWithAcronyms. When Marty the zebra and Alex the lion reunite, they do a MeadowRun towards each other, until Marty realizes Alex's joy at seeing him again has turned to anger towards him for getting them stranded. Marty blurts out [[OhCrap "Oh, sugar honey iced tea!"]] and runs away.

* Josh Blue has a bit about how his parents used to do this around him well into his twenties. The punchline was that he still didn't know what they were talking about.
* Attempted by the Creator/JeffDunham puppet Melvin the Superhero, who claims that he can't curse (and has a somewhat loose definition of "cursing") and tries to spell the word "whore" but thinks that it's spelled "h-o-r-e".
--> '''Jeff:''' That's "w-h-o-r-e".\\
'''Melvin:''' What's a "w-hore"? Is that like a [[Franchise/StarTrek Klingon]]?

* In ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'', Delirium attempts to slyly speak to Despair about their brother Dream in this way. [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Delirium]] being [[TalkativeLoon Delirium]], she spells it D-R-E-A-M-M.
** Later, she calls [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] the D-E-V-E-I-L.

* In one strip of ''ComicStrip/TheFamilyCircus'', one of the kids (probably Billy) wonders whose birthday is approaching since their parents are spelling their words again.
* In one strip of ''ComicStrip/BabyBlues'', Wanda and Darryl spell quite a few food names in front of their kids and then observe that it feels like they've entered a spelling bee.
* From one ''ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS'' strip:
-->'''Henry:''' It's time to take Ruff to the V-E-T for his booster shots.\\
(''Ruff hides under the house's crawl space and Dennis tries to pull him out by his tail.'')\\
'''Dennis:''' See? I told you ol' Ruff can spell.

* In ''[[http://www.potionsandsnitches.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=2924&textsize=0&chapter=2 The Trouble With Harry]]'' Snape tries to have a Floo conversation with Dumbledore without silencing charms while a five-year-old Harry is nearby.
-->'''Snape:''' Why does he know nothing of his ma-- his ''heritage''? Albus, he’s a wiz—''w-i-z-a-r-d'' for Circe’s sake. Surely he’s exhibited some sort of accidental mag—''m-a-g-i-c'' before today.
* In ''[[http://www.potionsandsnitches.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=3254&textsize=0&chapter=4 The Fawn in Cokeworth]]'' a six-year-old Harry's grandfather ends up in the hospital and Snape takes Harry to visit him.
-->'''Joseph Evans:''' I'm hanging in there. They say it's my heart. I'm scheduled for S-U-R-G-E-R-Y tomorrow, and they'll want to keep me for at least another couple of days after that, for observation.

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13127720/1/Bring-On Bring On]]'':
-->'''Ted:''' Well. Outsmarted by our little girl. How's it feel, Andy?\\
'''Andromeda:''' Strange. But pleasant, I think.\\
'''Ted:''' It won't be when she's a t-e-e-n-a-g-e-r, so we might as well enjoy it now.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' fanfic ''Fanfic/MustLoveNedFlanders'', Ned describes Smithers as "g-a-y".
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5634790/23/Serendipity Serendipity]]'' Snape, who's been accidentally turned into a baby, screams when Harry pays attention to his godson Teddy.
-->'''Sirius:''' Sounds like somebody's getting a bit J-E-A-L-O-U-S to me.

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14168026/2/A-Ghost-s-Revenge A Ghost's Revenge]]'':
-->''Lily:''' I don't think I'm a regular ghost. I think I'm Harry's protective magic. When Voldemort came to... k.i.i.l. my son, I put a protective spell on him that required me to... d.i.e. and it would save Harry. I think I'm a ghost that manifested from that spell. I remember everything up until the moment I... d.i.e.d.

* In ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'', Pongo suggests getting the puppies to bed so he and Perdita can go out on a W-A-L-K. While not explicitly stated whether the puppies know how to spell, a couple of them do beg to stay up and join their parents on the walk.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'':
** "Wow, just take a look at those E-A-R-S..." (which is then completely undone when one of the other elephants, not understanding, thinks it over and then blurts out: "Oh! EARS!")
** And then, a little bit later...
-->"It's all the fault of that little F-R-E-A-K." [[RunningGag (Again, the same elephant blurts out the word just spelled.)]]

* From the 1973 AnimatedAdaptation of ''Literature/CharlottesWeb'':
-->'''Fern:''' ''[about Wilbur]'' Papa let me keep him. He was the R-U-N-T.
* Occurs in ''WesternAnimation/RecessSchoolsOut''. The scene starts at breakfast, where T.J. is brokenhearted about being alone that summer without his friends, who were all at camp. His sister comes down, and this is when it occurs:
-->'''Becky:''' Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad... bye, T-''jerk''.\\
'''Mrs. Detweiler:''' Now, Becky, I want you to be nice to your brother; he's feeling S-A-D right now.\\
'''T.J.:''' [[DeadpanSnarker I can spell, Mom.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBossBaby'', at dinner with his parents and the Boss Baby, Tim tells his parents that he needs to talk with them alone about the "[[BookDumb B-A-B-E-E]]." Later, the Boss Baby refers to Tim on the phone as the "K-I-D."
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' features a variant that combines this trope with FunWithAcronyms. When Marty the zebra and Alex the lion reunite, they do a MeadowRun towards each other, until Marty realizes Alex's joy at seeing him again has turned to anger towards him for getting them stranded. Marty blurts out [[OhCrap "Oh, sugar honey iced tea!"]] and runs away.

* In ''Film/BigFish'', one boy proclaims "That's bull-S-H-I-T, that is" as only a kid from the {{Main/Deep South}} can.
* In ''Film/EasyA'', Olive is trying to tell her parents why she got detention (use of a certain word in class) at the dinner table, in front of her much younger brother. Her parents tell her to spell the word with her peas.

* Subject of a joke in ''Film/OBrotherWhereArtThou'' where a father tries to explain what happened to his missing wife in front of his son: "she done R-U-N-N-O-F-T". A couple of scenes later the son reveals he knew exactly what was (trying) to be said when he attempts to do the same.

* In ''Film/OneHundredAndTwoDalmatians'', Chloe did not want to offend the [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer spotless dalmatian Oddball]] by mentioning spots, so she uses S-P-O-T-S in a scene when Oddball is with her.
* In ''Film/TheBigHeat'', the hero to his wife: "According to the book, you should lead her [the daughter] to B-E-D..."
* In ''Film/DaddyDayCare'', Charlie discreetly tells his wife that he lost his J-O-B at the dinner table.

* In one scene of ''Film/TheShapeOfWater'', Mrs. Strickland suggests getting the kids a P-U-P-P-Y. Her husband isn't listening.
* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in Film/RoleModels'' when Wheeler and Danny are arguing on the elevator in front of a mom and her young son:
-->'''Wheeler:''' You are an S-H-I-T-T-Y friend.
-->'''Mom:''' He can spell.
* In ''Film/MrsBrownYouveGotALovelyDaughter'', a neighbor tells Herman, "You know what that welfare lady said. Gran ought to go to the old people's H-O-M-E." Herman's grandmother, who was listening from the other room, yells, "I'm not going to any bleeding old folks' H-O-M-E!"
* PlayedForDrama in ''Film/SayAnything'', when Lloyd and his sister get into an argument in front of her son Jason (she wants him to be an uncle and not a playmate to Jason, he wishes she could be more fun like she used to be):
-->'''Lloyd''': I mean, I'm sorry that T-I-M left you. But I am ''not'' T-I-M!

* Inverted in ''[[Literature/HenryHuggins Henry and Ribsy]]''. Henry Huggins has no idea what Ramona means when she hears everyone talking about "PTA" and insists that she wants some. Beezus figures out that Ramona thinks that they're spelling out something tasty, like "c-o-o-k-i-e-s" or "c-a-n-d-y". This leads to them having to buy a snack for Ramona and telling her that it's PTA.
* In ''The Hen of the Baskervilles'' from the ''Literature/MegLangslowMysteries'', Meg and her family do this when discussing sensitive topics in earshot of Meg's twins. At one point, they spell out i-c-e c-r-e-a-m, only for one of the twins to immediately start babbling about ice cream, but Meg assures the others that the twins are always asking for "ice cream" and it doesn't mean that they're learning to spell.
* In ''Double Vision: Code Name 711'', a children's spy/mystery thriller book, the main characters are searching for a "Dangerous Double," a coat worn by George Washington that has the power to make one invincible against bullet and other attacks. One of them asks the main character, "Did you find the ''c-o-a-t''?" and he points out "I'm sure if any bad guys are listening in, they know how to spell."
* In ''Literature/UnderTheDome'', Carolyn Sturge does it with the word "dope" in front of two kids, Alice and Aidan, but it doesn't work, because Alice can spell.
-->'''Carolyn:''' Before we go making any charges, Thurse, you want to remember that we had D-O-P-E.\\
'''Alice:''' Dope! Our mom smokes marijuana some­times, because it helps when she's having her P-E-R-I-O-D.

* In ''Literature/JunieBJones Is (almost) a Flower Girl'', Junie B's mother looks at her father and says "I think someone is s-l-e-e-p-y." Junie B. tells her that she's a grown-up lady and she knows how to spell. "And so I am not one bit ''slippery''. So there."
* In ''Return to Literature/PlanetTad'', the title character, Tad, agrees to dress up as his high school's mascot, a shark, only to learn that he has to dance to complicated routines taught to him by the school cheerleaders. When he fails miserably during rehearsals, one of them comments "I can't believe he's this A-W-F-U-L," leading him to state "I can understand when you spell words out."
* In ''Star Wreck IV: Live Long and Profit'' by Leah Rewolinski, La Forgery, discussing Dacron's relationship with Counsellor Troit, spells out "F-U-L-L-Y F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N-A-L" so Westerly won't understand. And he doesn't.

* In the ''Literature/{{Mog}}'' book, "Mog and the V.E.T.", Mr Thomas says "V_E_T" instead of "Vet", because Mog hates going to the vet but he reckons she can't spell.

* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': Played with in "Nature Calls" when Fran and Earl argue over who will change Baby's diaper:
-->'''Fran:''' I don't want to argue in front of the B-A-B-Y.\\
'''Earl:''' Well I'm not changing another D-A-I... no wait... D-I-A...\\
(''Baby used some blocks to write "They think I can't spell."'')
* In ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' when Earl sleeps with Joy, Joy and Earl have this conversation in front of Earl Jr.
-->'''Earl:''' I have to tell him [Darnell].\\
'''Joy:''' Like H-E-double-L you do.\\
'''Earl:''' I can't live like this Joy, he needs to know we... H-A-D sex together.\\
'''Joy:''' That is B-U-double-L honkey!
* PlayedForDrama in ''Series/CriminalMinds'' episode "100". Hotch is on the phone with his wife Haley after learning that she and their son Jack are held hostage by [[spoiler:George Foyet a.k.a. The Reaper]].
-->'''Hotch:''' He's just trying to make you angry.\\
[[spoiler:'''Foyet:''']] Well she should be! She's gonna ''(covers Jack's ears and lowers his voice)'' D-I-E because of your inflated ego!
* From ''Series/{{Lost}}'':
-->'''Hurley:''' ''(glances at the [[NotInFrontOfTheKid ten-year-old Walt]])'' But what about the B-O-D-Y-S?\\
'''Michael:''' What are you trying to spell man, bodies?\\
'''Walt:''' B-O-D-I-E-S.
* From ''Series/{{Friends}}'':
-->'''Joey:''' ''(after walking into Monica and Chandler's apartment and hearing them having sex instead of babysitting Emma)'' You can't have S-E-X when you're looking after a B-A-B-I-E!

* In an episode of ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'', Darrin sees Endora playing with his daughter Tabitha and using magic. He says "Stop using M-A-G-I-C in front of my daughter or she'll grow up to be a W-I-T-C-H".
* There's an example in one of ''Series/TheComicStripPresents'' episodes, possibly "The Beat Generation".
-->'''Girl:''' I'm having my P-E-R-I-O-D.\\
'''Boy:''' Pernod?
* Annie tries this and fails in the ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode "[[Recap/CommunityS6E01Ladders Ladders]]", when she says Abed is not comfortable with C-H-A-N-G-E; Abed understands it perfectly, while Chang thinks she's talking about him and gets offended.
* Sybil in the ''Series/FawltyTowers'' episode "[[Recap/FawltyTowersS2E6BasilTheRat Basil the Rat]]" says they might have to put Manuel's rat "to S-L-E-E-P," to which Manuel responds, "Spleep?"
* In ''Series/FatherTed'', Mrs. Doyle mentions having met a couple while on pilgrimage who said the trip did them the world of good, because "They were a bit obsessed with the old S-E-X!"

* Played with in the ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode "Parallel Universe", where it turns out that the Cat's alternate-universe counterpart is a Dog:
-->'''Cat:''' When's the last time you took a bath?\\
'''Dog:''' Oh, please, don't say that word!\\
'''Cat:''' What, "bath?"\\
'''Dog:''' You said it again. Now listen up: if you're gonna say that word in front of me, please, spell it.\\
'''Cat:''' When's the last time you took a B-A-T-H?\\
'''Dog:''' ... what's that?

* Played with on ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'':
-->'''Dick:''' Dr. Albright has already RSVP'd.\\
'''Harry:''' You said you'd stop spelling in front of me.
* In one episode of ''Series/{{Frasier}}'', Martin tries to keep Eddie from running every time the word "vet" is mentioned by invoking this trope. [[AmplifiedAnimalAptitude It doesn't work.]]

* Subverted in a segment on ''Series/TheDailyShow'' segment, where Samantha Bee has her young son standing right next to her (it's Take Your Child to Work Day) while talking about torture methods:
-->'''Sam:''' When a bound and naked prisoner has electrodes attached to...\\
'''Jon:''' ''(interrupting)'' Okay, Sam, Sam, Sam...\\
'''Sam:''' Oh, I'm sorry. To his T-E-S-T-I-C-L-E-S... testicles.
* One episode of ''Series/{{Benson}}'', in which the title character is MistakenForDying, has Clayton try to use this method to keep this information from Katie. It doesn't work.
-->'''Clayton:''' Ah, Miss Kraus. Have you heard from the... D-O-C-T-O-R?\\
'''Katie:''' Clayton, that was S-T-U-P-I-D.
* Played hilariously straight in ''Series/{{Mongrels}}'':
-->'''Marion:''' Every time humans take an animal to the so-called V.E.T.S. they end up...at the vets.

* In the ''Series/YesDear'' episode, "One Fish, Two Fish, Dead Fish, Blue Fish", We get this exchange after Sammy's pet fish dies suddenly:
-->'''Kim:''' Where's the fish?\\
'''Greg:''' Shhh! Don't talk about the F-I-S-H!\\
'''Kim:''' Oh no, is he D-E-A-D already?

* The "Annual Rural Music Awards Show" skit from ''Series/TheCarolBurnettShow'' features [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Donna Cargo]] (Vicki Lawrence) singing "S-P-L-I-T" (an obvious parody of Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E").
-->''We'll take his brand new\\
C-A-D-I-double L-A-C\\
and leave an N-O-T-E saying\\
"Drop D-E-A-D!"''

* ''Series/TheAddamsFamily''
** Morticia says that her plant Cleopatra is not very "S-M-A-R-T".
** Gomez suggests they call the "P-O-L-I-C-E" when they think Wednesday is missing.
** When Uncle Fester claims to have turned Pugsley into a chimp (he hasn't but he thought he did), Morticia says "I think he's D-R-U-N-K".
** Meanwhile when someone tries to do this around 6-year-old Wednesday, with "B-O-O-Z-E", she just announces that that spells "booze".
* ''Series/TheInbetweeners'': Simon tries this when talking about getting weed for a gig they're going to:
-->'''Simon:''' And most importantly, I need to be someone who does D-R-U-G-S\\
'''Will:''' Shhh! My mum is home.\\
'''Simon:''' So?\\
'''Will:''' She can spell.
* ''Series/HappyDays'': Howard tells Marion that now's not the time to get "F-R-I-S-K-Y", but then Joanie says, "They think we can't spell."
* In an episode of the Mexican sitcom ''Series/ElChavoDelOcho'', when Quiko is doing a "magic" trick:
-->'''Quiko:''' Chilindrina hand me the ''caja'' [[note]]Caja is Spanish for box, in this case a cardboard box.[[/note]].\\
'''Chilindrina:''' The What?\\
'''Quiko:''' ''Caja!'' [[ToiletHumour C-A-G-A,]] [[note]] Quiko spelled caga, a verb that translates to "to shit."[[/note]] ''caja!''
* ''Series/{{Reba}}'':
** During the first season, while rallying Van to pass his exams so he can keep being a football player, Brock tries to spell "ass" while Jake is around. Unfortunately for him...
--->'''Jake:''' ''[excitedly]'' I know what that spells!
** Later on within the same episode, when Brock asks Van about his history exam:
--->'''Brock:''' How did it go?\\
'''Van:''' I got my A-double-S kicked.
** At the end of a fifth-season episode, after Van has a bad day at house-brokering after Reba talks Brock out of selling his house:
--->'''Van:''' Well, Mrs. H, I hope you're H-A-P-P-Y.\\
'''Reba:''' No, I'm C-R-A-B-B-Y.
* On an episode of ''Series/PartyOfFive'', Claudia does this in front of Owen when talking about the p-a-r-t-y they're having for his birthday.
* ''Series/TheBrittasEmpire'': In "[[Recap/TheBrittasEmpireS6E5WeAllFallDown We All Fall Down]]", Carole does this when she doesn't want her eldest child Ben to hear the word "out".
-->'''Penny''': Are you sure you wouldn't like that outside?
-->'''Carole''': Please, Mrs. Bidmead, don't mention O-U-T. Ben's happy. If he thinks he has to go O-U-T, he'll put his head down his sleeping bag for weeks.

-->'''Woman:''' ''[about a nearby girl]'' She's not very P-R-E-T-Y, is she?\\

* Defied in ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One'': "How's everything going with N-E-F-A-" "I can spell, you morons."

* ''WebVideo/JonathanPie'' episode "Teaching Is Hard": [[spoiler: Pie tries this to avoid swearing in front of a small child. The child then spends the rest of the episode working out what he spelled.]]

* From ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'', while in front of Scrooge's business partner while Fenton Crackshell is pretending to be Scrooge:
-->'''Mrs. Featherby:''' There was an emergency phone call. The workers at the skateboard factory are on S-T-R-I-K-E.\\
'''Fenton:''' Strik? Streak? What? I'm a lousy speller!
* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Farmer Guy":
-->'''Lois:''' Meth? As in D-R-U-G-S? Aren't those I-L-L-E-G-A-L?\\
'''Stewie:''' What's going on? What are you guys talking about?\\
'''Lois:''' Uh oh, someone's getting cranky. ''[picks up Stewie]'' I think he needs an N-A-P.\\
'''Stewie:''' What's happening? Where are you taking me? Man, I got to crack this code.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'' episode "Sacred Cow", when Bob keeps a cow in the house:
-->'''Linda:''' Bob, I am not comfortable with this situation.\\
'''Bob:''' Lin, what was I supposed to do? I had that crazy dream, it was raining...\\
'''Linda:''' Well, I had a crazy dream that there wouldn't be a cow's A-S-S in my face when I'm eating my breakfast.\\
'''Louise:''' ''[whispering to Tina]'' I know what that spells.\\
'''Tina:''' Ass.\\
'''Louise:''' Ass. Mom, heh... ASS.\\
'''Linda:''' Stop it.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'':
** From "Chuckie Vs. The Potty'':
--->'''Didi:''' We'll take care of Chuckie and we'll make sure he uses his P-O-T-T-Y.\\
'''Chas:''' His what? Oh. Oh, yeah. Well... okay.
** From "The Baby Vanishes", when Drew and Didi try to ignore Angelica to discipline her for her bad behavior:
--->'''Drew:''' There's something very W-E-I-R-D going on here.\\
'''Didi:''' Uh-uh, Drew. Everything's F-I-N-E.
* A beautiful example in ''WesternAnimation/{{Sixteen}}''
-->'''Jude:''' There's sex in H-E-R-E. [[LampshadeHanging I spelled the wrong word]].

* From the ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' sketch, "Fruity Fables":
--> '''Arthur:''' Barry! Just where the H-E-C-Letter-that-comes-after-J have you been?
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'' the younger cast sang a song about the history of the British royals to the tune of "Greensleeves/What Child Is This":
-->''In Fifteen-Hundred and Forty-Seven\\
Henry the Eighth went up to Heaven,\\
Or maybe because of his dirty tricks,\\
He went to H-E-Double Hockey Sticks.''
* In the ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' episode "Subterranean Sonic", Sonic disguises himself as an accountant to trick Scratch and Grounder, which leads to this exchange:
-->'''Sonic:''' I see you haven't filed or declared, you haven't deducted your Y-O-Us, your A-R-Es, or your S-O-Stroke-S-T-U-P-I-Ds.\\
'''Grounder:''' Oh, is that bad?
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'':
** Employed by Fred whenever he has to take Dino to the V-E-T-E-R-I-N-A-R-I-A-N. Unfortunately, [[AmplifiedAnimalAptitude Dino knows how to spell]].
** In "[[Recap/TheFlintstonesS4E4DinoDisappears Dino Disappears]]", when Wilma has trouble feeding an inconsolable Pebbles after Dino runs away.
--->'''Wilma:''' Oh, Fred, we've just got to get Dino back. Pebbles hasn't stopped C-R-Y-I-N-G.
--->'''Betty:''' She's very U-P-S-E-T.
--->'''Barney:''' I can see what her trouble is. She's not [[MisspellingOutLoud E-T-I-N]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'', when Jane is out shopping for a robot maid, the salesman introduces her to one of their older models, Rosie. He notes how Rosie is a dedicated worker even if she’s a bit “H-O-M-E-L-Y”. Unfortunately for him, Rosie is clearly smart enough to know how to spell, [[ServileSnarker and promptly lays into him.]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/LittleDogsOnThePrairie'' short "Cheating", Hollister does this with Darcy's name twice in a row when telling Gilroy that he suspects that she was the one who actually cheated on the spelling tests that Sport and Scout were accused of cheating on.
* Cartman at one point on ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' tries to do this while badmouthing Kyle (who is Jewish) within the latter's earshot. Because Cartman is an idiot, [[MisspellingOutLoud he spells it out as "J-O-O"]].

* Cartman at one point on ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' tries to do this while badmouthing Kyle (who is Jewish) within the latter's earshot. Because Cartman is an idiot, he spells it out as "J-O-O".

** In "[[Recap/TheFlintstoneS4E4DinoDisappears Dino Disappears]]", when Wilma has trouble feeding an inconsolable Pebbles after Dino runs away.

** In "[[Recap/TheFlintstonesS4E4DinoDisappears Dino Disappears]]", when Wilma has trouble feeding an inconsolable Pebbles after Dino runs away.

** In "Dino Disappears", when Wilma has trouble feeding an inconsolable Pebbles after Dino runs away.

'''Quiko:''' ''Caja!'' [[{{Toilet Humour}} C-A-G-A,]] [[note]] Quiko spelled caga, a verb that translates to "to shit."[[/note]] ''caja!''

* From ''Film/TheMuppets (2011)'':

* In ''ComicBook/TheSandman'', Delirium attempts to slyly speak to Despair about their brother Dream in this way. [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Delirium]] being [[TalkativeLoon Delirium]], she spells it D-R-E-A-M-M.

[[folder:W-e-b C-o-m-i-c-s]]

This can also be done with animals (e. g., mentioning a C-A-T within earshot of the dog).

-->'''Kitty:''' Well, I hope you're happy, Red Forman, because we are leaving! You two, get your A-S-S-es back to the car! (''to models'') You two, get your B-double-O-Bs off my husband!

* ''Series/TheBrittasEmpire'': In "[[Recap/TheBrittasEmpireS6E5WeAllFallDown We All Fall Down]]", Carole does this when she doesn't her eldest child Ben to hear the word "out".

* Cartman at one point tries this while badmouthing Kyle (who is Jewish) within the latter's earshot. Because Cartman is an idiot, he spells it out as "J-O-O".

* During the introduction to ''1931: Scheherazade at the Library of Pergamum'' choosing to take the subway at a certain point results in discovering that the title character left all her tokens at home. If you decide to jump the turnstile, she makes a whispered aside to her friend.

* The children's song "X and Y sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G,..."

* In [[https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/trick-or-treat this]] ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' comic, a father tries to use this to hide the fact that he's buying Halloween candy from his daughter. When that fails, he tries ''[[UpToEleven encryption]]''.

'''The Mad Hatter:''' [[SpotOfTea TEEAA!?]]

* In the ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'' episode, "Nature Calls", when Fran is tired of changing Baby's diapers and wants Earl to do this as well, they argue over it.:
-->'''Fran:''' We'll discuss this later. I don't want to lose my temper in front of the B-A-B-Y.\\
'''Earl:''' Okay, but I'm telling you right now, I'm not changing anymore D-I-P... no, wait, D-A-I... no, no, no, D-A-P... no, no, no...\\
'''Baby:''' ''[spelling out with alphabet blocks]'' [[BreakingTheFourthWall THEY THINK I CANT SPELL]]