History Main / CouldSayItBut

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Dragonlance}}'' short story "Into the Heart of the Story" is a comical tale using inconsistencies in the books to spin an in-universe ConspiracyTheory. At one point, the author points out that the elven bard Quivalen Sath originally had his surname given as Soth, but adds that suggesting a connection to the BlackKnight Lord Soth would be libellous, so he won't.

* Early in ''Literature/HighSchoolDXD'', when Issei is hellbent on rescuing Asia, Rias firmly tells him that even though a Pawn like him could promote behind enemy lines, like at the church Asia was being held in, that wouldn't be enough and he certainly shouldn't go ''alone'', before stepping out with Akeno. Kiba points out to Issei that even an example demarcation counts, and he and Koneko should just go with him. [[spoiler:The person Rias was decieving here was Issei, to maximize his willpower when that was the only thing he had going for him. She and Akeno actually went to the exact same place, neutralizing the guards before the others got there.]]

** This tends to be Uatu the Watcher's shtick. Despite not allowed to interfere into events of the Marvelverse, he finds ways of loopholing his way to help. The heroes have gotten to the point where Uatu can deliver warnings merely by turning visible -- everybody knows that he watches when something truly dangerous or important is happening, so the mere knowledge that he's watching and he wants them to know he's watching is enough.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ 2'', [[Anime/{{MacrossFrontier}} Ozma Lee]] (who is a member of a legitimate organization that's been taken over by a corrupt government) allows [[Anime/{{MobileSuitGundam00}} Setsuna]] (who's an old friend of their's from a previous war, but is technically a terrorist according to their new corrupt bosses) to escape by firing a near miss and loudly ordering his men (who also are old friends and don't really support their boss either) to "Not allow the Gundam to reach the unguarded escape route at point A". Setsuna promptly heads to said unguarded escape route.

--> '''Taylor''': The way you say that...\\
'''Representative''': I said it exactly as I meant it.\\
'''Taylor''': Was it Eidolon?\\
'''Representative''': No.\\
'''Taylor''': Was it Mouse Protector?\\
'''Representative''': No.\\
'''Taylor''': Was it Madison Clements?\\
'''Representative''': No.\\
'''Taylor''': Was it Emma?\\
'''Representative''': Certainly not, she was funded by the same sponsor as you.\\
'''Taylor''': Was it Shadow Stalker?\\
'''Representative''': I can neither confirm nor deny the identity of our sponsor. Please stop asking.

* ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'': Odin tells Thor that, as a King, he cannot officially approve of Thor's decision to stay with Jane, or say how proud of Thor he is for stopping Malekith. "I would speak only from my heart." [[spoiler: He then turns out to be Loki under an illusion, making it more ambiguous.]]

* A variant is used in the ''Literature/JungleDoctor'' story ''Jungle Doctor's Crooked Dealings'' toward the end of the story. A boy who has been central to the story has talked to a friend about what he wants most of all for Christmas but when Jungle Doctor asks the friend what it was, he is told by the friend that the discussion was in confidence. The doctor then gets around this by asking his friend what the boy would most like for Christmas. The friend laughs and says that since it's a different question, he can answer it. The boy gets what he most wants - to have a disfiguring benign facial tumour removed in time for Christmas and to not know that it's going to happen.

'''Grace''' (not looking at Charlotte)''':''' As a District Attorney, it would be inappropriate for me to encourage an illegal act.\\

* In the season seven premiere of ''Series/{{Psych}}'', "Santabarbaratown 2", the gang is looking for a dirty ex-cop who has [[spoiler: shot Henry in the previous episode]]. The Chief calls Shawn into her office and tells him that he's too emotionally involved, so she will ''not'' tell him to go after this cop, even though he's not officially on the case, and she certainly won't mention her belief that Shawn's abilities represent their best hope of catching the guy.

%%* Panelists on ''Series/{{QI}}'' sometimes try to escape forfeits this way - it works ''sometimes'', mostly determined by RuleOfFunny.

[[folder:Religion]]

* This is a key point in episode [[spoiler:Patient Zero: 3]] in ''[[VideoGame/TraumaCenter Trauma Team]]'': in the third phase of the mission, [[spoiler: the government decides to stop the diagnosis of your patient, and he is ordered not to give any more information.]] To get around this, Gabriel and RONI decide to have a "chat" with their "bud", really getting the symptoms that they need. They even manage to [[spoiler: get a visual exam of his chest after the patient integrates fever into his conversation.]]

* Website/SCPFoundation: This occurs with a scientist who helps [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-105 SCP-105]] (scroll to Addendum 3) escape the organization. [[spoiler: It, unfortunately, doesn't last.]]

** Skinner does this accidentally in "Lisa the Vegetarian", when he delivers an address to Lisa's class to respond to Lisa's complaints about the school adopting anti-vegetarian policies:
--->'''Skinner:''' Children, a certain individual, let's say "Lisa S"... no wait, that makes it too obvious, let's say... "L Simpson"...\\
''[the entire class turns to look at Lisa, who {{facepalm}}s]''

[[folder:Film -- Animation]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

--> "I shall never in any way reproach you. You shall never know by deed or word or hint of mine how much you have grieved and wounded your father by refusing to do what he asked."

--> "I wouldn't have a word said against dear old Grib, except that he's a lazy evasive incompetent swine."

* In yet another Creator/BioWare example, ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' has a minor sidequest started by a guard loudly lamenting in the middle of the street that she can't legally do anything about a bunch of scammers peddling 'miracle cures,' coincidentally as [[PlayerCharacter Hawke]] walks by. And at the end of the quest:

---> '''HR:''' I can't discuss the punishments and actions taken against ''former'' employees.

-->'''Leafy:''' [[MotorMouth DrivingacarMinecraftlogointhecornerhisfuckingteeeeeeeeeeth...]] nah, fuck that, I'm not going to be talking about the kid today.
-->'''[=iDubbbz=]:''' NAHHHHHH, I'm not going to be talking about the kid after showing a picture of ''[picture pops up]'' his fucked-up tooth to my millions of followers. A ''zoomed-in'' picture of his snaggletooth. Yeah, I'm not gonna be talking about the kid today. I'm not gonna talk about his fucked-up teeth. His teeth? The fucked-up things in his mouth? I'm not gonna talk about that. That'd be a fucked-up for me thing to do. ''[GrossUpCloseUp of said snaggletooth]'' ''These'' things? Not gonna talk about them, not gonna talk about these nasty, fucked-up things."

* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': While working the FBI surveillance of Wilson Fisk, Dex is shooed out when his boss Tammy Hattley shows up with Agent Winn from OPR and Dex's colleague Ray Nadeem, and they dismiss him to get a cup of coffee. Nadeem quietly exits the room and stops Dex in the hallway outside, and invokes this trope to tell Dex that OPR is sending him out because they want to interview Fisk regarding Dex's actions when thwarting the Albanians' attack on Fisk's motorcade.
-->'''Ray Nadeem:''' It would be inappropriate of me to tell you that the Office of Professional Responsibility has launched an internal investigation into the motorcade attack. It would also be inappropriate of me to tell you that there was a slight discrepancy between your official report and the forensic analysis of the shooting. \\
'''Dex:''' [[SarcasmMode Yeah, and it'd be inappropriate for you to tell me all this.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'': Bob circumvents his insurance company's obstructive attitude to help his customers by saying that he "can't" give them the exact instructions to help them. He even whispers "Pretend to be upset" to the old woman as she leaves.

* In ''Series/TheWalkingDeadTheOnesWhoLive'', Esteban tells Rick that he can't tell him shit about what he wants to know, and that even if he could, what he's about to tell him wouldn't be it.
* In ''Series/WellingtonParanormal'', Officers Minogue and O'Leary encounters Nick, a local vampire, and group of shady men in black robes in a pack, in the dead of night, wielding touches and chating, as they walk in circles around a naked, clearly terrified man, tied to a stake. When Minogue and O'Leary tries to figure out what is happening, Nick's victim tries to appeal to O'Leary and Minogue for help this way, because Nick has used his CompellingVoice to prevent him from calling directly for help. Unfortunately for him, Nick quickly cottons on to what he is trying to do:
-->'''Victim:''' ''[to O'Leary]'' I was hoping that some would come and save me, or just help me. I would like to--\\
'''Nick:''' Tom. ''[waves his hand in front of the victim's face]'' Everything is fine right now.\\
'''Victim:''' ''[to O'Leary; strained]'' Everything is actually fine right now. I'm okay. I ''asked'' to be put on this stake. I'm ''not'' cold, I'm ''not'' afraid, and I'm ''really'' looking forward to what's happening--\\
'''Nick:''' ''[waves his hand once more]'' Don't improvise.