History Main / CoveringForTheNoise

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicSchoolBus'' episode "Cold Feet", the class go undercover to a reptile sanctuary, with the Bus posing as an alligator and Phoebe pretending to be its owner. While Phoebe talks to Harry Herps, the man running the place, Arnold (who is in the bus) speaks out. Harry wonders who just spoke, to which Phoebe covers by saying "I said I hope she's not too fat."
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment", Homer sets up a beer brewery in his basement and their combustibility causes a lot of explosions to resonate through the house. Homer covers for the explosions to pretend it's his own stomach gas, though Marge doesn't buy it for a second.

* There was an Australian mini-series ''The Bite'' about a couple recruited by the Federal Police to help them investigate a drug-smuggling operation. The wife is given a recorder which gives a loud beep during the conversation with the villains. Fortunately she improvised by pretending it was a toy belonging to their children that had been left on. She makes sure to give the AFP a piece of her mind at the embassy.

* In the 1999 animated adaptation of ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', Zhu Bajie was supposed to be pretending to be a mute to remain undercover. However when he speaks in agreement and almost tips off the authorities, Sun Wukong covers for him by saying that was the sound of his stomach growling.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS4E14TheNextDoctor The Next Doctor]]", the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to scan for stuff, but tries to hide this fact from Jackson Lake. Whenever Jackson asks about the strange sound, the Doctor covers by saying it was his whistling and proceeds to imitate the sound.

* In ''Film/CarryOnEngland'', one of the women of a mixed anti-aircraft battery is hiding in the loft space of the men's barracks while the commanding officer carries out a surprise inspection. She sneezes, and when the commanding officer asks who sneezed, one of the men claims to be ventriloquist and that he sneezed while throwing his voice into the loft space.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', Quasimodo is hiding a wounded Phoebus under his table when Frollo comes to visit. As Quasimodo starts eating the grapes Frollo brought, Phoebus moans, and Quasi tries to cover it up by going "Mmmm!". When Phoebus keeps moaning, Quasimodo kicks him under the table and pretends to be choking on seeds.

* In ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', Quasimodo is hiding a wounded Phoebus under his table when Frollo comes to visit. As Quasimodo starts eating the grapes Frollo brought, Phoebus moans, and Quasi tries to cover it up by going "Mmmm!". When Phoebus keeps moaning, Quasimodo kicks him under the table and pretends to be choking on seeds.

[[folder:Film- Animated]]

[[folder:Film- Live Action]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'': The Dursleys have invited guests and ordered Harry to stay upstairs without revealing his existence. Naturally, this is the moment Dobby chooses to enter and make a lot of noise by hitting his head against the wall in self-punishment (ruining the punchline of Vernon's "Japanese golfer" joke). Vernon attempts to cover for this by claiming Dudley left his TV on (as far as he knows, Harry is deliberately making noise). In the film adaptation, Vernon instead insists it was the family cat making the banging noises.
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--> Prince George: [on seeing her attractiveness] Core, Crikey!
--> Maiden: What was that? Is someone else there?
--> Blackadder: No my love, it was but the wind...cooooore.....crrrriiii-kkkeey!
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'' the episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS4E14TheNextDoctor The Next Doctor]]" had the Doctor using his sonic screwdriver but kept trying to hide this fact from Jackson Lake. Whenever Jackson asks about the strange sound, the Doctor covers by saying it was his whistling and proceeds to imitate the sound.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film- Animated]]
* In ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', Quasimodo is hiding a wounded Phoebus under his table when Frollo comes to visit. As Quasimodo starts eating the grapes Frollo brought, Phoebus moans, and Quasi tries to cover it up by going "Mmmm!". When Phoebus keeps moaning, Quasimodo kicks him under the table and pretends to be choking on seeds.
* In ''The Secret of Anastasia'', Anastasia has been living with talking musical instruments. On the train out of Russia, she meets former royal general Vladimir. During her conversation with him, the tuba makes a few comments, which eventually catches Vlad's attention. In order to keep her instruments a secret, she pretends it was her that made the comment, using the excuse that she "throws her voice".
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* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'': The Dursleys have invited guests and ordered Harry to stay upstairs without revealing his existence. Naturally, this is the moment Dobby chooses to enter and make a lot of noise by hitting his head against the wall in self-punishment (ruining the punchline of Vernon's "Japanese golfer" joke). Vernon attempts to cover for this by claiming Dudley left his TV on (as far as he knows, Harry is deliberately making noise).
** In the film adaptation, Vernon instead insists it was the family cat making the banging noises.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': The Dursleys have invited guests and ordered Harry to stay upstairs without revealing his existence. Naturally, this is the moment Dobby chooses to enter and make a lot of noise by hitting his head against the wall in self-punishment (ruining the punchline of Vernon's "Japanese golfer" joke). Vernon attempts to cover for this by claiming Dudley left his TV on (as far as he knows, Harry is deliberately making noise).

Compare CacophonyCoverUp, which has some overlap, and CoughSnarkCough, where someone is covering up their own snark with their fake coughing.

R* In ''Film/CarryOnEngland'', one of the women of a mixed anti-aircraft battery is hiding in the loft space of the men's barracks while the commanding officer carries out a surprise inspection. She sneezes, and when the commanding officer asks who sneezed, one of the men claims to be ventriloquist and that he sneezed while throwing his voice into the loft space.

Sometimes, a character just isn't meant to be speaking. Maybe they have to be stealthy and silent. Maybe they're an AnimateInanimateObject or TalkingAnimal, and they aren't supposed to let their secret out. Or, maybe they just have a history of [[OpenMouthInsertFoot saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.]] Whatever the reason, they're meant to stay quiet.

[[SoMuchForStealth They don't.]] They feel the need to make a comment, or they cough, or they make a noise in general, which catches the attention of who they're trying not to talk to. Their friend, to keep up the act, will be forced to cover for them.

This can take a few forms, with two main patterns. If they need to cover for a friend speaking, they will claim it was their voice or perhaps quickly talk over them to distract the third party. Often times the character is a BadLiar forced to make something up on the spot. Common excuses include having a cold or putting on a different voice- HilarityEnsues if their voices are completely different. If they're trying to cover for a noise in general, they will pretend something else, ''anything'' else, made the sound, such as the wind or an animal. This may also occur if someone is trying to hide something they're doing, but end up causing noise in the process. Despite the ridiculous cover-stories, the third party will almost always fall for it.

However, though this trope easily lends itself to comedy, it can just as easily be PlayedForDrama if the situation is serious.

Compare CacophonyCoverUp, where someone is covering their own noise with extra noise.
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!!Examples:

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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* In the 1999 animated adaptation of ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', Zhu Bajie was supposed to be pretending to be a mute to remain undercover. However when he speaks in agreement and almost tips off the authorities, Sun Wukong covers for him by saying that was the sound of his stomach growling.

[[folder:Film- Live Action]]
* In ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'', the kids cough, bang on the tables, and make sound effects to cover the noise Bender is making as he tries to crawl under the library tables back to his seat without the principal realizing he's not following the rule about staying seated at all times during detention.
* In ''Film/CarryOnEngland'', one of the women of a mixed anti-aircraft battery is hiding in the loft space of the men's barracks while the commanding officer carries out a surprise inspection. She sneezes, and when the commanding officer asks who sneezed, one of the men claims to be ventriloquist and that he sneezed while throwing his voice into the loft space.
* ''Film/ChristopherRobin'': Often when Pooh spoke to a person besides Christopher, Christopher would have to cover it up by speaking quickly over him. However, when his annoying neighbor spotted him carrying Pooh in his coat, he had to pretend Pooh was a sick cat. When Pooh started talking, he insisted it was his own voice, just changed to sound like Pooh's.
* Played with in ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'', where Ape first presents himself as a TalkingAnimal to Ursula, but when she keeps fainting in shock at this revelation, he opts to act like a proper ape whenever she shows up and quickly drops his human-like behavior.
* In ''Film/TheGreatEscape'', the prisoners of war disguise the noise they are making whilst mining out a tunnel, by having a couple of stooges drive a giant stake into the ground outside, in full view of the Nazi guards. [[PlotHole What excuse the stooges had on hand to satisfy any inquisitive Nazis is anyone's guess]].

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Compare CacophonyCoverUp, which has some overlap, and CoughSnarkCough, where someone is covering up their own snark with their fake coughing.