History Main / QuietCryForHelp

->"What kept going through his mind were [[spoiler:Wonse]]'s last words, as he shook the secretary's limp hand. He wondered if anyone else had heard them. Unlikely ... they'd been a shape rather than a sound. [[spoiler:Wonse]] had simply moved his lips around them while staring fixedly at the assassin's moon-tanned face.\\\

The assassin shivered. Why him? As far as he could see there was only one kind of help he was qualified to give, and very few people ever asked for it for themselves".

->''"What kept going through his mind were Wonse's last words, as he shook the secretary's limp hand. He wondered if anyone else had heard them. Unlikely ... they'd been a shape rather than a sound. Wonse had simply moved his lips around them while staring fixedly at the assassin's moon-tanned face.''
->''Help. Me.''
->''The assassin shivered. Why him? As far as he could see there was only one kind of help he was qualified to give, and very few people ever asked for it for themselves".''

** A borderline variant appears in ''Discworld/TheColourOfMagic'': Rincewind tries to take advantage of the fact that only he speaks Twoflower's language to warn him about his choice of lodging.
-->''"Stranger," said Rincewind levelly. "If you stay here you will be knifed or poisoned by nightfall. But don't stop smiling, or so will I."''
** For a more archetypal example, ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' has Lupine Wonse, when he is mind-linked to a monstrously powerful and inhuman dragon and trying to act like he's the dragon's willing spokesman; he mouths the words "Help Me" to the head of the Assassin's Guild. As the assassin reflects, there's usually only one kind of help you seek from an assassin...

* On ''Series/GeneralHospital'', as Brenda is kidnapped by an associate of her ex-boyfriend, he forces her to write a "Dear John" letter to her husband. Brenda complies, but manages to highlight several letters so that the word "HELP" is obvious.

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest,'' Jack speaks in the native tongue of the Pelegostos when Will is brought to him, and doesn't seem to recognise him. When Will is being taken away however, he hisses "Save me!", as the Pelegostos are [[IAmHumanitarian cannibals]] who wish to free the God in Jack's body from his "fleshy prison."

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest,'' Jack speaks in the native tongue of the Pelegostos when Will is brought to him, and he doesnt seem to recognise him. When Will is being taken away however, he hisses "Save me!", as the Pelegostos are [[IAmHumanitarian cannibals]] who wish to free the God in Jack's body from his "fleshy prison."

* In Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest, Jack speaks in the native tongue of the Pelegostos when Will is brought to him, and he doesnt seem to recognise him. When Will is being taken away however, he hisses "Save me!", as the Pelegostos are [[IAmHumanitarian cannibals]] who wish to free the God in Jack's body from his "fleshy prison."

* In PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest, Jack speaks in the native tongue of the Pelegostos when Will is brought to him, and he doesnt seem to recognise him. When Will is being taken away however, he hisses "Save me!", as the Pelegostos are [[IAmHumanitarian cannibals]] who wish to free the God in Jack's body from his "fleshy prison."

* In PiratezOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest, Jack speaks in the native tongue of the Pelegostos when Will is brought to him, and he doesnt seem to recognise him. When Will is being taken away however, he hisses "Save me!", as the Pelegostos are [[IAmHumanitarian cannibals]] who wish to free the God in Jack's body from his "fleshy prison."

* [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37855009 In 2016 in the UK]], posters started popping up in venues for people who feel unsafe or threatened while on a date -- instructing them to go the bar and [[https://www.met.police.uk/AskforAngela "ask for Angela"]], notifying staff and discreetly getting them out of the situation.

This can be a moment of violent MoodWhiplash, as a situation which seemed comfortable or unremarkable is suddenly shown in a completely different light. The person making the plea is evidently desperate or terrified, probably being watched by a hostile third party, and may be taking a risk just by asking for help. In the worst case, the person making the plea is actually physically injured and maybe close to collapse; they may pass out a few seconds later, triggering a race for medical help or even a [[DiedInYourArmsTonight tragic death scene]]. They may even fall over in a way that reveals a previously unseen knife in their back or other serious wound. And even if they aren't hurt yet, they do need that help; if they don't get it, well, PoorCommunicationKills.

* The crew of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Pueblo_(AGER-2)#Pueblo_incident USS Pueblo]] were captured by the North Koreans in 1968, and forced to take propaganda pictures. They did so, while giving a 'Hawaiian good luck sign' with [[FlippingTheBird their middle fingers extended]]. They wrote propaganda letters about how well they were treated, with "We paean the DPRK. We paean the great leader Kim Il Sung." (Pronounced 'pee-on'. The word by word translator did not catch the pun.)

* In ''FantasticFour'' #348, Reed is being held hostage by a Skrull disguised as his wife, who has captured the rest of the FF. He tells his robotic secretary, [[RobotGirl Roberta]], that they're just leaving the Baxter Building for a day trip, [[BatmanGambit and to be sure to tell that to her friends in the Marines]]. Being a robot, Roberta has no friends in the Marines, so she researches the phrase, discovers its colloquial meaning and realises something is wrong. She then finds and frees the rest of the FF, who then rescue Reed.

* * On ''Series/GeneralHospital'', as Brenda is kidnapped by an associate of her ex-boyfriend, he forces her to write a "Dear John" letter to her husband. Brenda complies, but manages to highlight several letters so that the word "HELP" is obvious.

* In the TV movie ''Murder in the Heartland'', Caril Ann Fugate quietly warns away a relative who's turned up at the house where her boyfriend just murdered her family. However she does it so subtly the person spoken to doesn't notice. This doesn't help her case when she's later accused of complicity in the murders.

!Examples:

->"What kept going through his mind were Wonse's last words, as he shook the secretary's limp hand. He wondered if anyone else had heard them. Unlikely ... they'd been a shape rather than a sound. Wonse had simply moved his lips around them while staring fixedly at the assassin's moon-tanned face.

->The assassin shivered. Why him? As far as he could see there was only one kind of help he was qualified to give, and very few people ever asked for it for themselves".
-->-- ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'', Terry Pratchett

* ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy'': When the pair were door-to-door rubber nipple salesmen, they come to the door of Mr. Horse, who informs them that he's got plenty already. But if they have ''walruses'' for sale, he'll gladly take another, holding up the one he's got already.
-->'''Walrus''': [-Callll the poliiiiice-]!

* A comedy version is seen in ''Webcomic/MenageA3'', when [[http://www.ma3comic.com/strips-ma3/so_glad_you_found_me Kiley meets Peggy and Matt while being carried around by the very strong [=DiDi=].]] The joke here is that [=DiDi=] is seeking medical help for the lightly injured Kiley -- but Kiley wants to be saved ''from [=DiDi=],'' having just done her a huge favor. [=DiDi=] can be terribly over-enthusiastic, and doesn't know her own strength.

* In ''Film/CharliesAngels'', Dylan tries to code to her assignment Eric that his female co-hort Vivian, who just walked in the room, is the BigBad using Scrabble tiles ("ENEMY"). Unfortunately for her, [[spoiler: Vivian is actually TheDragon to his Big Bad.]]

* A liquor store owner is being robbed at gunpoint when AntiHero ''Film/{{Hancock}}'' strolls in to buy two large bottles of booze. The owner rings up the sale as $91.10, which Hancock declares outrageous. The owner points to the [=LED=] display- ostensibly to verify the price, but with one finger over the zero so that only "91.1" is visible. Hancock gets the hint, and unsubtly corrects the problem.

* In ''FantasticFour'' #348, Reed is being held hostage by a Skrull disguised as his wife, who has captured the rest of the FF. He tells his robotic secretary, [[RobotGirl Roberta]], that they're just leaving the Baxter Building for a day trip, [[BatmanGambit and to be sure to tell that to her friends in the Marines]]. Being a robot, Roberta has no friends in the Marines, so she references the phrase, discovers its colloquial meaning and realises something is wrong. She then finds and frees the rest of the FF, who then rescue Reed.

* A liquor store owner is being robbed at gunpoint when AntiHero ''Film/{{Hancock}}'' strolls in to buy two large bottles of booze. The owner rings up the sale as $91.10, which Hancock declares outrageous. The owner points to the [=LED=] display ostensibly to verify the price, but with one finger over the zero so that only "91.1" is visible. Hancock gets the hint, and unsubtly corrects the problem.