History Main / SuspiciouslySpecificTense

-->'''Shredder:''' (''smiling evilly through his mask'') Do I?

* In ''Literature/DragonFlight'', creel accidentally reveals that [[spoiler: Shardas]], presumed dead in the first book, is alive by telling another dragon, " why shouldn't I tell[[spoiler: Shardas]]. He and I are friends." " Are?" she then has to tell all, but it works out for the best.

* As stated below, someone who has recently had a loved one die can have trouble processing that information and adjusting verb tenses. In ''Literature/PetSematary'' (novel only, doesn't happen in the movie), Louis (a doctor) uses this, among other details of the conversation, to check Jud's mental functioning after [[spoiler:his wife Norma dies suddenly]]. Jud's doing as well as can be expected, with no reason to worry about his mental health, Louis decides.

** Are you sure it isn't time for another [[UnusualEuphemism 'colorful metaphor']]?

-->'''Dr. Lloyd''': Mrs. Day has been a tower of strength in the parish. Everyone liked her so much. Yes, she was a fine woman.\\
'''Father''': I wish to God you wouldn't talk about Mrs. Day as if she were dead.

* ''Series/TheBarrier'' has a subversion. Marta secretly recently lost her mother. Her father's newest job is being part of the help in a Minister's home, but due to the job opening being for a married couple, Marta's maternal aunt is being passed off as her mother. In one episode, Marta is brought to the Minister's house and ends up playing with Sergio, a boy around her age who lives there. During a conversation with Sergio and Rosa, one of the house's employees, Marta says that her mother "was" a teacher due to not having gotten use to pretending her aunt is her mother quite yet. Fortunately, both Sergio and Rosa understand it as her saying her mother ''used to be'' a teacher before working as a maid.

* ''Series/TheBarrier'' has a subversion. Marta secretly recently lost her mother. Her father's newest job is being part of the help in a Minister's home, but due to the job opening being for a married couple, Marta's maternal aunt is being passed off as her mother. In one episode, Marta is brought to the Minister's house and ends up playing with Sergio, a boy around her age who lives there. During a conversation with Sergio and Rosa, one of the house's employees, Marta says that her mother "was" a teacher. Fortunately, both Sergio and Rosa understand it as her saying her mother ''used to be'' a teacher before working as a maid.

--->'''Death:''' [[AC:Was. ]]

--->'''Death:''' [[AC:I said "was". It's called the past tense. You'll soon get used to it.]]

--->'''Death:''' [[AC:It was the Combination Harvester.]]

--->'''Death:''' [[AC:A poor loser.]]

** At the beginning of ''Discworld/WyrdSisters'', the ghost of King Verence (who hasn't quite realized he's dead yet) takes offense at being hailed with a simple "Hello" by [[TheGrimReaper Death]]:

--->'''Death:''' [[AC: Was. ]]

--->'''Death:''' [[AC: I said "was". It's called the past tense. You'll soon get used to it.]]
** Also done in ''Discworld/ReaperMan'', when the New Death possesses a hay-cutting machine in a last-ditch attempt to get at Death.

''Faye:''' I'm just crammin' my foot further and further down my throat here, aren't I.

* More Suspiciously Specific Pronoun in ''Literature/TheThirteenthTale'' when Vida starts saying "I" instead of referring to Adeline in the third person.

* In an issue of Franchise/SpiderMan, an enforcer and a corrupt gym owner are talking about a boxer who wants to leave the gym, and plotting to kill him.

-->'''Enforcer:''' "Mr. Chance has such promise."
-->'''Owner:''' "He HAD promise. Past tense."

* ''RobinOfSherwood'': Much can't bring himself to say what happened to his father, Robin's stepfather, but he manages to say "He was your father too!" through tears.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}:

* A source of MemeticMutation regarding the ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' website, which when first revealed Lucas, mentioned Ness as a character who appeared in the Smash Bros series "up until now". That phrase coupled with Lucas' obvious similarity to Ness convinced everyone that Ness wasn't coming back. Ultimately Ness did in fact come back.

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[[folder: Literature ]]
* In ''Literature/TheTimeTravelersWife'', Henry accidentally reveals when Claire's mother will die on a jaunt to the past.
* In ''The Growing Pains of Literature/AdrianMole'', Adrian is writing about "Stick Insect", the woman he thinks is his father's ex-mistress: "I have just realized that Stick Insect used the present tense when she was referring to her relationship with my father. [[DramaticIrony It is absolutely disgraceful.]] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint A woman of thirty not knowing the fundamentals of grammar!]]"

* At the beginning of ''Discworld/WyrdSisters'', the ghost of King Verence (who hasn't quite realized he's dead yet) takes offense at being hailed with a simple "Hello" by [[TheGrimReaper Death]]:
-->'''Verence:''' I am a king, mark you.
-->'''Death:''' [[AC: Was. ]]
-->'''Verence:''' Say again?
-->'''Death:''' [[AC: I said "was". It's called the past tense. You'll soon get used to it.]]
* Also done in ''Discworld/ReaperMan'', when the New Death possesses a hay-cutting machine in a last-ditch attempt to get at Death.
-->'''Miss Flitworth:''' What is it?
-->'''Death:''' [[AC:It was the Combination Harvester.]]
-->'''Miss Flitworth:''' ''Was''? What is it now?
-->'''Death:''' [[AC:A poor loser.]]
* As stated below, someone who has recently had a loved one die can have trouble processing that information and adjusting verb tenses. In ''Literature/PetSematary'' (novel only, doesn't happen in the movie), Louis (a doctor) uses this, among other details of the conversation, to check Jud's mental functioning after [[spoiler:his wife Norma dies suddenly]]. Jud's doing as well as can be expected, with no reason to worry about his mental health, Louis decides.
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Gandalf realizes Saruman isn't living in Orthanc after Treebeard uses words such as "was" and "dwelt" in a conversation about Saruman (though Saruman's departure was important enough that it would have been brought up anyway[[TimeDissonance ...eventually]]).
* More Suspiciously Specific Pronoun in ''Literature/TheThirteenthTale'' when Vida starts saying "I" instead of referring to Adeline in the third person.

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[[folder: Real Life ]]

* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Gandalf realizes Saruman isn't living in Orthanc after Treebeard uses words such as "was" and "dwelt" in a conversation about Saruman (though Saruman's departure was important enough that it would have been brought up anyway).

* At a potential crime scene in the "[[Recap/SherlockS01E03TheGreatGame The Great Game]]" episode of ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' where an filled with blood has been discovered, Sherlock questions a woman as to her husband's supposed state of mind leading up to the presumed suicide. She uses past tense when describing him, something he finds suspicious considering they've only ''just'' found the car. John figures that she might have killed him, but Sherlock brushes off the tense as something a murderer [[GenreSavvy would specifically know to get "wrong"]]. [[spoiler:Turns out the husband had faked his own death to avoid money troubles; his wife was in on it and spreading the idea that he was deeply depressed]].

* In an issue of Franchise/SpiderMan, an enforcer and a corrupt gym owner are talking about a boxer who wants to leave the gym.

-->'''Owner:''' "He HAD promise. Past tense." And then they plot to kill him.

* Also in missing persons cases, where the person in question is presumably still alive. Cops get very leery of supposed loved ones not only referring to these people in the past tense, but doing things that indicate that they know the person isn't returning--while being interrogated about the whereabouts of her children (she claimed that they had been kidnapped by a carjacker), Susan Smith repeatedly said, "I loved them, they were my life". She made a similar slip with her estranged husband, asking him "If we get the boys back, can we be a family again?" before quickly correcting herself to say "''When'' we get the boys back. . ." The already suspicious cops picked up on her constant use of past tense and soon came to the correct conclusion that Susan had murdered her children.

-->'''Owner:''' "He HAD promise. Past tense."
And then they plot to kill him.

-->'''Owner:''' "He HAD promise. Past tense." And then they plot to kill him.