Line #104 Main/RepeatToConfirm


1	->'''Joel:''' ''[as a naval officer]'' Move three quarters of an inch to the left, sailor.\
2	'''Crow:''' ''[as a sailor]'' Moving three quarters of an inch to the left, sir. Sir, coming on three quarters of an inch to the left, sir.\
3	'''Joel:''' ''[as a naval officer]'' Hold still at three quarters of an inch to the left.\
4	'''Crow:''' ''[as a sailor]'' Aye, sir. Holding steady at three quarters of an inch to the left.\
5	'''Joel:''' ''[as a naval officer]'' Very well.\
6	'''Tom:''' Navy: It's not just a job; it's a Type-A personality development course.
7	-->-- ''Fanfic/TomSwiftAndHisWarTank''
8
9	Troper, [[JustForFun/DescribeTopicHere describe the trope Repeat to Confirm!]]
10
11	[[SelfDemonstratingArticle Describe Repeat to Confirm]], Aye, Sir! By repeating an order back to the one that gives it, one confirms that the order has been correctly received and understood, so any mistakes in communication can be fixed before the order is executed. It also impresses bystanders with the speakers' professionalism and steadiness, under stressful conditions.
12
13	This practice can also be used to signal that the order has been executed. This is usually the case for orders that are easily performed and reversible, but makes it amply clear to the one giving the order that it has been executed. In some cases the order is repeated both as confirmation of receipt and then as to its execution.
14
15	Care should be taken to perform this in a steady and confident way, otherwise it risks being interpreted as ParrotExposition. It may appear in cases of LikeASurgeon.
16
17	As TruthInTelevision, this is a type of standard military procedures, officially called "Read Back For Check" when used over radio. It is especially prevalent in the Navy and Air Force, both of which operate complex vehicles. For the same reason, it's also common in civilian aviation.
18
19	----
20
21	!!"List the examples, Troper."\
22	"List the examples, yes, sir!"
23
24	[[foldercontrol]]
25
26	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
27	* Ubiquitous due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aizuchi Aizuchi]], a form of interjection for the listener to confirm that they are paying attention, which can range from single words to repeating whole sentences.
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Fanfic]]
31	* In ''Fanfic/{{Conquest}}'' (after a starship is partially infected with the Borg):
32	-->"Eviscerator Three, this is Jaina. You are to open fire on our starboard side. Twenty four heavy turbolaser shots, on the following co-ordinates." She began punching in co-ordinates.\
33	A confused voice cracked through the communications system. "Please confirm, Lady Jaina. We are to fire upon your ship?"\
34	"Yes, you are to fire on us. Now."
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
38	* In ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'', Smee repeats Captain Hook's orders as he calls out the coordinates for shooting down Peter and the Darlings. Smee even begins to repeat Hook's command to fire, but stops himself and plugs his ears in anticipation of the cannon firing.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
42	* ''Film/CommandoCodySkyMarshalOfTheUniverse'' (1953 FilmSerial). Dick Preston, the copilot for Cody's rocketship, does this all the time, except at the [[EverybodyLaughsEnding end of one chapter]] where Cody asks him to repeat some {{Technobabble}} he's just spouted off, only for Dick to admit that he can't.
43	* ''Film/WarGames'': This happens repeatedly at the beginning of the movie when two SAC missile crewmen receive an order to launch their missiles. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1I7rGsr2KE#t=1m5s Watch it here.]]
44	* In most naval films, including ''Film/ToraToraTora'', ''Film/CrimsonTide'', ''Film/{{U 571}}'', and ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'', the captain will give an order, and the first officer or gunnery officer will repeat it. For example, almost every WWII submarine and PT boat movie features the lines, "Fire one!" "Fire one." "Fire two!" "Fire two..." In addition, ''Crimson Tide'' has the USS ''Alabama'' officers do this when they're conducting missile drills or authenticating nuclear launch orders. As should be obvious to anyone with a functioning brain, if you are potentially about to NukeEm for real, ''there is no room whatsoever for ambiguity''. In point of fact, when it comes to any order pertaining to Nuclear Weapons, the XO's repetition of the order is not only to avoid ambiguity - the XO's verbal assent ''must'' be given in order for the order to be valid.
45	-->'''[[TheCaptain Ramsey]]:''' Set condition 1SQ for WSRT[[labelnote:*]]Weapons Systems Readiness Test[[/labelnote]]. This is the captain. This is an exercise.\
46	'''[[NumberTwo Hunter]]:''' Set condition 1SQ for WSRT. This is the XO. This is an exercise.
47	* Used for the OhCrap moment in ''Film/TheBedfordIncident''. A gung-ho destroyer commander harasses a Soviet sub with the intention of forcing it to the surface. Unfortunately he also rides his crew equally hard, so a tense officer launches an anti-sub missile when he hears the words "Fire One" twice in a row (the captain was actually saying "If he (the sub) fires one, then I'll fire one"). The by-now equally tense Soviet submariners respond with an [[ANuclearError atomic torpedo]] before they're destroyed.
48	* Almost every movie set aboard a plane with two or more crew in the cockpit. For example, Howard Hawks' ''Air Force'': "Flaps down." "Flaps coming down."
49	* Parodied in ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'', where the King of Swamp Castle gives commands to a guard, and the guard repeats them back ''wrong''. The two of them spend the next [[OverlyLongGag two minutes]] going back-and-forth with the king trying to get the guard to get the orders right.
50	* ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'':
51	** Lone Starr and Barf do this several times. Spoofed when they infiltrate ''Spaceball One'':
52	--->'''Lone Starr:''' Dim the lights.\
53	'''Barf:''' Dimming the lights.\
54	'''Lone:''' Go to infrared.\
55	'''Barf:''' Going to infrared.\
56	'''Lone:''' Pray to God.\
57	'''Barf:''' Praying to God. ''[Lone Starr gives Barf a look. Barf grins.]''
58	** Shortly after...
59	--->'''Lone Starr:''' Put her in hover, Barf.\
60	'''Barf:''' Putting her in hover.\
61	'''Lone Starr:''' I'm going down there.\
62	'''Barf:''' He's going down there. ''[{{Beat}}]'' I wouldn't.
63	* In ''Film/TheFifthElement'', there is a bridge officer whose job is to relay orders from the captain to the helmsman, who is only a few feet away but behind an apparently pointless sheath of transparent material. The computer repeats the order too, so the exchange goes like [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0cznOQ4aFY&ab_channel=JohnCleary this]]:
64	-->'''Captain:''' Helm to 108.\
65	'''Computer:''' Helm to 108.\
66	'''Officer:''' ''[into sheath]'' HELM, 108!\
67	'''Helmsman:''' ''[turning wheel]'' Helm to 108.
68	* In ''Film/GalaxyQuest'', and the ShowWithinAShow at its core, Gwen's character's role was to liaise between the captain and the computer, even though the computer can hear anything said on the ship and vice versa. When on the ship in real life, she is frustrated at the pointlessness of the job but insists on doing it anyway, since it's the only one she has. (Although it turns out to be slightly less pointless than it was on the show; while everyone can still hear the computer just fine, the extremely LiteralMinded Thermians have rigged it so the computer only responds to verbal commands when given by Gwen. Because, they presumably figured, why else would she have to repeat everyone else's commands?)
69	* Common in American Civil War and Western films such as ''Film/{{Gettysburg}}'', as the standard manual of arms required, first, a "preparatory" command which was repeated by the privates, then a firm command of "execution." As in "Fix--" "Fix--" "BAYONETS!"
70	* In ''Film/SWAT2003'', after Hondo hears Street frantically yelling "Officer down!" into the radio:
71	-->'''Hondo:''' Flip a bitch!\
72	'''Deeks:''' Flipping a bitch! ''[pulls a U-turn]''
73	* Inverted(?) in ''Film/CoolHandLuke'' where men WorkingOnTheChainGang tell the "boss" (the screw in charge of the gang) what they're doing and he repeats it back to confirm that he understands, in order that the guards don't shoot the prisoners for some random sudden movement.
74	-->'''Dragline:''' Taking it off here, Boss.\
75	'''Boss:''' Yah, Dragline, take it off there.
76	* Occurs several times in ''Film/SantaClausConquersTheMartians'' aboard the Martian spaceship. "Fire retrorockets five and six." "Retrorockets five and six: fire."
77	* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/TheLastJedi'' with Kylo Ren ordering the First Order on the rebel planet and Hux repeating the very same thing, though the officers are right in front of them and clearly heard Kylo the first time. After the third repeat, Kylo even gives a YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe side-glance to Hux's obvious attempt to maintain the illusion that he's in control here. Eventually Kylo loses patience when Hux openly questions his orders and Force-slams him aside. A soldier then complies with Ren's order without missing a beat.
78	* ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice''. Moneypenny uses this trope to (unsuccessfully) get Bond to say Those Three Words to her.
79	-->'''M:''' ''[buzzing intercom]'' Miss Moneypenny, give 007 the password we've agreed with Japanese S.I.S.\
80	'''Moneypenny:''' Yes sir. ''[to Bond]'' We tried to think of something that you wouldn't forget.\
81	'''Bond:''' Yes?\
82	'''Moneypenny:''' "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis I, love, you.]]" Repeat it please, to make sure you get it.\
83	'''Bond:''' ''[beat]'' Don't worry, I get it.
84	* ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'': [[MookLieutenant Ace]] does this while hooking up the War Rig, to rev up the War Boys escorting (what should be) a [[MundaneMadeAwesome routine supply run]].
85	-->'''Ace:''' Today we're headin' to Gas Town!\
86	'''War Boys:''' Gas Town!\
87	'''Ace:''' Today we're haulin' Aqua Cola!\
88	'''War Boys:''' Aqua Cola!
89	* ''Film/BattleBeyondTheStars''. After delivering his ultimatum to the peaceful world of Akir, Sador orders his crew to murder a few of them just to drive his message home.
90	-->'''Sador:''' ''[to Yago]'' Snipers forward.\
91	'''Yago:''' ''[to assembled men]'' Snipers... FORWARD!\
92	'''Sador:''' Fire at will.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Literature]]
96	* ''Spacehounds of I.P.C.'' by Creator/EEDocSmith. Nadia is donning a spacesuit for the first time, and starts to repeat the safety check procedure (which Nadia has been TaughtByTelevision), only to be told off for [[RepeatAfterMe not actually]] ''[[SeriousBusiness doing]]'' [[NoOshaCompliance each check before replying]].
97	* A plot point in the novel of ''2001: A Space Odyssey''. Frank Poole is performing an EVA and instructs HAL to adjust the angle of a spotlight so he can better see what he's doing. Aboard the main ship, Dave Bowman notices something odd but it takes him a moment to realise what it is. "Hal had executed the order, but he had not acknowledged it, as he invariably did. When Poole had finished, they'd have to look into this." However he never gets the chance as that's the moment that [[spoiler:HAL kills Poole and tries to kill Bowman, too.]]
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
101	* In ''Series/TheAddamsFamily'' episode "[[Recap/TheAddamsFamilyS2E26LurchsLittleHelper Lurch's Little Helper]]", Gomez asks Uncle Fester for a couple of tools and a screwdriver (as in the drink). Fester hands them to him and repeats the words.
102	* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
103	** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''. In "The Deadly Years", Captain Kirk goes senile from RapidAging and keeps giving orders that he's already given before. At the end of the episode Sulu does a repeat to confirm, making him wonder if he's going senile again.
104	--->'''Kirk:''' Take over, Mister Sulu. Steady as she goes.\
105	'''Sulu:''' Steady as she goes, Captain.\
106	'''Kirk:''' I thought I said that...?
107	** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''
108	*** Justified in "For the Uniform". The ''Defiant's'' computer memory was wiped by a virus Michael Eddington planted, so a lot of systems aren't working right, including communications, which is a problem because due to the ''other'' malfunctions, the bridge will need to stay in contact with Engineering. O'Brien's solution is to put Nog on the bridge with a portable communicator and have him relay any necessary information to and from Engineering, which results in a number of instances of Nog audibly repeating Sisko's orders.
109	*** In "Valiant", the Red Squad cadets do this to excess, subtly highlighting their inexperience at running a ship.
110	* Happens frequently in ''Series/UFO1970'' aboard the Skydiver submarine in situations such as altering the ship's course, preparing to launch the Skydiver jet and surfacing.
111	* TheTeaser of the ''Series/Intelligence2014'' episode "Athens" has a bit where a bureaucrat touring Cyber Command asks about security procedures, for instance what if somebody loses their ID or has it stolen. Their [=IDs=] are biometric scans of their hands, leading to the following exchange:
112	-->'''Lillian:''' Agent Jameson. Let's do a hand count today. Make sure everyone has two.\
113	'''Jameson:''' Hand count. Two per. Yes, ma'am.
114	* November 22, 1963: NBC's Robert [=MacNeil=] reports to Frank [=McGee=] via phone that President Kennedy died at 1 PM CST after being shot in Dallas, Texas. In the NBC News studio, [=McGee=] relays it.
115	* The 1990's series ''Reasonable Doubts'' involves a cop assigned to work with a deaf female prosecutor. He knows sign language, but always repeats back what she's saying to confirm that he understood. This has the benefit of [[RepeatingSoTheAudienceCanHear translating for the audience who don't know sign language]].
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Video Games]]
119	* While not required, the mobile app game ''Spaceteam'' tends to lead players to do this, as repeated confirmations not only acknowledge that your request has been actioned ("Newtonian Photomist to 3" "Photomist at 3."), but also signifies who has that control on their panel for future commands. Also, it [[PowerFantasy makes you feel like]] [[IJustWantToBeBadass you're in command of a real Spaceteam]].
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder:Western Animation]]
123	* Occasionally parodied on ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
124	-->''[the CMC are attempting carpentry]''\
125	'''Apple Bloom:''' Hammer.\
126	'''Scootaloo:''' Hammer. ''[passes Apple Bloom a hammer]''\
127	'''Sweetie Belle:''' Hammer.\
128	'''Scootaloo:''' Hammer. ''[passes Sweetie Belle a hammer]''\
129	'''Scootaloo:''' Hammer.\
130	''(beat)''\
131	'''Scootaloo:''' Hammer. ''[takes her own hammer]''
132	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes''
133	** In the short ''Rookie Revue'', this occurs between a general and his men aiming and firing a cannon. [[EpicFail None of them noticed they were pointing it at headquarters.]]
134	** This occurs between Hubie and Bertie in ''The Hypo-Chondri-Cat'' as they prepare to "operate" on Claude Cat.
135	* ''WesternAnimation/WorkItOutWombats'': In "Sparklepants," Zadie and [=JunJun=] do this with scissors and tape while assembling a disco ball at the Creation Station.
136	[[/folder]]
137
138	[[folder:Real Life]]
139	* In medicine, the doctor orders an injection. A nurse or orderly uses a syringe and a special pulling needle to draw the medicine from the bottle. The syringe and bottle are then, still connected, shown to a doctor or nurse, so they can confirm the medicine and the dosage. The syringe is then attached to a needle intended for injections, and the medicine is injected.
140	** Commonly depicted during operations, as "Scalpel!" "Scalpel." "Sponge!" "Sponge."
141	* Very common on public safety radio channels, and often referred to as "Echoing." It serves two purposes. It confirms that the original transmission was understood correctly, and it also gives other units a second chance to hear what is going on when they may be in a position to assist or get on scene faster. Radio dispatchers will often even echo ''themselves'' in order to draw attention to important information, such as holding a channel for priority traffic or informing a first responder of scene safety information.
142	* An essential part of Artillery. Artillery strikes are performed by a soldier on the field giving coordinates and payload orders to an artillery team miles away. Confirming coordinates and payload is the difference between leveling a city block of enemy troops and leveling a city block of innocent civilians (or quite possibly leveling a city block of your own troops).
143	* In aviation, radio messages between air traffic control and pilots use a formalized series of phrases to minimize the possibility of misunderstandings ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster with good reason]]). Every maneuver or change that ATC requests is phrased as an instruction, and the pilot has to repeat those instructions back. This means that a request from the pilot results in the same thing being said ''three'' times; the request from the pilot, ATC's instruction to [[GladIThoughtOfIt do what the pilot just requested to do]][[note]]well, unless the controller gets lazy and just responds "Proceed as requested"[[/note]], and the pilot reading back the instruction.
144	-->'''Flight 123:''' This is flight 123 requesting to descend to 5000.\
145	'''ATC:''' Flight 123, descend to 5000.\
146	'''Flight 123:''' Descend to 5000, flight 123.
147	** This is also used when giving verbal orders in railroading, to make sure that absolutely everybody knows what is going on.
148	--->'''Dispatcher:''' [[SteamNeverDies Frisco 1630]] has authority for a 1:00 PM departure from station track 2, meeting [[DieselPunk Burlington 9911A]] at East Switch, [[UsefulNotes/ChicagoL CRT 1268]] at Johnson Siding, to Kishwaukee Grove, return to Johnson and call.\
149	'''Frisco 1630 Conductor:''' Frisco 1630 has authority for a 1:00 PM departure to Kishwaukee Grove, meeting Burlington 9911A at East Switch and CRT 1268 at Johnson, then return to Johnson and call.\
150	'''Dispatcher:''' That is correct.\
151	'''Frisco 1630 Engineer:''' Head end copies: 1630 has authority for 1:00 departure to the Grove, meeting 9911A at East Switch, 1268 at Johnson, then return to Johnson and call.\
152	'''Frisco 1630 Conductor:''' That is correct.
153	* Some languages lack an equivalent of "yes" or "no", meaning that repeating part of a question or order is the only way to unambiguously answer it (e.g. The answer to the Latin question "troposne legis?" or the command "lege tropos!"[[labelnote:trans]]"Do you [[EitherWorldDominationOrSomethingAboutBananas read/collect]] tropes?" and "[I order you to] Read/collect tropes!" respectively[[/labelnote]] would be "tropos lego" or "tropos non lego"[[labelnote:trans]]"I read tropes."/"I will read tropes!" and "I do not read tropes"/"I will not read tropes!" respectively.[[/labelnote]]). One of these languages is Irish, which has impacted Irish English; this is why, if (for instance), you ask an Irish person (for instance) "Have you read the paper this morning?" they will like as not reply "I have" or "I haven't" rather than "yes" or "no."
154	* Within many theater groups, when a stage manager calls the time until the show starts or the length of a break, it is obligatory for all cast members to state "Thank you" and the time verbatim to ensure everyone has the correct number.
155	-->"Places in five minutes."\
156	"Thank you five."
157	* In a physiological variant, "killer" T lymphocytes of the human immune system require a two-step activation process: 1) another defense cell showing the lymphocyte a sample of the antigen which the killer T cell needs to attack, causing an internal "Target confirmed" signal that prepares it to divide; and 2) a "helper" T cell responding to the same antigen's presence, and issuing a chemical "Target confirmed" signal that stimulates the killer cell's mitosis.
158	* Many grade school teachers ask students answering questions (especially word problems in math) to restate the question.
159	* Also part of the standard spelling bee protocol: the judge gives a word, the speller repeats the word for confirmation, spells the word, and then repeats the word again to indicate completion of the response.
160	* Hearing-impaired people often pick up this practice because the tendency of information to get lost as it travels through damaged parts of the ear means they can't be one hundred percent sure of what they heard otherwise.
161	[[/folder]]
162	----
163	Trope described, Sir!

Context Main / RepeatToConfirm