I Need To Go Iron My Dog / Western Animation

#-L

• In 101 Dalmatian Street, Dylan asks Delgado if he wants to join him for a game of "Poodlewolf". Delgado's response is "Yeah, you know, I just remembered, I got to..." before running out of the room with "Runawayveryquicklyoutoftheroombye!"
• Carl on The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius says "My shoe's untied...OVER THERE!"
• American Dad!:
  • When Steve gets impregnated by Roger, Roger tries to leave the scene by saying "I think I left a sweater in the sink."
  • To get out of having sex with a drunk girl, Snot shouts out "I need to take a diarrhea."
  • In "Bully for Steve", Stan tries to avoid getting punished by Francine when she's about to see a video of him bullying Steve by saying he's "having an affair with a homosexual giant". When Francine sees the video, Stan says he need to go to a "xylophone lesson" and tiptoes out of the scene.
• Animaniacs:
  • In the "Baloney and Kids" short , one of the kids' excuses to leave was that she had to iron her bed. However, given how goodie-two shoes both kids were, including said girl saying she wishes she could marry school, it's entirely likely that this was true.
  • Played straight in "Meatballs or Consequences," taking place in Sweden, where a background character leaves after saying "Better go! Gotta help the wife export some iron ore!"
• "Arthur
  • In "Ants in Arthur's Pants" after Buster realized he messed up with the Ant farm he frantically excuses himself saying "I need to go practice my Asthma, I mean Tuba!"
• The Batman did it with the appropriately titled "Superman Story Part 1". Clark attempts to ask Lois to see a boring documentary film. She brushes him aside, claiming she needs to wash her hair.
• In a flashback episode of the animated spinoff Beetlejuice, young Beetlejuice receives this blowoff from a girl he has invited to the prom. The girl is a skeleton with no hair.
  • In "A Dandy Handy Man," Beetlejuice excuses himself from Lydia saying "I gotta feed my goldfish...to my piranha!"
• In the Canadian show Being Ian, Mr Kelley is stuck in traffic with his sons while trying to deliver a piano to a client. He yells out the window of his car:
  Mr. Kelley: Come on, get out of the way! I've got a pregnant...goat, that I need to get to...the airport! (to Ian's brother) Quick, make a sound like a pregnant goat!
• Big City Greens: In "Dirt Jar" when Cricket brings up to his family that he lost the jar of dirt from the move to Big City, Bill realizes he might have thrown it out and lies to Cricket that he has to attain to some random farming before slipping out. Cricket buys it.
  Bill: You know what, guys? Uh... I forgot uh-buh-duh... big farm thing to, garden... Big garm-ff- fardening...? (slips out the door)
  Cricket: No problem, Dad. Good luck with the garm farden.
• Bob's Burgers:
  • In "Weekend at Mort's", Gene tries to get out of being dragged into exploring the mortuary at the funeral home by claiming he's trying to remember who did "Funkytown" and has to go look it up. Later in the episode, Gene suddenly blurts out that he just remembered the song was by Lipps, Inc., indicating that he was completely serious.
  • In "The Kids Run the Restaurant", the Belcher kids' botched attempt to sell a lady sailor a burger leads to her getting weirded out and excusing herself with "I...think I left the meter running."
• Camp Lazlo: Raj says "Well, I'm off to get some chutney" when he sneaks off to his secret hot spring.
• Class of 3000:
  • In one episode Sunny ditches Kim so he can change into a superhero (don't ask) with the excuse "I gotta go...can some peaches."
  • In another episode, the kids use excuses to get out of a bothersome chore. Tamika claims she hears her mother calling her, and runs out. Eddie then claims that he also hears Tamika's mother calling him, and even briefly imitates her, explaining that "that's the only voice I can do."
• In one episode of Code Lyoko, Ulrich apparently had to go "polish my flip flops".
• Codename: Kids Next Door: In the TV movie Operation: Z.E.R.O., the Toiletnator meekly tries this when Grandfather announces to a terrified group of adults that he's going to turn everyone in the world into "senior citi-zombies".
  Toiletnator: Uh, may I be excused? I've, uh...got some quiche in the oven. I've got—(gets transformed)
• In the Craig of the Creek episode "War of the Pieces," after Craig and friends confront Xavier and both parties piece together that Maya has the final puzzle piece, Craig suddenly announces that he has leave to “Change my cat,” while Xavier insists that he has to "Vacuum my laundry."
• Danger Mouse: In "What A Three-Point Turn-Up For The Book," The Mk. III car has turned malevolent. Penfold blocks its path but then it zoomed off. When DM asks why Penfold didn't maintain his stance:
  Penfold: Well, it was nearly on a yellow line.
  DM: What yellow line?
  Penfold: The one I have running down my back!
• Danny Phantom's excuses tend to be this. It's a wonder no-one's found him out yet because of his dog-ironing.
• Darkwing Duck. The following excuse is even more bizarre when you realize Darkwing Duck is a Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal:
  Darkwing: Oh darn. Forgot to wear my lucky socks. Be right back.
• Dogstar: The children make-up excuses to avoid Gran's terrible cooking in the "Titanium Chef" episode but Glenn can't quite come up with anything.
  Glenn: I can't think of an excuse but I have to go too.
• Parodied in Doug, where one of Doug's Imagine Spots shows Patty Mayonnaise presented with a Dating Sim-like choice between Roger, Doug, or washing her hair.
• Ed, Edd n Eddy:
  • Subverted in "Honor Thy Ed", when Kevin dares Eddy to go investigate a supposedly haunted house:
    Eddy: Uh... maybe some other time. Right now I have to... go... change the newspaper under Ed's bed!
    Ed: Changed it this morning, Eddy!
    [Double D looks incredulous]
  • In "Tween a Rock and an Ed Place", Jonny throws an Arbor Day party at his house and says that everyone is invited, prompting the Eds to go in hopes of scoring some social points. However, they turn out to be the only ones who accepted their invitations, as the others apparently knew better than to attend one of Jonny's parties.
    Eddy: When's everybody supposed to get here anyway?!
    Jonny: Didn't I tell ya, Eddy? Everyone said they were too busy. Kevin's making cupcakes, Rolf can't find socks that match, Nazz is peddling papers, Jimmy's washing his hair, and Sarah said "Beat it, baldy!".
• In an episode of Extreme Ghostbusters, the team decide to leave work early because they all feel bad but don't want to admit it. When asked why she leaves, Kylie says her cat needs a bath.
• Family Guy:
  • In one episode, Peter gets a phone call from Lois and doesn't want to talk to her, so he plays a tape recording he's prepared for just such an occasion...a recording of Lois telling him to take out the garbage.
  • One another occasion, Lois calls Peter to see if he's at work. He claims he is, but she immediately points out that she can see him standing in the kitchen. So he steps behind the refrigerator and claims that now he is at work.
  • Lois does this too after Peter gets plastic surgery making him handsome and muscular, to the point she isn't even able to make a complete sentence: "I was just...the driveway."
  • The time when Lois found out that Peter had just brutally beaten up Chris' bully.
    Peter: Well, I best be getting to work.
    Brian: It's nighttime.
    Peter: Boy, you said it. (runs out the house and up a tree)
  • While trying to avoid Meg, Brian says that he has plans with Chris, who doesn't seem to get the hint.
    Brian: Yeah, yeah! We're doing that thing, we're doing what you usually do on a Thursday afternoon!
    Chris: Masturbate?
    Brian: That's it, that's what we're going to do together.
    Chris: Well, maybe back to back, but I gotta tell you, I'm not 100% on this.
  • A small Running Gag has Meg trying to ask guys on dates, only for them to make excuses as to why they can't go out with her. Given the nature of the show, the excuses are often darkly hilarious. One boy claims that he'll be in the hospital and then immediately blasts himself with a staple gun, while another cries that has to attend his little brother's funeral...prompting him to shoot said brother in front of Meg to make the excuse plausible.
• Franklin:
  • In "Franklin's Advice," Snail uses the excuse that he has to help his father to push a pinecone to get out of sitting on Franklin's shoulder as he jumps rope, so that he won't have to reveal that he cracked his shell and is in pain.
  • All of Franklin's friends make an excuse of this type when Franklin suggests that they go play baseball in "Franklin is Bossy." (It was a very hot day and all they really wanted to do was go swimming.)
  • In "Franklin's Big Game," Franklin and his friends are excited about playing a game against the Churchill Bears, a visiting team, until they see how good they really are. When of the Bears invites them to join their practice, they start making various excuses, Goose's being that she has to go wash her feathers.
• Used against Dexter on the Freakazoid! episode "Dance of Doom". His future girlfriend (well, Freakazoid's) Debbie uses this trope as an excuse to turn him down for the Daylight Savings Dance, another girl claims she's due for a surgical procedure. However, Alpha Bitch Val just tells him she'd only date him if "she were ugly and dead". Ironically, she's the one Freakazoid kisses after he saves the students from Cave Guy.
  Freakazoid: That was cheap, tawdry and based solely on hormones. WORKS FOR ME!
• Futurama:
  • Parodied in the Superhero Episode, where the three are in front of the mayor, who needs their superhero identities:
    Leela: Oh, I completely forgot — I left my apartment on fire!
    Bender: As for me, I'm late for my L.S.A.T.'s.
    Fry: And I can't take life anymore! [smashes out through the window, and promptly smashes back in through another]
  • In another episode, an Alternate Universe version of Leela explains she rejected Fry (now her husband)'s advances until she only had the worst excuses left involving things like ghosts or "sweaty boot rash". This causes the regular Fry to remark "So that's why you said you had to meet that ghost!"
  • In "Attack of the Killer App":
    Leela: Uh, excuse me, I have to...someplace.
  • In the old-timey cartoon part of "Reincarnation":
    Fry: I'll be right back; I have to go check this comet for anarchists!
  • In "Crimes of the Hot", Bender lets it slip that he can't get up if he's tipped on his back. The others immediately crowd around him to test the theory.
    Bender: Uh, no, that's not necessary, really. I think I hear my factory recalling me.
  • In "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings", Fry's opera has this:
    Opera Bender: Leela! Leela, Leela, save him!
    Save Fry, save Fry!
    Godzilla will devour him!
    As for me, I must be off to have my doctor check this cough! (coughs ostentatiously) Goodbye. (exits)
    Bender: (in the audience) I don't recall ever fighting Godzilla, but that is so what I would've done.
• Fanboy and Chum Chum: In the "Moppy Dearest" episode Chum Chum decides to "call his cousin", and Fanboy assumes this is just some lame excuse to get out of going to the dance because Mr. Mufflin said attendance was mandatory. But it later turns out Chum Chum really does have a cousin, Muk Muk, and she's totally slobby.
• Glitch Techs: In the episode "BUDS", Zarah's reaction to finding herself talking to High Five (whom she's implied to have a crush on) is to say that she "left her car in her wallet" and running off. Once she's alone, she berates herself for thinking of such a lame excuse.
• Gravity Falls:
  • Parodied in "Dreamscaperers", as when Grunkle Stan tries to think of a way out of an awkward date with Lazy Susan, all he can think of is yelling "Non-specific excuse!" and running away.
  • In "Soos and the Real Girl", when Soos realizes virtual-girl GIFfany has somehow followed him on his date with Melody, he excuses himself with "I have to go to the bathroom for a long time... Not in a weird way!"
• The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy:
  • This trope is a Running Gag in the episode "Nigel Planter and the Order of the Peanuts". Whenever Nigel starts playing with a puppet and singing, everyone present makes an excuse to leave.
    Grim: I, uh... I have to meet somebody.
    Billy: I left the iron on.
    Mandy: You're weird.
  • Grim also gave the "wash my hair" excuse to Billy once. Billy immediately saw through it - because Grim washed his hair last week.
• In an episode of Hey Arnold!, in order to avoid hearing one of Grandpa's war stories, Ernie gave the plausible excuse that he left his underwear in the dryer. Oscar then followed up by claiming that he also left his underwear in Ernie's dryer...interpret that how you will.
• Chickening-out version: the Horrible Histories animated program features a smart-mouth jerk attempting to get out of Grecian-style wrestling by claiming to have sprained his oesophagus.
• In Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Happy Hogan seems to exist partly to lampshade superhero double-identity tropes like this:
  • Especially in the first season, Tony is constantly ducking out of class and other events to go to the bathroom, to the point where Happy starts commenting occasionally on his apparent digestive troubles.
  • In the episode "Titanium Vs. Iron", Pepper is forced to blow off her date with Happy to help IM.
    Pepper: Sorry, Happy. My dad's pet, uh...lemur is stuck in a tree.
    Happy: Aw man, not again!
• On Jimmy Two-Shoes, when Beezy needs to get out of being in Lucius' marching band, he says that it's for "a really good reason I can't think of right now".
• In the Justice League episode "Question Authority", after Captain Atom and Superman vanquish an opponent, Lois Lane shows up wanting to interview Superman — one on one.
  Captain Atom: I'm pretty sure there's something I have to do someplace.
• Kim Possible, "Overdue": Ron, likely remembering Kim wouldn't fall for the Fake Static brushes her off with:
  Ron: Oh no, Dad's locked in the garage, better get him out before he runs out of...clothes!
• Korra in The Legend of Korra has already proven to be horrible when it comes to excuses. Her explanation for leaving in episode 7 takes the cake, though;
  Korra: I'm supposed to air sit, I mean baby-bend, I—I mean, babysit the airbending kids!
• The Life and Times of Juniper Lee: Juniper constantly needs to come up with excuses so he can solve magical emergencies. One of them was about forgetting her gym outfit. The problem with that excuse was that there were no gym classes the day she made it up. She then said there might be a pop quiz about kickball. Jody bought this and decided to prepare herself.
• In the premiere of Littlest Pet Shop, Blythe gets out of talking to the Biskit twins by telling them "I...have to go do anything else" and beating a hasty retreat.
• Looney Tunes:
  • In the cartoon, "You Were Never Duckier", Daffy Duck impersonates a chicken in order to score a $5,000 cash prize at a poultry show, only to run afowl of Henery Hawk and his (huge) father. His reaction:
    Daffy: Well, I gotta go. I think my judge is burning, fudge...My fudge is burning, judge...I mean, my mother wants me. I got to crochet a cake. Uh, uh, goodbye!
  • In Bugs Bunny's "14 Carrot Rabbit", after Yosemite Sam is hauled away for robbing Ft. Knox, an MP confronts Bugs as to what he's doing on the property as well.
    Bugs: (nervously) Who, me?? Oh, uh, I'm just waiting for a streetcar. (An ocean liner suddenly pulls up) But in a spot like this, a boat will do! (he boards it and it leaves)

M-Z

• In the Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart episode "Flyaway," Adorabat tries to get out of going to the dentist by claiming she has a physics recital. Mao Mao immediately shuts it down by saying that's not a real thing.
• In Martha Speaks, when the Lorraines and T.D. are making excuses to go away (their actual reason is that there's a show they hate on TV) Mariella's excuse is "I need to move something from someplace to someplace else".
• Megas XLR: Jamie's date in "Dude, Where's My Head?" attempts to excuse herself from imminent crushing at the hands of Warmaster Gorath's evil takeoff of Megas:
  "I need to go...wash my hair...or something."
• In Miraculous Ladybug, it's a Running Gag that Adrien uses "taking a shower" as an excuse to run off for superhero duties, even in situations where that makes little sense (example, when he's in his bedroom with Nino and a supervillain is attacking the house).
• This exchange from the Mr. Bogus episode "Bogus to the Rescue", in response to Bogus being warned by Brattus about Baddus and his meteor goons:
  Bogus: Uh, uh, Bogus can't go! Got lots of foodies to eat! (yawns) Bogus beauty sleep, uh...uh...gotta wash hair!
  Brattus: [not fooled] What hair?
• My Goldfish is Evil: In "Stinker", Beanie's mother uses various excuses not to eat the gross breakfast her son made for her, including saying she's allergic to the ingredients and that they should go out for breakfast instead.
• My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Holidays Unwrapped: Upon learning Applejack wants her to partake in an embarassing photoshoot, Sunset Shimmer quickly claims that she has a lunch date with a Crystal Prep student. Applejack simply suggests bringing the student along, so Sunset disappointedly claims the student cancelled the date. She instead tries to hastily schedule a real appointment to conflict with the photoshoot, but fails.
  Sunset Shimmer: My dentist, doctor, dermatologist, podiatrist and guitar teacher are all booked!
  Twilight Sparkle: You have a podiatrist?
  Sunset Shimmer: I can't be in this picture, Twilight!
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
  • In the episode "Boast Busters", Twilight is afraid of being labeled a braggart, and so balks at using her magical skills to one-up a boastful unicorn. She finally beats a hasty retreat by claiming, "I think I hear my laundry calling."
  • Possibly played with, also in "Boast Busters", when Spike makes a somewhat panicked exit after declaring that Twilight is the most magical unicorn in Ponyville while standing beside his crush Rarity who is also a unicorn, not giving an even remotely reasonable explanation but exclaiming: "Oh, um...*cough* Hey, Rarity...I...MUSTACHE!"^note which also sounds like "I must dash" immediately before darting off screen.
  • In "Look Before You Sleep", both Rarity and Applejack try to get out of Twilight's slumber party (or rather, spending time with each other) by suddenly remembering pressing engagements. Rarity's is plausible but vague, but Applejack's is simply, "I'm powerful late for...somethin'."
  • In "Party of One", Rainbow Dash actually draws a wristwatch on her foreleg in order to have an excuse to say "Oh, look at the time!" and get out of explaining to Pinkie why she and Fluttershy can't attend her next party. She and Fluttershy then claim to be late to house — sorry, cavesitting for a vacationing bear named Harry (who loves to play seashells and collect volleyball). This being Pinkie Pie, she finds this excuse to be the most plausible excuse any of her friends have come up with, compared to: Twilight studying for the princess — which is her favorite spare time activity; Applejack picking apples — which, as the head of an apple orchard, is something she does almost every day; and Rarity washing her hair (although Rarity did stick her head directly into the trash can to make the excuse more believable, because Pinkie told her her hair looked clean).^note Later in the series, Harry the bear turns out to actually exist, but there's still no indication any of the rest is even remotely plausible. It is revealed at the end the reason everypony kept excusing themselves was to plan the surprise birthday party for Pinkie Pie, something Pinkie herself didn't know about.
  • In "Sweet and Elite", Rarity has a series of them whilst trying to make excuses so she can switch between a fancy garden party and Twilight Sparkle's birthday party. Whilst initially she goes with sensible ones like "I need the little filly's room", she runs out of scenarios quickly and finally winds up just saying "I have to...to go to the-to the thing with the...stuff, you know..."
  • In "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2", Twilight, who is trying to control her new powers gained from the other three princesses and is not allowed to tell anypony about them, says "Gotta go...somewhere...else." to avoid talking to Spike,.
  • In "Flutter Brutter", Rainbow Dash excuses herself from a meeting with Fluttershy's obnoxious brother^note After he blatantly groped her in front of Fluttershy, Zephyr Breeze, by saying, "I just remembered I promised to help Pinkie Pie...sprinkle...something."
• Ready Jet Go!: Whenever Mitchell is about to be caught spying on Jet, he always makes flimsy excuses to leave. Mindy is usually not fooled, as she's always sneaking up on him while spying when he least expects it.
  • In "Kid-Kart Derby", when Mitchell overhears Sydney while he's in Jet's garage, Mitchell says that he thinks he left the hose on, or the lights.
  • In "That's One Gigantic Pumpkin, Jet Propulsion!", when Jet and Sydney catch him spying on them, he says he has to go water his dumplings. Later, when he's with Lillian and Mindy, he says that he has to go do something completely different from what they're talking about.
• Todd from The Replacements once used "I left a pie in the washing machine."
• In the Robot Chicken sketch "Mumm-ra is Mrs. Mumbletipeg", Mumm-ra pretends to be a nanny to infiltrate the ThunderCats' lair. He sees Cheetara licking herself and can't come up with anything.
  Mumm-ra: Oh! Wow! Um...Mrs. Mumbletipeg needs to go masturbate. I mean um...uh...see...uh...Mrs. Mum...What I meant was, Mrs. Mumbletipeg...Fuck it, I'm gonna go masturbate.
• Rugrats:
  • In "The Stork", Drew and Charlotte go into the kitchen to discuss how to give her The Talk after she asks where babies come from. Their excuse is that they need to check on some beets, even though the family is already having dinner (namely spaghetti). Despite this, Angelica believes it.
  • In "The Bravliest Baby", Tommy becomes too scared to climb a climbing frame due to bad memories of falling off it. One of his excuses is "I have to go potty", despite the fact that, being only a year old, he's wearing a diaper and isn't potty trained.
  • In "No More Cookies", Angelica tries to swipe some cookies from the kitchen by telling the babies, "I'm gonna check on the babies." It takes them about ten seconds to realize that Angelica didn't need to leave the room to check on them.
• The Simpsons:
  • In "Homer Badman", when a salesman at a candy convention realizes he can't actually think of a thousand uses for wax lips, he excuses himself with "I'm needed in the basement."
  • When Richard Dean Anderson is being held prisoner by Patty and Selma and is forced to watch their boring slide show.
    Richard: This coupon for the Olive Garden expires at midnight!
    Patty/Selma: You're not holding a coupon!
    Richard: ... MacGyver away!
  • And, in "The Last Temptation of Krust", after Krusty asks how terrible his performance went:
    Marge: I think I have to get dinner ready.
    Lisa: Me too.
    Homer: I also have to go... (peeks back in) Boo!
  • Played with in "Homer the Great", when Homer needs a reason to excuse himself and spy on Lenny and Carl, something he'd promised not to do.
    Homer: I'm going...outside...to...stalk...Lenny and Carl... D'oh!
  • In "Homer the Vigilante", after the Springfield cat burglar reveals where his loot's hidden:
    Homer: Well...I guess I'll be going to my home now and...sleep.
    Chief Wiggum: Me too...I will also go home. For...sleep.
  • In "The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show", when Homer asks his family what they thought of his debut show:
    Bart: ...Mom, can we go to bed without dinner tonight?
    Marge: Yes we can. [runs upstairs with the rest of the family]
  • When Bart is trying to ask Jessica Lovejoy out:
    Jessica: I have to...go over there now. (takes two steps away, stands looking at nothing)
  • In "Bart of Darkness" when Bart tries to get Milhouse to sign his cast:
    Milhouse: I think I left my glasses in your pool.
    Bart: [pointing out that Milhouse's glasses are on his face] They're right there!
    Milhouse: No, they're not. (runs off)
  • When Homer tried to get out of paying a hospital bill after an accident with his leg, he shouts something about a bear and tries to run away despite his injured leg. Of course, there actually was a bear.
  • In "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge", Homer goes to the church to rally the townspeople to help him face off against Fat Tony.
    Dr. Hibbert: Well, I'd...I'd love to help you, Homer. But...I have darn too much to live for. I just discovered Thai food.
    Comic Book Guy: I'd help you, but I've yet to kiss a human girl.
    Sea Captain: And I've got a TiVo full of unwatched Dharma & Gregs.
    Barney: Sorry, Homer. I'm a coward now, like all recovering alcoholics.
  • In the Mr. & Mrs. Simpson segment from "Treehouse of Horror XVIII", Homer and Marge make up excuses to each other for their assassination assignments; Homer is going to "midnight monkey madness" at the zoo, while Marge is going to turn over wheelbarrows in case it rains.
    Marge: How was your "midnight monkey madness"?
    Homer: Great, great, I turned over so many wheelbarrows. Wait, that was your thing.
  • Subverted in "Trilogy of Error", when Lisa proposes a way so she and Homer don't have to eat the European cereal Marge made for breakfast.
    Lisa: Say dad, do you want to see my science fair project? *Winks*
    Homer: No, Lisa! *winks* But I sure don't want to eat this crappy breakfast! *winks, takes Lisa out of the room and peeks inside just to wink once more. At Marge*
  • Barney announces to the bar that he has a date "with the crazy lady who's always yelling stuff in front of the drug store," and a dejected Moe sighs and says "she told me she was washing her hair tonight."
• Sonic Boom:
  • The episode "Buster" has this.
    Eggman: [after his anti-firefighter bot is destroyed] I...erm...left the oven on. [runs away]
  • The episode "Let's Play Musical Friends" combines this with Hurricane of Excuses:
    Orbot: Who's up for charades? [holds up three fingers and makes a chopping motion with his arm]
    Sonic: Oh, that reminds me. I gotta chop my arm off. [leaves]
    Amy: Sonic, you forgot your axe! [runs after him]
    Sticks: I need to go build traps for when you ultimately betray us all. [leaves as well]
    Knuckles: Sorry, guys, I've gotta go think of an excuse not to hang out with you guys. [also leaves]
    Tails: [is left alone with Orbot and Cubot, and can't think of an excuse to leave] Uh oh...
  • Not even ten seconds (and one scene change) later...
    Tails: Oh!...Look at the time! I gotta go do something...somewhere else!
  • This shows up again in the episode "Tails' Crush":
    Tails: [while trying to be manly to impress Zooey, he's given a "Hello Doggy" pencil by Dave] Ooh! A "Hello Doggy" pencil to go with my notebook! [realizes what he just said, resumes his manly voice] Uh...I think I left my band saw running. [runs off]
  • The episode "Fuzzy Puppy Buddies" has this as well. Amy is trying to keep it a secret from her friends that she's running off to play the eponymous board game with Dr. Eggman. So, when Sonic asks Amy to go to the beach, she replies with this:
    Amy: Uh, no— I gotta...water my cat. Yeah, I'm gonna go with that. See ya! [dashes off]
    Sticks: That's the third she's ditched us this week!
    Knuckles: Yeah, I'm worried. I think she's over-watering that cat.
  • Eggman lampshades this trope in "Mech Suits Me" after being scared by Sonic's new mech suit.
    Eggman: You know how often I use laundry as an excuse to bail on a battle? This time, I really gotta do my laundry.
  • And then later in the same episode...
    Eggman: Now if you'll excuse me, I accidentally left my excuse generator on.
• From SpongeBob SquarePants: When Sandy says she'll tear a new one to the person who caused Clamu pain, to prevent her from revealing he threw a peanut at Clamu, he says:
  SpongeBob: I have to, um...um...go get my hair cut!
  Sandy: SpongeBob doesn't have hair! Or... does he?
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: In "A Distant Echo", Anakin Skywalker's excuse to Sergeant Hunter because he's going to make a private call to his secret wife and Captain Rex is going to cover for him is that they have to do "that thing".
• Steven Universe: Future:
  • In "Rose Buds", Pearl tries to get out of an extremely awkward encounter with three strangers who all resemble Steven's mother by claiming that she needs to use the bathroom, even though Gems don't need to eat and thus don't need bathrooms^note Especially Pearl, who actively hates eating. Garnet eventually uses the same excuse. Averted with Greg who, upon seeing the familiar-looking trio, simply says "Nope!" and runs off.
  • In "Everything's Fine", Steven backs out of a phone call from Connie by saying that he doesn't want to wake the Gems. As she immediately points out, the Gems don't need sleep.
• Taken to a ludicrous extreme in "King Mario of Cramalot", an episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. The gang is trying to sneak into King Koopa's castle, prompting this exchange:
  Mario: [to Luigi] You'll have to swim across the moat and lower the drawbridge.
  Luigi: ME? But...but I can't! I'm, uh...I'm gonna have a baby! [walks away and squats]
  [cut to the entire group looking at Luigi with disdain]
• Sym-Bionic Titan: Newton constantly has to "go to the bathroom." With his brother and sister. It would be worse if his girlfriend knew he was really a robot.
• In Ugly Americans, Callie desperately tries to find a reason to explain what her sister Lilith would be taking over for her without revealing that she was originally supposed to be betrothed to Twayne.
• In the first episode of Vampirina, once Vee's new friends get their first glimpse at the interior of the Scare B&B, Bridget freaks out, saying "I have to go brush Ms. Cuddlecakes' hair!" and flees for the rest of the episode. Even more ludicrous is that Ms. Cuddlecakes is hairless.
• The Venture Brothers has an episode where Dr. Venture is pursuing another date with Charlene, or Dr. Girlfriend, calling The Monarch's cocoon. When Dr. Venture calls yet again for Dr. Girlfriend, the Monarch yells flustered, "Tell him you're washing your hair, or something, I don't care."
• The Weekenders has Lor write a will in case she doesn't survive surgery on her knee. When Tish finds out Lor hasn't left anything to her, she hastily excuses herself, half-sobbing, "Oh no, I just remembered I promised my mother I would paint the lawn."
• Thomas & Friends: "Oh, sorry! Can't stop! Got to see a coach about a train!" says Thomas, before fleeing from the station to save himself the embarrassment of having to admit to getting pranked by Percy in the episode Ghost Train.
• In WordGirl, Becky almost ALWAYS makes this kind of excuse when she needs to leave to become WordGirl. Surprisingly, nobody questions it.

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