By "No", I Mean "Yes"

"I'm willing to admit that I may not always be right...but I'm never wrong."

— Sam Goldwyn

A character makes a statement, then immediately adds that they actually mean the exact opposite of what they said. Usually shows up in comedies. May be used as a form of pointing out sarcasm. Often the result of characters realizing they just told Blatant Lies.

Subtrope of Bait-and-Switch Comment. Compare Dissimile. See also Distinction Without a Difference, where a character prefers to use a different word to mean the same thing, and "No" Means "Yes", where people assume a person is doing this, but they aren't. Compare Instantly Proven Wrong, where the character makes a statement, but something external immediately contradicts that statement.

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Examples:

Comic Books

• Captain America: Jeff Mace had a little monologue before accepting the mantle of the third Captain America:
  Jeff Mace: No. There's only one Captain America. I can never be him. But I can carry on in his name - with his name. That I can do. That would be an honor.
• Tangled: The Series: Hair It Is: In "Baking Instinct", Eugene questions if Varian thinks he doesn't have a domestic side. Varian's response is "I didn't say that! I mean, I thought it, but I didn't say it". Discerning readers will recognize that Varian is actually replying in the affirmative to Eugene's question despite phrasing it as a denial.
• The Ultimates: No, Thor will not join the Ultimates. He despises the military complex that supports them, and the shallow celebrity lifestyle. However, he will help the team if there is some actual crisis that threatens people's lives.
  Captain America: This way we get you for free, soldier.
• Spider-Man: In The Amazing Spider-Man (2018), Spidey discovers that the new Sinister Syndicate is an Amazon Brigade who've decided to work together in order to get ahead in the misogynistic world of supervillainy:
  Spider-Man: Before we get started, I just wanna be clear — I really support what you all are doing. I mean besides the crime part. Which is kinda all of it, I guess. So I don't support this. But I would if it wasn't crime. But it is.
• In Worlds Finest 1990, as Lex Luthor makes inroads into Gotham, he has to strike a deal with the Joker, who owns a property he wants. The Joker says that, in addition to the money, he wants permission from Metropolis's "king" to take a two-week vacation there. Luthor refuses to acknowledge that this even means anything, and says Joker can take his vacation wherever he likes ... but that Metropolis might prove bad for his health if he stays longer than one week.

Comic Strips

• A Garfield strip had this exchange:
  Jon: I can't go out tonight, Liz.... I have a terrible cold. Don't worry, though. Garfield's taking good care of me.... [Cut to Garfield laying on the table in front of Jon] as in NOT!
  Garfield: Can't you breathe in the other direction?

Fan Works

• A Boy, a Girl and a Dog: The Leithian Script: In this The Silmarillion story, when Finrod finds out her fiancée has been building flying ships during his stay abroad he is astounded. His brother Angrod asks him if he is jealous:
  Angrod: [curious] Are you jealous? —Ingold?
  Finrod: N— Yes.
• In The Prayer Warriors, Jerry has this to say about his girlfriend, Mary (emphasis added).
  Jerry Narrates: "I and her [sic] are not dating, if you Satanic scum think that there is something Satanic going on. We are dating, but we are not having Sex until we get married."
• In Dragon Ball Z Abridged, Cell attempts to jab Vegeta with his tail only for Vegeta to catch it. After Vegeta asks what it's for, Cell tells him that he drinks people with it. Vegeta then asks if Cell was planning to drink him. At first, Cell tells him no only to immediately follow up with yes. Vegeta then follows up by elbowing Cell in the chest.
  Vegeta: You feel that? That's what honesty feels like.

Films — Animated

• From Meet the Robinsons:
  Wilbur: If my family finds out that I brought you from the past, they'll bury me alive and dance on my grave. I'm not exaggerating! Well, yes I am.
  • Later:
    Lewis: You lied to me?
    Wilbur: No... Yes?
• This is how the Blue Meanies are ordered to communicate in Yellow Submarine:
  Chief Meanie: Pepperland is a tickle of joy on the blue belly of the universe. It must be scratched. Right, Max?
  Max: Yes, your Blueness.
  Chief Meanie: WHAAAAAATT???!! We Meanies only take "no" for an answer! Is that understood, Max?
  Max: No, your Blueness!
  Chief Meanie: Thaaaat's better...
  • Lampshaded when John makes the offer of a truce to the Blue Meanies:
    John: Are you with us? Will you join?
    Chief Meanie: Shall we?
    Max: No!
    Chief Meanie: Aargh?!
    Max: Nnnn... yes, Your Newness!
• My Little Pony: The Movie (2017): Rarity complains that Rainbow Dash's attempts at helping with decorations is only acceptable "if you were raised in a barn"... and then offers a "No offense" to farm-girl Applejack.
  Applejack: None taken. Especially since I wasn't raised in a barn. My family just happens to have a barn. Where I was born. And... spent most of my formative years.

Films — Live-Action

• 7 Zwerge: this is the Mirror's normal way of talking
• Clue:
  • This exchange:
  Wadsworth: THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT! WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHO KILLED HIM, AND WHERE AND WITH WHAT!
  Professor Plum: There's no need to shout!
  Wadsworth: I'M NOT SHOUTING! (Beat) All right, I am! I'M SHOUTING! I'M SHOUTING! I'M SHOU—
  • Later, we get a glorious exchange of whether or not there's someone else in the house, with Wadsworth even name-dropping this trope.
• Guns, Girls and Gambling:
  ...And by 'doctor', I mean 'lesbian prostitute'.
• In The Host (2006), Gang-du tries to convince an Obstructive Bureaucrat that his daughter is alive.
  Officer: Your daughter, Park Hyun-seo, a seventh-grader at Dangsan Middle School... she's on the deceased list.
  Gang-du (desperately): Yes, she goes to Dangsan School... she's deceased... but she's not dead. (The officer scoffs) I mean, she died, but she's still alive.
• Hot Shots! Part Deux: Topper to Harbinger when he's wary of a Mole on the strike team.
  Topper: I'm not saying that I don't trust you, or that I do trust you, but I don't.
• In Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Short Round gives Indy's sanity a ringing endorsement:
  Willie: Oh my god! Oh my god, oh my god, is he nuts?
  Short Round: He no nuts, he's CRAZY!
• In Jerry Maguire, when Rod is telling Jerry to have "the talk" with Dorothy, and Jerry ends up talking more about her son, Ray:
  Rod: A real man would not shoplift the pootie from a single mother.
  Jerry: I. Didn't. Shoplift. The Pootie! (Ray just looks at him). All right. I shoplifted the pootie!
• Kingdom of Heaven:
  Balian: What is Jerusalem worth?
  Saladin: Nothing. (he walks away, then turns around) Everything.
• Marvel Cinematic Universe:
  • From Thor: The Dark World:
    Loki: [to Odin] It's not that I don't love our little talks, it's just... I don't love them.
  • Thor: Ragnarok: When Hela tells Scourge about how each ruler of Asgard has a right-hand official known as the Executioner, she explains that 'Oh, it's not just about executing people. It's more about... executing their vision. ...Mostly by executing people'.
• In his Villain Song in Muppets Most Wanted, Constantine reminds Dominic Badguy of his place:
  I'm Number One, you're Number Two,
  I believe in equality,
  As long as you get less than me.
• Shooter: Strongly implied in the ending when the Attorney General gives Swagger the go-ahead to kill the bad guys since there's no way to punish them legally.

  Attorney General: This is the world we live in. And justice does not always prevail. It's not The Wild West where you can clean up the streets with a gun. Even though sometimes that's exactly what's needed... Bob Lee Swagger, you're free to go.

• In Superman, when Otis assures Luthor that he's fulfilled his part of the plan, Luthor replies "It's not that I don't trust you, Otis, but ... I don't trust you. What did you do?"
• When asked if they stole the map of the time holes, Randall, leader of the Time Bandits, says "No! Well, sort of."
• This exchange from Weird: The Al Yankovic Story:
  Madonna: Have you heard my new single "Like a Virgin"?
  Al: Oh, I've heard it. And I'm curious, is that song... autobiographical?
  Madonna: Yes, I technically am a virgin, except for the fact that I've had a lot of sex. I mean, a lot.

Literature

• In The Irregular at Magic High School, Tomitsuka and Eimi have just fought off an ambush at the theme park where Tomitsuka works, and he asks her whether she's going to make him clean up the bodies by himself. Eimi protests that she would never do that...but she is a guest of the park, and her friends are waiting for her, and then she runs off.
• Reincarnated into a Time-Loop Dungeon as a LVL100 Catgirl Chef! records that all Nikki's friends were polite, and didn't want to hurt her feelings, while telling her that "if they eat one more bite of cheddar in the next week they’ll catapult me into a slime."
• Rejection Slips: The third letter, "Kind", spends most of the lines praising how much they enjoyed the manuscript. In the postscript, it finally says the submission was rejected.
• In Going Postal, when Moist notices some of the Fantastic Racism grafitti on the wall of the Golem Trust was clearly written by a small child, he reflects "It was good to see the fine old traditions of idiot bigotry being handed down, in a no-good-at-all kind of way."

Live-Action TV

• In an episode of 30 Rock, Jack gets Hauled Before a Senate Subcommittee, where he is grilled on NBC's spending by a certain federal official.
  Devon Banks: Is it true, Mr. Donaghy, that your executives routinely used company helicopters to dry their home tennis courts?
  Jack: Yes and no: yes, it happened, and no, it didn't not happen.
• The Big Bang Theory, "The Luminous Fish Effect": Sheldon is fired for mouthing off to the new university president.
  Penny: So you got canned, huh?
  Sheldon: Theoretical physicists do not get canned... But yeah.
• On Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
  • "Restless" has this example:
    Dream-Giles: You hold them, you touch them, uh, use them, um...
    Dream-Harmony: Props?
    Dream-Giles: No.
    Dream-Riley: Props?
    Dream-Giles: Yes!
  • When Willow and Tara have a spat in season 5:
    Tara: Do I act like ... the big knowledge woman?
    Willow: No.
    Tara: Is that "No" spelled Y-E-S?
    Willow: ...S-O-R-T of?
  • From the Season 9 comics:
    Sophie: We certainly don't associate with anyone who'd do something like that. Wait. Yes we do, don't we?
• Castle:
  • In "One Man's Treasure", Alexis tells Beckett, "I know my dad can sometimes be a handful, and by sometimes I mean all the time".
  • In the sixth season premiere, after Castle proposes to Beckett, a very surprised Beckett kisses him. When Castle asks if that's a yes, she answers, "No, wait...", leading to some confusion over whether she was saying "Yes" or "No". Her initial "No" was because she wanted to tell Castle she was offered a job with a Federal task force in Washington DC. Ultimately her answer was a resounding "Yes".
• In Chernobyl, Professor Legasov insists that Pripyat be evacuated, but Director Shcherbina angrily states "that's my decision." Legasov tells him to make it, then, but Shcherbina has to admit that he's been instructed not to.
• CSI: NY: After Mac has been cleared of all charges in the Clay Dobson case in "...Comes Around", Stella surmises that it was satisfying for him to use the same political tactics on his superiors that they were trying to use against him. At first he denies it, but...
  Mac: No, I don't take pleasure in other people's discomfort, Stella. [slight pause, smiles, chuckling] Yesss, it was *extremely* satisfying.
• Doctor Who:
  • "The Beast Below": "Except it's not a torture chamber, is it? Well, except it is. Except it isn't."
  • "The Big Bang": Rory is holding his dead fiancée as the universe dissolves around him, and mentions that the Doctor once told him that the universe is miraculous and ridiculous, and that "I could really use a ridiculous miracle right now." Then the Doctor appears, holding a mop and wearing a fez.
    The Doctor: Listen, she's not dead. Well, she is dead, but it's not the end of the world. Well, it is the end of the world. Actually, it's the end of the universe.
  • "Thin Ice": Bill Potts wants to know if they'll be totally defenseless while diving beneath the ice in primitive diving gear to investigate the people-swallowing Monster of the Week.
    The Doctor: No, no, no, no. Well yes. But don't worry about it.
  • Bill points out the Doctor has (as usual) steered the TARDIS wrong. The Doctor says you don't steer the TARDIS, you reason with it. When Bill asks how you reason with the TARDIS, the Doctor replies, "Unsuccessfully, most of the time."
• Firefly: "Objects in Space": Simon thinks Jubal is doing this when he asks if Jubal's a bounty hunter and Jubal responds with "No, that ain't it at all". When Simon asks him to explain what he is, Jubal looks at him and says "I'm a bounty hunter". However, Jubal has been fixated on River's empty room and had just been wondering if the best word to describe an empty room's purpose was "imbue" when Simon asked his question. He was rejecting his choice of descriptive word, not Simon's question.
• Happy Days. Richie catches Joanie and her friends with cigarettes and demands to know if she has been smoking. Joanie opens her mouth to answer with an indignant "No!" As she speaks, out comes a puff of smoke, forcing her to admit that she actually has been.
• Sylar does this in Heroes.
  Sylar: I'm not a Serial Killer.
  Luke: You kill people, you take souvenirs...
  Sylar: Okay, technically, I'm a serial killer.
• Sam Puckett from iCarly and Sam & Cat did this a few times. Example: "I don't want to point at anyone or call any names, but someone gave him the wrong medication and someone's name is Cat"
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: "The High School Reunion": When Dennis confronts Mac over having sex with his date, Mac lies about it, for maybe two seconds.
  Dennis: You slept with my prom date?
  Mac: No... Yes.
• In Kim's Convenience, an elderly couple offers Mr. and Mrs. Kim a generous payment in exchange for giving up Mr. Kim's reserved gravestone (since it's right next to the elderly woman's reserved gravestone and she wants her husband's gravestone next to hers as a symbol of Together in Death). The Kims are wary but are excited by the prospect of getting a lot of money. Before they can officially accept, however, the woman passes away and so her husband is left responsible. He wasn't added to his wife's will and has a more modest retirement income, so the money being offered decreases significantly. Disappointed but still trying to be sympathetic and polite, all Mr. and Mrs. Kim can say in response to the deal is, "Yeah. But no."
• From the M*A*S*H episode "To Market, To Market", as Henry is polishing his new desk, he wants to brag to everyone coming into his office. This is an atypical example, because each time he does it (which he does to everyone he shows the desk off to) he's not actually listening to them. He's just glorying in having something cooler than MacArthur has.
  Henry: Radar, you know what kind of wood this desk is made with?
  Radar: Oak, sir.
  Henry: Nope. It's oak.
• Monty Python's Flying Circus:
  • This dialogue snippet between two pepper pots plays with it:
    Mrs. Thing: Oh, have you been shopping?
    Mrs. Entity: No, I've been shopping.
  • From the "Nudge Nudge" sketch:
    Norman: Look, are you insinuating something?
    Him: Oh, no, no, no...yes.
  • From "The Silliest Interview We've Ever Had"
    Sir John: May I take this opportunity of emphasising that there is no cannibalism in the British Navy. Absolutely none, and when I say none, I mean there is a certain amount...
• Used by Mark Lamarr on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, usually along the lines of "...I like x. I say like, I mean tolerate. I say tolerate, I mean (Description of elaborate torture he'd rather be put through rather than have anything to do with x)"
• From Parks and Recreation:
  Leslie: Is this audit even real?
  Tammy One: In a sense, yes. But in another, truer sense, no.
• A good multi-part one from Scrubs:
  Dr. Cox: And this... abomination is the reason we can't afford a new computer?
  Dr. Kelso: Well, that, and a little medical boondoggle I have to go to in Cleveland. And by "medical boondoggle" I mean "golf weekend". And by "Cleveland" I mean "Hawaii". ...Anyway, I have to go catch my bus to the airport. And by "bus" I mean "helicopter".
• From Sesame Street during the skit where Kermit interviews Don Music about finding a rhyming lyric for the last verse of "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
  Don Music: No, I don't think that'll work; lambs aren't yellow! I mean, who ever heard of a yellow lamb?!
  Kermit: Well, I've heard of a yellow lamb.
  Don Music: You have?
  Kermit:...well, not many.
• This snippet from Skins, when Naomi goes to visit Effy in her psychiatric institution.
  Effy: You think you're going mad, so you came to see me to see what a crazy person looks like.
  Naomi: No. NO! No...yes.
• Sports Night has:
  Dan: You went to a woman's apartment, and there you had wine. And there you had sex.
  Casey: You are way off base. That is not what happened. Except, yes, that's what happened.
• That Mitchell and Webb Look: The interviewer in the "Realistic Film Director" sketch asks questions like this.
  Interviewer: Peter, what would you say - and apologies if this seems like a crass question - is the horniest bra size on a woman?
  Director: What?
  Interviewer: By which I mean, what, if anything, is the message in your films?
• In Conspiracy Thriller Utopia, hapless Dugdale is talking to Donaldson about how they are both being blackmailed by The Network, it leads to this amusing exchange:
  Donaldson: All I know was within the next few weeks I was embroiled in a sex scandal. Professor Pervert addicted to coke and prostitutes.
  Dugdale: So did they just set you up?
  Donaldson: Yeah. Well, no. *Beat* I.. I do like cocaine and prostitutes but they didn't have to tell anyone.
• On The Vicar of Dibley, Jim Trott's "No, no, no, no, no...yes", which is his Verbal Tic. And also his (rarely seen) wife: "Yes, yes, yes, yes...no".
• Yellowjackets:
  • "Old Wounds": Shauna's reaction to her daughter Callie calling her out on being a murderer.
    Shauna: No. No, no, no, no, no. I mean, sure... mmm... Yes.
  • "Two Truths and a Lie": Misty tells Natalie that she and Walter are there at the cult's compound to rescue Natalie:
    Misty: I mean, you-you were kidnapped, right?
    Natalie: No. Uh, yes, technically I was, but it's no big deal, okay? Lottie sent some people for me, but I'm not being held against my will. Anymore.
• The West Wing:
  President Bartlet: You told the press I have a secret plan to fight inflation?
  Josh: No, I did not. Let me be absolutely clear, I did not do that. Except, yes, I did that.

Music

• The Beach Boys: "God Only Knows"
  • The first verse:
  I may not always love you
  but long as there are stars above you
  You never need to doubt it
  I’ll make you so sure about it
  • The second verse:
  If you should ever leave me
  Well, life would still go on, believe me
  The world could show nothing to me
  So what good would living do me?
• The third verse of "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles:
  Always, no, sometimes think it's me,
  But you know I know when it's a dream,
  I think a "no", I mean a "yes", but it's all right,
  That is, I think I disagree.
• The Living End has a song called Short Notice with lyrics like:
  I said I wanna, I wanna see you
  I really meant I wanna, I wanna leave you
  I said I wanna, I wanna touch you
  I really meant I wanna, I wanna punch you
• "Only on Days That End in 'Y'" by Clay Walker:
  The only time I ever miss you, honey
  Is when I'm alone or when I'm with somebody
  Your memory never even gets to me
  'Cept when I'm awake, and when I m sleeping
  Girl you never even cross my mind
  'Cept just when I think I left you far behind
  Only when I laugh, only when I cry,
  And only on days that end in "Y"
• Played with on "Maybe I Mean Yes" by Holly Dunn:
  When I say no I mean maybe
  Baby, don't you know me yet?
  Nothing's worth havin' if it ain't a little hard to get
  So let me clarify so you won't have to try to guess
  When I say no I mean maybe, or maybe I mean yes
• "Except for Monday" by Lorrie Morgan
  When you said goodbye
  I learned a couple new dances
  I cast a couple of glances
  I'm on a big roll now
  Except for Monday, which was never good anyway
  Tuesday, I get a little side ways
  Wednesday, I feel better just for spite
  Thursday and Friday take too long
  Before I know it, Saturday's gone
  But it's Sunday now and you can bet that I'm all right
• "Better Things To Do" by Terri Clark
  You're wanting me to say I'm barely hanging on
  Well, maybe that was true for a night or two
  But now, I got better things to do
  I could wash my car in the rain
  Change my new guitar strings
  Mow the yard just the same as I did yesterday
  I don't need to waste my time crying over you
  I got better things to do
• "Flowers on the Wall" by The Statler Brothers
  If I were walkin' in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none
  While you and your friends are worried about me, I'm havin' lots of fun
  Countin' flowers on the wall
  That don't bother me at all
  Playin' solitaire 'til dawn with a deck of 51
  Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
  Now don't tell me, I've nothin' to do
• "Ocean Front Property" by George Strait
  If you leave me
  I won't miss you
  And I won't ever take you back
  Girl, your memory
  Won't ever haunt me
  'Cause I don't love you
  And now if you'll buy that
  I've got some ocean front property in Arizona
  From my front porch, you can see the sea
  I've got some ocean front property in Arizona
  If you'll buy that, I'll throw the Golden Gate in free
  * "Let's Get Married" by The Proclaimers has the line "All right you can get a cat, just as long as it barks!"
• The Ole Ivars joke song "Je har slutta å drekke brenn'vin" ("I Have Stopped Drinking Liquor") is about how the narrator has stopped drinking... expect for some beer and akvavit to go with his pinnekjøtt, cognac for his "tea" meals, as well as some wine and karsk...

Radio

• John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme: One Patsy Straightwoman interview has her dealing with an expert in talking to experts, who explains that most experts on interview shows are so intimidated they agree with any question put to them, no matter how stupid. He has managed to train himself to fight this, which has come out in this trope, initially agreeing and then giving the actual answer immediately after.

Theatre

• In Fellowship! The Musical, Frodo says he thought Sauron was killed. Gandalf responds: "Oh, he was killed. If by 'killed', you mean turned-into-a-giant-flaming-evil-red-eyeball, then SURE, you betcha he was 'killed'!"

Video Games

• In Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Deadpool, filming his battle with Ultimate Spider-Man as a TV show, unleashes his army. "And by army I mean production assistants. And by production assistants I mean interns. And by interns I mean fans."
• In Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, Komaru denies that she and her big brother Makoto get along well, saying that they only talk when snacking or talking about the manga they like. Toko points out that they are close, and Komaru admits that she just assumed other siblings were closer than she and Makoto were.
• From the "About the Silver Screen Edition" page in Mystery Science Theater 3000 Presents "Detective":
  "This release is identical to the previous release, with a couple of exceptions that make it not identical to the previous release."

Webcomics

• Darths & Droids episode 1821:
  "Is this another one of your brilliant plans?"
  "I wouldn't call it brilliant... But it is pretty brilliant!"
• In Lovely People, the "social credit" system awards points to people for various actions. Peony mentions that it's possible to gain points by buying Alizongle products and posting the pictures of those purchases on social media.
  Marigold: How much have you spent?
  Peony: Not that much! Maybe a few thousand bucks so far.
  Peppermint: Well, I'll take the non-bankrupting path.
• Scarlet Lady: In "Animan", Chloé intends to stalk Adrien in order to ruin his "date" with Marinette, while Tikki attempts to talk her out of it.
  Tikki: Chloé, this is ridiculous. Adrien is free to date whoever he wants!
  Chloé: Of course he is! As long as it is me!
• In Sluggy Freelance Chapter 73: The Immortal King - Dedication:
  Torg: Want to hear about the childhood events that shaped me into me?
  Zoë: My guess is they're really weird and I'd like to maintain my intention to actually marry you.
  Torg: Yeah, let's go with that.
  Zoë: But seriously, you can share with me anything.
  Torg: Of course.
  Zoë: Except the weird stuff that made you you.
• In The Rant to a Gunnerkrigg Court strip in which Kat introduces Annie to an artifical habitat within the Court containing a sunny meadow with a cherry tree, Tom says "My school had one of these. No wait, they had a bike rack."

Web Original

• Agents of Cracked has with Michael: "If by "I want a hot dog" you mean "I want your junk in my mouth", then sure!"
• The FAQ from The Best Page in the Universe includes the question, "How often do you update your page?" His answer: "At least once every week. And by "once every week," I really mean "when I get a chance." And by "when I get a chance," I really mean never."
• Amy Ratcliffe describing her search for 'water dancing' lessons at a convention.
  ...we eventually tortured a volunteer for correct information. And by torture, I mean we looked sad and tired and frustrated.
• SF Debris' review of David Lynch's Dune (1984), discussing the changes in the Baron's character from the book:
  "I hate to be all "they changed him now he sucks"...but at the same time, they did change him, and now he really does suck."
• Paul O'Brien discussing the economic realities of the comics industry on House to Astonish:
  It only balances out if there are enough readers that, collectively, what it's worth to them matches up with what it's worth to the creator, and if it doesn't match up, the entire system collapses. Now, I'm not saying it doesn't match up and the entire system's going to collapse, but it doesn't match up and the entire system's going to collapse.
• Nick's Strength and Power host Nick Miller, in a video posted August 6, 2020, speculated about a cryptic social media post by seven-time Mr. Olympia-winning bodybuilder Phil Heath. Phil hinted in this post, without saying it directly, that he intended to end his recent hiatus to try and reclaim the Olympia title he'd lost back in 2018.
  Nick: "Now I’m not saying that Phil’s gonna come back, but I’m saying Phil’s gonna come back."

Western Animation

• Batman: The Animated Series: In "Harley's Holiday", after Harley accidentally kidnaps Veronica Vreeland, her father, a general, comes to the rescue in a tank, prompting Harley to make a hairpin turn the opposite direction.
  Veronica: What are you doing, that's my father!
  Harley Quinn: No, that's your father—IN A TANK!
• This is how Danger Mouse defeats the anti-logic Gremlin in "Gremlin Alert," by confusing him with a "yes means no" Logic Bomb.
• The ZhuZhus Zhu Land, Midge the Mighty stops the hamster car with her foot.
  Nice try!
  "Nice" meaning "bad".
• The Fairly OddParents!:
  • "Hairicane": When it seemed the Air Force would defeat the hairicane, Chet Ubetcha announced "We're saved!". Then the hairicane defeated the Air Force, prompting Chet to say "And by saved, I mean doomed!"
  • "I Dream of Cosmo": Timmy's Dad meets an amnesiac Cosmo and assumes Cosmo must be a magical mix of witch and genie and says Cosmo must grant him Three Wishes. By three, Timmy's Dad means a gazillion.
• Futurama:
  • "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings": "You may have to metaphorically make a Deal with the Devil. And by devil, I mean Robot Devil. And by metaphorically I mean get your coat."
  • In "Viva Mars Vegas":
    Zoidberg: You mean I'm invisible?
    Professor Farnsworth: No, no, no. Not in any sense of the word. But essentially, yes, entirely.
  • In "The Sting"
    Leela: Are you saying I'm crazy?
    Farnsworth: No, no. Nobody's saying that. But I'm certainly thinking it very loudly.
• Gravity Falls:
  • "Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons": Dipper tells Mabel "Yes, except no" when she asks if she gets to ride unicorns after rolling the die.
  • Stan tells the author only the two of them are aware of the portal. Well, just them and maybe the entire government of the United States.
    Ford Pines: Tell me, Stan. Are there any security breaches? Does anyone else know about this portal?!
    Stan: No, just us. Also, maybe the entire U.S. government.
    Ford: The WHAT?!
• A literal case happened in King of the Hill. Peggy was once asked to teach German and she answered "Nein", thinking it meant "Yes". As she related this to her niece, Peggy said she had lost an opportunity because of that.
• Used in an episode of Maryoku Yummy, with Baburu commenting on Hadagi's latest scheme: "I can see this is going to be fun. And by fun, I mean no fun at all."
• Phineas and Ferb:
  • Doctor Doofenshmirtz does this about Once an Episode, usually when Perry bursts in to foil his evil scheme of the week. There was at least one occasion where, by unexpected, Doof actually meant unexpected. And he sometimes isn't sure what he meant by other variations.
    Doofenshmirtz: Ah, Perry the Platypus! What an unexpected surprise... and by unexpected I mean completely expected!
  • Major Monogram once said he wanted to approve Perry's request for a vacation but there was a small problem. He admitted that by "small" he meant "big" and by "approve" he meant "deny".
• Robot Chicken has a skit where the Care Bears ethnically cleanse the Care Bear Cousins. Quoth Bedtime Bear: "It's bedtime! And by 'bed', I mean 'ethnic', and by 'time', I mean 'cleansing'". (Shoots a rainbow that decapitates the elephant)
• In an episode of Scooby-Doo, Shaggy is heard to say:
  "Scoob, there's a time and place for eating, which is all the time and every place. But not here and not now!"
• Shimmer and Shine: In "Ahoy, Genies", Shine admits that sometimes she gets carried over and, by "sometimes", she means "all the time".
• The Simpsons:
  • In "Marge In Chains", Lionel Hutz explains to Marge why Judge Snyder is not on good terms with him: "Well, he's had it in for me ever since I kinda ran over his dog... Well, replace the word 'kinda' with the word 'repeatedly' and the word 'dog' with 'son'".
  • Leonard Nimoy introduces the episode "The Springfield Files" with, "The following tale of alien encounters is true. And by true, I mean false. It's all lies. But they're entertaining lies, and in the end, isn't that the real truth? The answer is no".
  • In "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy":
    Homer: I have to go do some serious thinking.
    Bart: I think Dad meant "do some serious drinking."
    Lisa: That's what I assumed.
  • In "Kill Gill Vols. 1 & 2", Marge has trouble saying no to freeloader Gil and when she finally gets the guts to, he's gone. Which leads to this...
    Homer: Hey Marge! Want $1000?
    Marge: NO! I mean yes.
    Homer: Too late. [burns the money]
  • In "Realty Bites", Marge works as a real estate agent. The whole office is okay with lying through their teeth to make a sale, especially her boss, Lionel Hutz. The drama of the episode revolves around the fact that she is way too honest for her own good, and then lied through omission to Ned Flanders that the dream home she sold his family is a murder house and she will not feel comfortable having Ned's money because of the lie, even after Ned makes clear he doesn't minds (heck, he actually likes) living in a murder house.
    Lionel: Marge, I had a lot of calls about you! Customers love your "no pressure" approach.
    Marge: Well, like we say, "the right house for the right person!"
    Lionel: Listen, it's time I let you in on a little secret, Marge. The right house is the house that's for sale. The right person is anyone.
    Marge: But all I did was tell the truth.
    Lionel: Of course you did. But there's "the truth" (disapprovingly shakes head), and "the truth". (nods head approvingly)
• In the South Park episode "Cartman's Incredible Gift," the police come to Cartman, who has (supposedly) gained psychic abilities, and offer to pay him to help them catch a killer. Cartman replies, "I'm afraid that my powers are not for sale. And by that, I mean that they absolutely are for sale."
• Pushed to the extreme by Sasha in Titan Maximum:
  Sasha: We thought you'd given up on us. And by We I mean I and by thought I mean hoped and by given up I mean died and by on us I mean in a fire and by period I mean disappointed ellipses.
• Total Drama: Worried about her inexperience with the guitar during a guitar play-along challenge in "Rock 'n Rule", Lindsay wants to know if it's anything like the recorder because she knows how to play that. Chris answers that it indeed is a lot like the recorder, except that it's completely different.
• In the Risk episode of Undergrads, Nitz calls on a friend to show up with an excuse to allow him to leave the game because he knows Gimpy will actively try to keep him from ditching:
  Nitz: It's not that I don't trust Gimpy to let me leave but... I don't trust Gimpy.
• Uncle Grandpa, in "Driver's Test":
  Uncle Grandpa: But do you know how to drive the Uncle Grandpa Way?
  Mary: You mean like on top of buildings and in outer space and stuff?
  Uncle Grandpa: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Yes.

Real Life

• Pundit Rachel Maddow consistently refers to the Republican Party's current (c. mid-2012) highest priority as "Jobs, jobs, jobs, and by that we mean 'abortion'."
• During the filming of the 1972 version of Under Milk Wood, Richard Burton reportedly told the director: "I'm not drinking on your film. And by not drinking, I mean just one bottle of vodka a day."
• In the review of the 1984 Formula One season, Clive James commented on Alain Prost's retirement from the Italian Grand Prix at Monza:
  Clive James: He looked for a nice quiet place to park where the sporting spectators wouldn't throw stones at him, but he couldn't find it, and they did.

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