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{{trope}}
{{quote|"I don't know -- I don't know what more we could have done to try to win this election."
|John McCain's Concession Speech, Arizona Biltmore Hotel, Phoenix, November 4, 2008 }}
{{quote|'''Interviewer''': How do you think your fans will react [now that you're returning to playing golf after being treated for sex addiction]?
'''Tiger Woods''': I don't know. I don't know.
|Interview, March 22, 2010}}
An ubiquitous utterance in film, television, and the legitimate theatre, signifying that the protagonist is (dramatically) out of ideas. For real, this time.
Line 12 ⟶ 14:
'''[[Very Special Episode|After School Specials]]'''
{{quote|
'''Troubled Teen:
(runs away, slamming any doors in her path) }}
'''Sci-Fi'''
{{quote|
'''Captain:
(close-up of pulsating space-gas blob on the view screen) }}
The '''Double "Don't Know"''' is closely related to [[One-Liner, Name. One-Liner.]] - simple, repetitive phrases used to provide closure to a scene or plot, including but not limited to: "I do, Billy. I really do," or, "It sure is, Billy. It sure is." etc. This variation is mostly a [[Dead Horse Trope]], though the namesake phrase(s) linger on.
The
▲The [[Double Don't Know]] is a ''stock phrase'' trope. It has nothing to do with "what now?" cliffhangers that don't feature repetitive statements akin to those described above. It's also unrelated to Donald Rumsfeld's [[Memetic Mutation|famous]] [[Didn't See That Coming|Unknown Unknowns]] - "the things we don't know we don't know".
{{examples}}
==
* Played straight - as so many things were - in ''[[I Was a Teenage Werewolf]]''.▼
* ''[[Top Gun]]'', as the classic '80s cliche storm, features it, though in a slightly different way than might be expected.▼
'''Jester:''' I dunno. I just don't know. }}▼
* In ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', after being fired from the University:▼
{{quote|
'''Peter''': [takes a swig from a bottle] I don't know, Ray. I don't know... }}▼
* [[The Terminator]]: When Kyle and Sarah are on the run from the Terminator, she asks him if he can stop it.▼
'''Reese''': '''I dunno'''. With these weapons, '''I dunno'''. }}{{context|reason=How is this an example of the trope as written?}}▼
* In the ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' series film [[The Enforcer]], one of the terrorists wants to know something:▼
'''Lalo''': I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I wasn't with her. }}▼
== [[Literature]] ==
* Happened by accident in ''[[The Stand]]''. Near the end, one character is asked the reason for all of what happened. He says, "I don't know," then pauses. [[Stephen King]] spent a good month trying to come up with an answer, couldn't, and had him repeat himself.
== [[Live
* A sample exchange from ''[[Star Trek:
{{quote|
'''Picard:''' Didn't I? I don't know anymore... I just don't know. }}
* Spoofed in the "Killer Sheep" sketch on ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' by having a scientist ramble "I just don't know. I really just don't know. I'm afraid I really just don't know," and so on.
* In the comedy TV show ''Corner Gas'', the theme song goes, in part: "I don't know, the same things you don't know. I don't know, I just don't know."
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* From the ''[[Jonny Quest]]'' episode "The Robot Spy":
{{quote|
'''Dr. Quest:''' I don't know, Jonny, I really don't know! }}
▲* Played straight - as so many things were - in ''[[I Was a Teenage Werewolf]]''.
▲* ''[[Top Gun]]'', as the classic '80s cliche storm, features it, though in a slightly different way than might be expected.
▲{{quote| '''Viper:''' Would you wanna fly with him?<br />
▲'''Jester:''' I dunno. I just don't know. }}
▲* In ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', after being fired from the University:
▲{{quote| '''Ray''': This ecto-containment unit that Spengler and I talked about is going to take a load of bread to capitalize. Where are we going to get the money?<br />
▲'''Peter''': [takes a swig from a bottle] I don't know, Ray. I don't know... }}
▲* [[The Terminator]]: When Kyle and Sarah are on the run from the Terminator, she asks him if he can stop it.
▲{{quote| '''Sarah''': Can you stop it?<br />
▲'''Reese''': '''I dunno'''. With these weapons, '''I dunno'''. }}
▲* In the ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' series film [[The Enforcer]], one of the terrorists wants to know something:
▲{{quote| '''Bobby''': Did Wanda deliver the [Ransom Note] tape to the cops?<br />
▲'''Lalo''': I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I wasn't with her. }}
----
{{quote|
'''[[The Stinger|Waldorf]]''': I don't know, Statler, I just don't know!
'''[[Those Two Guys|Both]]''': [[Memetic Mutation|Do-ho-ho-ho-hoh!]] }}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Stock Phrases]]
▲[[Category:Double Don't Know]]
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