Suspiciously Specific Denial: Difference between revisions

A [[False Reassurance]] works because the speaker is being vague and non-specific enough to pull the wool over someone's eyes. A '''Suspiciously Specific Denial''', on the other hand, fails because the speaker is [[Saying Too Much]]. This may be unintentional, such as when the speaker is panicked, a [[Bad Liar]], or perhaps just a little stupid. Often used to establish that you're [[Most Definitely Not a Villain]].

 

 

Oddly, it can happen in two opposite ways, with the same result: the specific denial ("I won't kill you using a poisoned stiletto!") was a lie (he does, and the fact that the question and/or answer was so specific means that ''some''one already had the answer in mind), or the specific denial was technically true, but it [[Exact Words|left so many doors open that it was suspect anyway]] (he kills the other guy with a ''non''-poisoned stiletto, or a gun). Bonus suspicion points if the statement was made apropos of nothing.

Contrast [[False Reassurance]], [[Blatant Lies]], and [[Implausible Deniability]].

 

{{examples|These are certainly not examples:}}

== Nothing General About It ==

* Also occasionally used in negotiations over payment, as in "My five partners and I charge only X$ for our services." "Okay, done!" "Fine, that'll be (6 x X)$ total for all of us."

 

* A famous ad run during a break of the 81st Annual Academy Awards shows [[Tom Cruise]] and Jimmy Kimmel escape from a burning house. Kimmel immediately says he hopes Cruise doesn't think he burned Cruise's house down as part of a plot to get him to do Kimmel's next show. Cruise sees through the denial and tricks Kimmel into going back into the house to rescue a nonexistent cat.

* Several tourism commercials for New Orleans and Florida reference the Gulf oil spill. One even insisted that "everything's normal" right after ''showing a bowl of shrimp''.

'''Guy 2''': It was ''not'' a team of Smurfs who helped me. }}

 

* In ''[[Fever]]'', one guy tries to sneak his dog on a bus by hiding it in his bag. He then asks the bus driver "1300 won without a dog?" The bus driver looks suspicious, but is allowed on anyway.

* In ''[[Pani Poni Dash!|Pani Poni Dash]]'' Becky does not do this.

{{quote|'''Kanata''' I haven't been sleeping! A-Absolutely have not been sleeping!}}

 

* At the end of ''[[Young Justice (comics)|Young Justice]]: Sins of Youth'', Klarion (bum bum BUM) the Witch Boy ''swears'' that "everyone on Earth has been restored to their normal selves.", prompting [[Batman]] to say [[But What About the Astronauts?|"'On Earth...' Odd phrasing."]] As it turns out, Klarion was telling the truth... but alien bounty hunter [[Lobo]], who was off-world throughout the ordeal, soon turned up on Earth looking for the fraggin' bastitch that turned him into a teenager.

* [[DC Comics]] covers from [[The Silver Age of Comic Books]] often include amazing premises (e.g., the hero [[Killed Off for Real]]!) accompanied by promises like "Not a hoax! Not a dream! Not an imaginary story!" Invariably, the promise turns out to be literally true, but not specific enough to cover the cheap trick they ''did'' use (e.g., an alternate universe.)

** Flea is ''[http://ps238.nodwick.com/comic/07252014/ shocked]''...

 

* There is no such thing as [[The Men in Black|Special Services]] in ''[[Aeon Natum Engel]]''.

* ''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5786029/1/First_Impressions First Impressions]'': [[Gorillaz|Murdoc Niccals]] is accused of ordering Noodle as a mail-order bride, and insists that "[[Even Evil Has Standards|I got my limits, okay, fatarse?]] I don't do little kids or [[Dude, She's Like, in a Coma|coma patients]], and for the record [[But You Screw One Goat!|that thing with the cat]] was taken ''entirely'' out of context!" The "little kids" part is presumably entirely true. The "Suspiciously Specific" part is because coma patients had not been previously mentioned, so 2D is naturally suspicious. {{spoiler|''[[Near-Rape Experience|Technically]]'' [[Squick|Murdoc's telling the truth]].}} [[Noodle Incident|No more details about the cat thing, though]]. Also, earlier on, Murdoc ropes 2D into helping him kidnap Russel. When Russel notices that 2D is nervous and asks if he's okay, 2D responds with "Oh yeah, I'm fine, and I'm doin' absolutely nothing suspicious at all!"

{{quote|'''Hyuga:''' What happened, Major? Shinji said he didn't see anythin--

'''Misato:''' Wrong. He said any''body''. [[Genre Savvy|Replying to a question about ''things'' with any''body'' means he's seeing someone and he's trying to cover it up.]] }}

{{quote|'''Roger:''' I might have a problem with women, but it didn't mean that--

'''Harry:''' You also told me you didn't drink.

'''Roger:''' Fuck you! I am not an alcoholic.

'''Ron:''' No one said you were, mate, but if you're bringing it up, what are we supposed to believe? }}

{{quote|'''Snape:''' Well, you did declare your loyalty to Hogwarts and the Ministry rather late in the day.

'''Draco:''' I didn't know that Voldemort had already been defeated.

Kanaya stared at Karkat for several tense moments, watching as he began to believe her clever lie.

"WHAT?!" Karkat shouted suddenly, his voice loud and filled with equal parts confusion, shock, incredulousness and more shock. Clearly he did not read the part about it being the perfect lie. }}

{{quote|'''Finn:''' Uh. Should I ask what happened to the last guy?

'''Kurt:''' I didn't sell his kidneys on the black market, if that's what you're worried about.

** To clarify, Kurt didn't sell his kidneys on the black market. He was fired when he slapped Kurt on the ass and called him [[Camp Gay|Princess]] when Kurt's dad was [[Right Behind Me|within earshot]].

* In ''[[Unfamiliar]]'', Siesta does this with regards to not speaking ill about Count Mott. It's also inverted, however, when Kirche notes a ''lack'' of denial about {{spoiler|Alex being a plaguebearer.}}

{{quote|Our plans to counter you do not involve [[Our Zombies Are Different|zombies]]. [[Crazy Prepared|You should not be taking steps to counter zombies]]. There will be no zombies. This is not a [[Zombie Apocalypse]]. We did not get the idea from Kuchiki Rukia's [[Horror Films|movie night]]. [[Mad Scientist|Kurotsuchi-taicho]] is not working on [[The Virus|a virus]] to turn otherwise healthy beings into [[I'm a Humanitarian|flesh-eating]], [[Brain Food|brain-craving]] horrors. [[Blatant Lies|There are no zombies involved]]. [[Redundancy Department of Redundancy|Zombies do not exist]]. [[Overly Long Gag|There will be no zombies]]. This is not a suspiciously specific denial.}}

* In ''[[Hogyoku Ex Machina]]'', the characters are able to project holograms of a person's memories. When presented with the [[Applied Phlebotinum]] needed to do this:

* [https://www.wattpad.com/699743998-final-stand-of-death-episode-5-onto-training Episode 5] of ''Final Stand of Death'', Nick pretty slips up on how he managed to get {{spoiler|the [[Spice Girls]]}} on-board with "[[Celebrity Deathmatch| Deathbowl 98]]", after Debbie finds mixtape that belongs to {{spoiler|Melanie aka Sporty)}}. This implies that Nick did something more than "invited" them.

{{quote| "It listed Merseyside once we kidnap... I mean, invited her and mates, I think where's she from. Don't ask me where is Merseyside because I have no idea." Nick said.}}

 

* Played with in ''[[The Incredibles]]'': "All right, listen closely. I'd like to help you, but I can't. [[Could Say It, But...|I'd like to tell you to take a copy of your policy to Norma Wilcox on -- ''(whispering)'' Norma Wilcox. W-I-L-C-O-X. -- on the third floor. But I can't. I also do not advise you to fill out and file a WS2475 form with our legal department on the second floor. I wouldn't expect someone to get back to you quickly to resolve the matter]]. I'd like to help, but there's nothing I can do."

* ''[[Arthur Christmas]]'': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Iwdcsn-1Y There is absolutely nothing to see at the North Pole.]

* ''[[Rango]]'': Beans's father most certainly ''did not'' die when he fell drunk down a mine shaft.

* From ''[[Spaceballs]]'':

{{quote|'''Helmet:''' [[How Much Did You Hear?|Did you see anything?]]

'''Sandurz:''' No, sir! I didn't see you [[Cowboys and Indians|playing with your dolls]] again! }}

** The reporter is explaining something to the managing editor, Howard Simons:

{{quote|'''Woodward:''' They said Hunt hadn't worked there for three months. Then a PR guy said this weird thing to me. He said, "I am convinced that neither Mr. Colson nor anyone else at the White House had any knowledge of, or participation in, this deplorable incident at the Democratic National Committee."

* Pretty much any dialogue which begins (in a slurred voice) "[[Sorry, Ociffer...|I'mmm not drunick, offisher!]]" will end with the poor constable even more convinced the suspect is under the alkafluence of inkohol. [[Sarcasm Mode|But the denial couldn't possibly be the joke as we'd never say something that clichéd here]].

 

* ''[[Discworld]]''

** In the same book, Vetinari certainly did not receive a missive, which was not delivered by Albatross from the mysterious Counterweight Continent: Indeed, he has no contact with that far-away mythical place whatsoever. The missive, which as we all know does not exist, does ''not'' contain a message requesting the help of a "Great Wizzard".

** The Watch books have a recurring minor character called "Done-it Duncan", who will confess to anything if prompted (including stealing fire from the gods - of course, he was a bit younger back then). This actually makes him a useful informant, as most of his confessions are along the lines of "It wasn't X who did that, it was me."

** ''Discworld'' features a couple of Suspiciously Specific Assurances too: Nobby Nobbs is definitely human. He has a little paper to prove it. [[Mad Scientist|Jeremy Clockson]] has one, too, to certify his sanity to anyone who asks. (In Nobby's case it's probably true, but the very fact that he carries the paper around makes people even more suspicious.)

** Averted by several trolls, who are specifically noted as having found that the general denial "I never done nothing" works better than specific refutation.

* [[Dave Barry]] loves this trope.

* The Perfectly Normal Beasts from ''[[Mostly Harmless]]''.

 

* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''

** Xander is often guilty of this. However he is so seldom normal that many of his friends ignore it anyway.

{{quote|'''Crown Prosecutor Kaye:''' Or was it just because he looked like a rapist?

'''Defendant:''' This has nothing to do with him being black!

* On the ''[[Mama's Family]]'' episode "Child's Play", the kid they are babysitting, Eugene (who, by the way, is the son of the Reverend at their church) sits down to dinner with the Harper family. Thelma proceeds to say grace with her eyes open, because Eugene had caused more than a little damage around the house prior to dinner. He nitpicks enough to get Thelma to say the grace with her eyes closed, at which point he puts some hot sauce in the stew. When everyone gets up and starts running for water, this little exchange happens:

{{quote|'''Thelma:''' ''(suspicious tone)'' Eugene...?

{{quote|Turgonitis is just one of the many new and exciting diseases developed by us here at the British Institute Of Applied Science And Technology And Not Germ Warfare. }}

 

* Michael John Lachiusa song, "The Christian Thing To Do", is about a woman wishing her ex "well" after their breakup.

{{quote|''You look like you're relieved.

''You probably think this song is about you }}

 

* Definitely not the fourth item in the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140404210240/http://tropertales.wikkii.com/wiki/Bavarian_Fire_Drill/Archive Troper Tales section of Bavarian Fire Drill.]

* [http://notalwaysright.com/totally-lost-the-pot/9198 This] ''[[(The Customer is) Not Always Right]]'' post is such a perfect example it makes you wonder if the guy rehearsed it before.

* Not [http://gingerhaze.tumblr.com/post/7569037163 this] ''[[X-Men: First Class|X Men First Class]]'' meme pic.

 

* ''[[Dilbert]]'' has used [http://dilbert.com/strip/1995-04-05 this one]:

{{quote|'''P.H.B.:''' I want to assure you that any rumors you've heard are false. We are NOT planning to relocate the company to the South Pole where easily trainable native Eskimos will replace you. }}

* In ''[[Adam At Home]]'', the principal announced the school closing early due to inclement weather, then added, "Be sure to tell your parents this has nothing to do with teachers wanting to get good seats at Julio's Cantina for Coach Baum's retirement party."

 

* This is not the origin of the non-Chinese proverb "no three-hundred taels of silver beneath this ground":

{{quote|Some guy digs a hole behind his house and put all his life's savings in it. Not feeling particularly secure, he scribbles a message on the wall: "''No three-hundred taels of silver beneath this ground''". His neighbor Wang gets the message, harvests the ground -- and then wrote: "''This is not stolen by your neighbor Wang''".}}

 

* In the Roger Miller episode of ''[[The Muppet Show]]'', the theater is swept with an epidemic of "Cluckitus", a disease that causes anyone infected to turn into a chicken. Kermit, worried that the news of this affliction may upset the guest star, orders that the epidemic be kept secret (an impossible feat, as Muppets-turned-chickens retain their normal voices). This leads to a specific denial from Robin:

{{quote|'''Robin:''' We aren't turning into chickens!}}

* The National Anthem of Troller's Gill in ''[[Roger and The Rottentrolls]]'' (which also plays as the end credits roll) alleges that Rottentrolls are [[Blatant Lies|'not at all totally, utterly stark-raving mad!']]

 

* Danielle Ward on ''[[The Now Show]]'':

{{quote|"If the tuition fees had been in place twenty years ago, the Middletons wouldn't have been able to afford finding out what university William was going to and getting Kate to spend every waking moment training to become his perfect woman. I'm not bitter, I don't care. I don't even fancy him."}}

* ''[[The Vestibules]]'': Like you, Zalgon 26 McGee is a ''homo sapiens'' who finds the eating of human beings repugnant. He owns a haberdashery selling a wide variety of human clothing, and even if you don't want to buy any human clothing, he invites you to visit [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mapN5ZsWdA one of his many changing rooms]. [[Trope Codifier|You will not be cooked]].

 

* Hannibal Buress in The Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber:

{{quote|'''Hannibal''': Justin, they say you roast the ones you love, but I don't like you at all, man...I don't like your music, man, I'm not a fan of it. I listened to some of it, I'm not a fan. (distractedly) I don't like your music. I think it's bad. I think it's bad, man, I don't like it. I hate your music, man.}}

* [[Demetri Martin]] has a joke that goes: "I'm not a racist, but this is a really good steak!... What? I'm told you, I'm not a racist... you stupid Mexican."

 

* To emphasize the extreme secrecy practiced by students of the style, the description of the White Veil Style of Terrestrial Martial Arts from ''[[Exalted]]'' insists that there is no White Veil Society, they are not a secret political force in the Scarlet Empire, and they ''certainly'' don't teach their non-existent members a highly secret style of martial arts revolving around fighting in plain sight without anyone, even the victims, realizing it...

** As of comic 251, the White Veil Society (which, of course, does not exist) has not made an appearance in ''[[Keychain of Creation]]'', and ''certainly'' not in any kind of storyline-important way. That would be just silly.

** {{spoiler|Leading to [[The Unmasqued World]] when [[Our Vampires Are Different|Szadek]] makes a banquet out of [[Cosmic Keystone|Selesnya]].}}

 

* Near the end of Neil Simon's ''[[Rumors]]'', a police officer arrives at the house where a neighbor had reported a domestic disturbance. Glenn Cooper, a politician at the house, is making small talk with the policeman once they're in the clear... but then blurts out "we didn't even hear the gunshots." The officer had not mentioned any gunshots at that time.

* "Were you not to Ko-Ko plighted" in ''[[The Mikado]]'', in which Nanki-Poo describes and demonstrates what he'd do with Yum-Yum if she wasn't engaged to someone else.

{{quote|'''''Harpagon:''' The fact is, I was only talking to myself about the trouble one has nowadays to raise any money; and I was saying that he is a fortunate man who has ten thousand crowns in his house. (...) I am very glad to tell you this, so that you may not misinterpret things, and imagine that I said that it was I who have ten thousand crowns. (...) Would that I had them, these ten thousand crowns!}}

 

* Any "free" browser game that claims itself to be free in every sentence of its ads is an [[Allegedly Free Game]].

* Maria in ''[[Silent Hill 2]]'' repeatedly assures James that "she's real". That's one of the main things that lets you know {{spoiler|She's not}}.

** Defied during Shizune's route {{spoiler|before her bad ending}} Lilly suggests Shizune surrounded herself with people who would agree with her, and Hisao notes she denied doing so. Hisao notes more specific denials are indicators of accusations being true, but says this doesn't apply to Shizune's denial in this case.

 

* [http://hrwiki.org/index.php/Blatant_Lies A favorite gag of] ''[[Homestar Runner]]''.

** In Sbemail 50, after Homestar accidentally causes Strong Bad's Compy to have a "flagrant system error", he sticks a fake error message on it that reads "Everything is fine. Nothing is ruined. This is real."

'''Carl''': I do not kill people. That is, that is my ''least'' favorite thing to do. }}

 

* ''[[Ansem Retort]]'' has Sora saying "No, I'm not trying to summon [[Bill Murray]] and the other [[Ghostbusters]]!" right as he was in the middle of that.

** It's later averted, though, when Axel denies that he was blowing up a town with his mind...only to say "and by 'not' I mean 'totally am'. [[Dissimile|And by 'mind' I mean 'penis']]...[[Metaphorgotten|I'm not sure where I'm going with this anymore.]]

* ''[[Girl Genius]]'' does this with the "Revenge of the Weasel Queen" story. A Spark who is obviously said Weasel Queen begins to describe what's going on in a neutral way, but quickly demonstrates bias and sparksanity.

* Nobody in {{spoiler|Saves-a-Fox}}'s party in ''[[Goblins]]'' even knew it was possible for monsters to level as adventurers before that character denied having done so.

* The robots of ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court]]'' seem prone to this. First the [http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=7 "NO spare robot parts" door], and later a [http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=549 "situation" in the above pic].

** Likewise, Janet and Winsbury, when they're trying to keep their [[Secret Relationship]] a secret.

{{quote|'''[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID{{=}}618 Winsbury]:''' Where is she?! Janet should have been back by now. I mean... Not that I care or anything.}}

* ''[[Hijinks Ensue]]'': Josh definitely has [http://hijinksensue.com/?p=1736 neither a sensory deprivation chamber, nor any LSD]. Especially not the LSD, and especially not in his ''Heroes'' season 3 DVD case.

* ''[[Housepets]]'': Peanut certainly did [http://www.housepetscomic.com/2009/03/11/delayed-reaction/ not see] [[Jerkass|Bino's]] [http://www.housepetscomic.com/2009/03/09/bzzt/ shock collar remote].

* In ''[[Keychain of Creation]]'' [http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0251.html #251], Marena's patient attempt to explain to Secret how she and Racer are ''not'' members of a nonexistent secret society that does not in fact wear white veils to identify their members and has no political influence whatsoever.

* ''[[Least I Could Do]]'' has this trope down to a T, most recently [http://www.leasticoulddo.com/comic/20101108 here].

{{quote|'''[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0203.html Vaarsuvius]:''' None of us have ever tampered with the fundamental natural order when bored. [[And That Would Be Wrong|That would be wrong]].}}

** Prequel book ''On the Origin of PCs'' has, in addition to the page quote, a [[Grave Humor|tombstone for one Bloodmak the Unholy]], who's "not coming back as a vampire. Honest."

** Sometimes [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0238.html in song]!

** [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0156.html Definitely NOT a Bandit Camp.]

** A variant: Elan and Roy are pretending not to know each other. Then they are introduced...

{{quote|"Hi! I'm Elan! What's your name, Roy?"}}

* A variation in panel three of [http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2003/7/23/ this] ''[[Penny Arcade (Webcomic)|Penny Arcade]]'' strip.

** And three different ones in [http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/10/12/ this strip].

** Also, [http://www.mezzacotta.net/planetofhats/episodes/0007.html this]: "I have a totally non-suspicious request, Captain. [[Risking the King|Beam down alone.]]"

* ''[[PvP (webcomic)|PvP]]'' had [https://web.archive.org/web/20110717214959/http://www.pvponline.com/2010/07/13/brent-and-the-devil-pt-7/ Cole insist that ass-scapes.com is "Not a porn site I subscribe to!]"

{{quote|'''Francis''': S.C.R.A.T.C.H. is our Smart Content Routing Algorithm Technology Compression Hub, which is a real thing and not [[Fun with Acronyms|just a bunch of words I forced to fit into an acronym]].}}

* [http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1369 This] ''[[Questionable Content]]'' page.

** "You look like Zoë's friend Riff." "Oh no, I'm [[Totem Pole Trench|much taller]]."

* ''[[Something*Positive]]'': {{spoiler|Kim has sex with Davan [[Dude, She's Like, in a Coma|while he's unconscious]]. When Aubrey walks in, Kim responds thus:}}

* ''[[SSDD]]'' had [http://www.poisonedminds.com/d/20011203.html somebody] NOT causing the toilet to crash by dissolving floor under it.

* A couple in ''[[Unshelved]]'': [http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20060210 one] featuring the [[Mouthy Kid]] and [http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20080107 a short arc about a wet chair].

* ''[[Vexxarr]]'': [http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=030911 "Warning: not a concealed escape hatch. Do not stand back. Do not check seal after closing..."]

* In ''[[VG Cats]]'', the chemist from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker]]'' who didn't look in Leo/Link's bag and didn't see any faerie in any bottle. Leo/Link takes it as face value, so he just strongly advises him not to blab.

** [http://xkcd.com/463/ This] strip gives a rare example of a Suspiciously Specific ''Assurance.''

** [http://xkcd.com/641/ Asbestos-free!]

{{quote|'''Desmond:''' How come you and Fang aren't fighting anymore?

'''Umesh:''' What? No! [[Slap Slap Kiss|I've never even ''had'' sex]]! ''How dare you sir!'' }}

 

* There was a ''[[Loading Ready Run]]'' video involving [http://loadingreadyrun.com/videos/view/372/All-The-Little-People Paul denying having a family of tiny people living under his hat]. [http://loadingreadyrun.com/videos/view/374/Loading-Time-03-All-The-Little-People The commentary discusses the trope].

{{quote|'''Matt:''' Heh, it would be pretty funny, though. Like, where would they go to the bathroom?

'''Paul:''' Oh... uh... ooh... I have to go now... because... I have a fire... stuck... in my pants...

''(Paul turns and flees from the room)'' }}

* ''[[Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog]]'' has Dr. Horrible, [[Clark Kenting]] as Billy, bump into his arch-nemesis. "We're meeting now for the first time!"

** "What a crazy random happenstance!"

'''Alex:''' I didn't come from anywhere suspicious. }}

* In ''[[Cracked.com]]'':

** After Corbin Bernsen stated that the film ''[[Christian Mingle]]'' is "not an ad or paid promotional piece for the dating website," E. Reid Ross wrote [http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/4-reasons-new-christian-mingle-movie-will-be-hilarious/ 4 Reasons the New Christian Mingle Movie Will Be Hilarious] that shows why Bernsen's claim is "a load of bullshit".

* A [[Running Gag]] in [[The Nostalgia Chick]]'s "Top 11 Villainesses" countdown. She'll lie very badly that "It's not like there's pictures of me dressed up as [this character] for Halloween"; cut to a picture of her [[cosplay]]ing, soundtracked with a scream.

* From ''[[David Mitchell]]'s Soapbox'':

{{quote|"I do not have OCD. I've checked. Three or four hundred times. And I ''definitely'' don't. I stop myself catching it by washing my hands an even number of times. But I'm aware I'm at an at-risk group... I don't care about the odd pound, either, but I want the books balanced, only for the same reasons that if I saw two piles of actual books, I would want them literally balanced. It's neater that way. It's better. How can they not see that?"}}

* Dom Fera's original animated take on ''The Devil and Daniel Webster'' has

{{quote|'''Jabez:''' Thank you, thank you. I'd just like to say I deserve everything I've ever had and in no way sold my soul to the devil!

'''Partygoer:''' What?

'''Jabez:''' Foreshadowing. }}

* "My name is [[Olan Rogers]]. I am not an astronaut, a geophysicist, nor am I dragon slayer."

* [http://youtu.be/aEHtcZ5pTkQ "G is for Giraffe.] An animal I have never licked. Never. Never."

* In ''[[Hitherby Dragons]]'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20120811154644/http://imago.hitherby.com/2004/08/merediths-fairy-tale/ "Meredith's Fairy Tale"], a witch gives Meredith some tea leaves that are in no way cursed.

* Happens quite often to [[Destine Enormity|Aidric Carter,]] partly because he's a rebel on the run from a dystopian government.

{{quote|[https://twitter.com/notarobotatall/status/780119232923262976 you may think i am a robot but in fact i have 3 esophagus like all humans]

[https://twitter.com/notarobotatall/status/782202949065969664 i would never "probe" you, earthling] }}

 

* From ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'': "He said, uh, 'We wouldn't dream of sacrificing the blue-haired woman!'"

** "Behind The Laughter:"

'''Terrence:''' Yeah, like I would ruin everything by telling you how I found Eduardo and got him to fight for me down at the junkyard. How dumb do you think I am? ''(Leaves with sack of potatoes and slams door behind him.)''

'''Mac:''' ''(with a smug smile)'' Pretty dumb!}}

 

* "I'm not being racist, but [racist comment]".

** For example, during Question Time with [[British Political System|British National Party]] leader Nick Griffin, Jack Straw [[Lampshade Hanging|hung a lampshade on]] the fact that no other political party's spokesperson has to remind people they're not a racist every time they open their mouth.

* [[Richard Nixon|Richard Milhous Nixon]] and "I am not a crook" in the Watergate era. The more insistently he said it, the more it was quoted as sarcasm or irony.

* If you weren't aware of the context, a claim by a British military spokesman that [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6295138.stm "We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area"] might be disconcerting.

* [[wikipedia:Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf|"There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never! They are not in Baghdad. They are not in control of any airport. I tell you this. It is all a lie. They lie. It is a Hollywood movie. You do not believe them. They're not even within 100 miles of Baghdad. They are not in any place. They hold no place in Iraq. This is an illusion ... they are trying to sell to the others an illusion. ...at Saddam Airport? Now that's just silly!"]]

** Veered into [[Implausible Deniability]] as the invasion continued. At one point he specifically denied that American tanks were anywhere near the area, when said tanks were visible in the background, no more than a couple hundred yards away from where he held the press conference.

* [http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/07/company-denies-its-robots-feed-on-the-dead/ Company Denies its Robots Feed on the Dead].

** POMPANO BEACH, Fla. - In response to rumors circulating the internet on sites such as [[Fox News]].com, FastCompany.com and CNET News about a "flesh eating" robot project, Cyclone Power Technologies Inc. and Robotic Technology Inc. would like to set the record straight: This robot is strictly vegetarian.

** The FBI does not have the original plans for [[Nikola Tesla|Tesla]]'s [[Death Ray]]. In fact, those have been seized by the alien property office.

* Ted Haggard: "I've never said that I'm perfect, but I haven't had sex with a man in Denver."

* When a corporation registers, it has to state the nature of its business. To allow for expansion, some simply use some variation of "any lawful activity," which sounds an awful lot like this, and sometimes ''is''.

* Any email that states "This is not spam" most likely is spam. Same goes for anything claiming to be not a pyramid scheme, 419 scam or similar.

* In the same way, if a religious group says, "We are not a [[Cult]]," you may want to do some more research on them before you join.

* Any classified job ad that says said job is genuine and legal, or anything similar. Heck, some ''job companies'' use this to describe what they're about.

* The website of [http://chucklestravels.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/the-horrors-of-hephzibah-house/ Hepzibah House] (a religious [[Boarding School of Horrors]] in Indiana) reassuringly informs parents that none of their students say they experienced [[Sadist Teacher|physical, emotional, or sexual abuse]]. Can't possibly think where [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QB9ZWM-iq0 CNN] might have got that idea....

* The Global Times, a Chinese newspaper and government mouthpiece, released this headline after China refused to extend the visa of Melissa Chan, an Al-Jazeera correspondent in Beijing: "Chan case not a sign of growing tensions with journalists". Phew! That is so good to know.

* On September 2nd of 2020, [[Donald Trump]] tweeted, "It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes. Never happened to THIS candidate - FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!" Nobody had, up to that point, claimed he might have been treated for strokes.

----

[[Implausible Deniability|This isn't a Tropes page, we swear.]]

[[Blatant Lies|Not at all.]]

[[Bad Liar|Nope.]]

[[Running Gag|No way.]]

[[Overly Long Gag|No how.]]

[[Beat|...]]

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Dialogue]]

[[Category:Truth and Lies]]

[[Category:Self-Demonstrating Article]]