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Verbal Backpedaling
- 98 statements
- 17 feature instances
- 26 referencing feature instances
Verbal Backpedaling | type |
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Verbal Backpedaling | |
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Verbal Backpedaling | comment |
When a character is busy "thinking out loud", only to suddenly discover that someone else has has overheard details that should've remained secret, what do they do? Come up with an impromptu explanation on the spot, and hope the other character is fooled. Did the Big Bad just gloat about how he's going to Take Over the World? No, that was just a chapter for that novella he's been writing on the side. Er... right? Villains seem particularly prone to this (due to their penchant for Evil Gloating), especially if the Big Bad and his Dragon (or another Big Bad) don't get along well and one of them is secretly plotting to betray the other; but it can really occur with any character who is a little too overconfident. For example, a Hero in the midst of a Badass Boast may accidentally reveal too much about their particular powers, giving their opponent information on how to defeat them. But in most cases, their impromptu explanation is enough to drop the matter ... for now. Related to the Verbal Backspace, which is generally used to cover up verbal errors of the more mundane (rather than plot relevant) sort. See also Bad Liar and Implausible Deniability; compare and contrast Digging Yourself Deeper, Right Behind Me and That Came Out Wrong. See "We're Live" Realization for one cause. |
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Verbal Backpedaling | processingComment |
Dropped link to LEGOLegendsOfChimaOnline: Not an Item - UNKNOWN | |
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Dropped link to ObliviousToLove: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
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Dropped link to OverlyLongGag: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
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Dropped link to SpeedRound: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
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Dropped link to SubvertedTrope: Not an Item - CAT | |
Verbal Backpedaling | processingUnknown |
LEGO Legends of Chima Online (Video Game) | |
Verbal Backpedaling | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_105ee9b4 | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_105ee9b4 | comment |
One of the hidden movies in Legendary Frog's FF7: About Random Battles animation may count as this trope. In Yuffie Joins the Party Genki Girl Yuffie pulls this until the last "What?" | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_105ee9b4 | featureApplicability |
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FF7: About Random Battles (Web Animation) | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_105ee9b4 | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_160b4833 | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_160b4833 | comment |
Scudworth's constant muttering while the Board of Shadowy Figures plot the future of Clone High typically reveals his plan to create a clone-based theme park instead of an army. This tends to be perfectly audible to the Board. | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_160b4833 | featureApplicability |
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Clone High | hasFeature |
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Verbal Backpedaling / int_39832c9 | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_39832c9 | comment |
In the movie Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, Cousin Mel talks to herself about finding a way to sell Grandma's store for big bucks. She turns around to see the protagonist, Jake, who asks her what she said... Cue poorly thrown together excuse about her saying they'd need to sell a lot of fruitcake. Sure, that IS what she was helping with at the time, but still. | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_39832c9 | featureApplicability |
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Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_39832c9 | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_6bbde1c8 | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_6bbde1c8 | comment |
In Overwatch, when an enemy is taking the objective, Junkrat will sometimes say "They're taking the point. Time to blow it— them up. I meant them." | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_6bbde1c8 | featureApplicability |
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Overwatch (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_6bbde1c8 | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_7e9d1a6c | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_7e9d1a6c | comment |
Frozen (2013): From Olaf: | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_7e9d1a6c | featureApplicability |
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Frozen (2013) | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_7e9d1a6c | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_90f7114 | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_90f7114 | comment |
In Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, when Judge Turpin first comes to Todd for a shave, he mentions that he is marrying his ward (unaware that she is actually Todd's daughter), and comments that she's "pretty as a rosebud." "Pretty as her mother?" Todd adds, but covers with, "No, nothing," when the judge asks what he said. | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_90f7114 | featureApplicability |
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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_90f7114 | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_a5fbd473 | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_a5fbd473 | comment |
While not evil, Sam does this in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by backtracking any time she says something smart, as part of her Obfuscating Stupidity routine. Subverted in that Flint doesn't immediately forget whatever she said before backtracking. | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_a5fbd473 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_a5fbd473 | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_b2cac7f5 | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_b2cac7f5 | comment |
Naru-Hina Chronicles: After learning that Tenten is pregnant, Gai tells her that he would be honored if she decided to give his name to her baby. When she points out that her baby could be a girl, in which case his name wouldn't suit her: | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_b2cac7f5 | featureApplicability |
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Naru-Hina Chronicles (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_b2cac7f5 | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c4282b71 | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c4282b71 | comment |
Rainbow Dash in Twilight's List; she doesn't want to admit to needing to ask Applejack for advice. | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c4282b71 | featureApplicability |
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My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c4282b71 | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c817238f | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c817238f | comment |
Ultimis Richtofen of Call of Duty: Zombies, being a Played for Laughs Obvious Judas, is rather fond of this. | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c817238f | featureApplicability |
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Call of Duty: Zombies (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c817238f | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c83344d | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c83344d | comment |
Played with in Dracula: Dead and Loving It. When Dracula leaves the ball with Mina, Renfield runs after him calling "Master! Master!... I mean... Mister! Mister!" Shortly afterward: | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c83344d | featureApplicability |
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Dracula: Dead and Loving It | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_c83344d | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_cb6abef3 | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_cb6abef3 | comment |
The Avengers: | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_cb6abef3 | featureApplicability |
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The Avengers (2012) | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_cb6abef3 | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_ce2c3c13 | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_ce2c3c13 | comment |
The Curse of Monkey Island has this exchange, with the hero staying in the room all the time but the villain can't help himself: | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_ce2c3c13 | featureApplicability |
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Verbal Backpedaling / int_ce2c3c13 | featureConfidence |
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The Curse of Monkey Island (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_ce2c3c13 | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_cffa1bda | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_cffa1bda | comment |
In Richard Wagner's Siegfried, the dragon's blood acts as a reverse Truth Serum, allowing Siegfried (and the audience) to hear through Mime's lies. Several times, Mime lets his malicious intent slip, Siegfried questions him, he objects that he didn't say that, then continues in a soothing tone telling Siegfried You Have Outlived Your Usefulness. | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_cffa1bda | featureApplicability |
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Richard Wagner (Music) | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_cffa1bda | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_d9c602eb | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_d9c602eb | comment |
In the South Park episode "Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes": | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_d9c602eb | featureApplicability |
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South Park | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_d9c602eb | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_de00af4b | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_de00af4b | comment |
In one episode of Adventures in Care-a-Lot, Grizzle is in disguise as Busybody Bear, spreading gossip to Cheer, Harmony, Trueheart, and Love-a-Lot in order to break up their band. Each time, the bear he's gossiping with expresses disbelief, and so, after hearing "That doesn't sound like something they would say," for the fourth time, he slips up and mutters, "Of course they would, you silly Care Bear," in annoyance. Realizing what he's done, he clears his throat and says, "Ah, I mean, that's what I 'heard.'" | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_de00af4b | featureApplicability |
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Verbal Backpedaling / int_de00af4b | featureConfidence |
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Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_de00af4b | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_ea4f62db | type |
Verbal Backpedaling | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_ea4f62db | comment |
Another non-evil example in the Family Guy episode "Boys Do Cry" has Peter repeatedly blabbing to a cop when they're supposed to be on the run, but avoids suspicion by backtracking every time Lois nudges him. | |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_ea4f62db | featureApplicability |
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Family Guy | hasFeature |
Verbal Backpedaling / int_ea4f62db |
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