History Main / EmbarrassingCoverUp

** When the family gets stuck on a delayed train, an old acquaintance approaches Mary and Sarah, but they are too polite to admit they don't remember her. To get out of the situation, Mary says she has Irritable Bowel Syndrome and needs to excuse herself to the toilet.

* ''Series/DerryGirls'': Michelle makes scones with marijuana in them (since she doesn't know how to make brownies) and brings them to a funeral so her friends can try them. When some of the scones are accidentally handed out to elderly people at the wake, the girls try to flush the remaining scones down the toilet and end up flooding Eamon's bathroom. So that no one finds out about the drugs, Erin pretends she and her friends were in the bathroom because she was having terrible diarrhoea.

* Happened ''accidentally'' to Franchise/SpiderMan, according to the issue in [[ComicBook/JMSSpiderMan J. Michael Straczynski's run]] where Peter revealed his secret to Aunt May. She'd had a feeling that he was hiding ''something'', and noticed his [[MistakenForGay awkwardness around girls]]... During this period May also used this to help Peter get past the TSA agents at the airport by implying that his webshooters were gynecological equipment. She started explaining how they worked and the agents couldn't pack them back up fast enough.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Happens in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{SpongeBob SquarePants}}'', where [=SpongeBob=] is forced to play stupid so that Patrick will look smart in front of his parents. The problem is, Patrick then starts to believe that [=SpongeBob=] [[BelievingTheirOwnLies really is stupid]], much to [=SpongeBob=]'s frustration.

** And, of course the classic excuse for his 3-day Meth cook was to end it walking out of the desert naked into a convenience store claiming it was a fugue state, then telling the psychiatrist who was verifying it that he came up with the "fugue state" to cover up running out on his family but thinking better of it.

* In the series premier of ''Series/{{BlackAdder}}'', the title character is secretly nursing Henry Tudor back to health in his room, hoping for a reward. His mother comes in, and when Edmund implies that there is someone in his bed, the Queen asks if it is [[BestialityIsDepraved a sheep]]. He denies this. Later on, to keep her from checking the bed he makes bleating noises. Her response: "Oh, Edmund. It's the lying I find so hurtful."

* ''Series/DerryGirls'': Michelle makes scones with marijuana in them (since she doesn't know how to make brownies) and brings them to a funeral so her friends can try them. When the scones are accidentally handed out to elderly people at the wake, the girls try to flush the rest down the toilet and end up flooding the bathroom. Erin's forced to pretend she had explosive diarrhea so no one will find out about the drugs.

Supertrope to BathroomSearchExcuse. This trope overlaps with InfractionDistraction if the cover story is an actual admission of guilt (albeit to [[ConfessToALesserCrime a much smaller offense than the one being concealed]]) in addition to an embarrassing disclosure.

->'''Ms. Warren:''' What are you doing here? There's a dance going on.\\

* ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'', the protagonist has to bring some comfort item to a person that secretly lives in Malcolm mother's workplace. When she questions him about having a pineapple, spare pants and a book with him, he explains that he is going through a very bad belly problem, justifying the need of fresh fruit, a book to read in the bathroom and well, spare pants. Self-inflicted trope.

* ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'': Near the start of Chapter 2, Kris and Susie are about to check out the door that leads to the Dark World to make sure it wasn't just a dream when Noelle walks up. She asks them if they're doing anything, and when Susie struggles to come up with an excuse she asks Kris for help. Your only options are to say you're planning to [[ExactWords hang out in the closet]]... or commit crimes.

* In the classic farce, ''No Sex, Please, We're British'', Newly married Peter and Frances pull this on their friend Brian ''constantly'' throughout the play in order avoid a scandal. The best example would be when Peter tells his and Brian's boss, Mr Bromhead, that Brian is suffering from -- something -- which is why the two need to talk alone. Bromhead recomends that Brian get some ointment for it as soon as possible.

* A subversion occurs in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. Bender is watching a cooking show on TV and Leela enters the room, so he quickly turns it off. When Leela asks if that was a cooking show he claims it was porn. Subverted because Bender is not the kind who would be embarrassed to be caught watching porn.

See also SureLetsGoWithThat. For a more literal "embarrassing cover up," see HandOrObjectUnderwear (or maybe NakedFreakOut).

* In Literature/TheBible, Jacob and Rachel flee from Rachel's father, Laban. Without Jacob's knowledge Rachel steals some of her father's household idols as they go. Laban catches up to them and demands to search their tents for the idols. Rachel sits on top of them and when Laban gets to her tent and tells her to move, she claims that "the manner of women" is upon her, so she can't get up. Laban believes her and leaves.
** This one doesn't relies so much in embarrassment as in the fact that objects contaminated by menstrual blood were deemed untouchables.

** Yusuke gets embarrassed by Botan's lame explanation to Keiko of what he's doing after school. Instead of saving the world from demons, he's doing some kind of afterschool program for juvenile delinquents.

* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'': Yusuke gets embarrassed by Botan's lame explanation to Kayko of what he's doing after school. Instead of saving the world from demons, he's doing some kind of afterschool program for juvenile delinquents.

* There's one where a man and his friend are changing clothes at the gym. The friend asks "How long have you worn a bra?". The man replies "Ever since [[YourCheatingHeart the wife found it in the jockey box]]."

* Happens in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{SpongeBob SquarePants}}'', where [=SpongeBob=] is forced to play stupid so that Patrick will look smart in front of his parents. The problem is, Patrick then starts to believe that [=SpongeBob=] [[DaydreamBeliever really is stupid]], and it all goes downhill from there.

* ''Manga/InuYasha'' regularly features Kagome's grandfather inventing embarrassing or improbable explanations for her absence from school [[SanDimasTime while]] she was cavorting around in the Feudal Era. Most of these were illnesses, getting weirder and weirder (and worse and worse) as the series went on. Kagome lampshades it after the first few times it happens, while her grandfather is telling a friend of hers another embarrassing illness. This was in the earliest episodes. [[SerialEscalation How could it get worse?]] This included [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar herpes]] at one point in the dub.

* In ''Manga/AxisPowersHetalia'', England was performing a secret black ritual to curse Germany. Then America walks in and England quickly "invites" him to the costume party.

* There's one where a man and his friend are changing clothes at the gym. The friend asks "How long have you worn a bra?". The man replies "Ever since the wife found it in the jockey box.".