History Main / IDoNotSpeakNonverbal

* In ''Webcomic/ScandinaviaAndTheWorld'', Brother Finland's a KnifeNut who refuses to speak to anyone except his lover. Usually he just waves his knife around, or occasionally holds up signs. Åland, who is forced to live in Finland's house, [[http://satwcomic.com/dysfunctional-family dares to lampshade this here]] only because he [[BewareTheNiceOnes can beat the crap out of Finland]].

->''"I'm terribly sorry, [[TheQuietOne Finland]], but I don't understand random-flailing-with-knife language. I tried to interpret it, but I gave up when you used the same sign for [[TheAlcoholic Vodka!]] and [[NoodleIncident There's a cat under the house!]]."''

* ''Disney/LiloAndStitch'': Lilo does a good job following Nani's mimed instructions on what to say to the social worker... for a little while.

* In ''Discworld/{{Sourcery}}'', it is remarked that Rincewind is not very good at nonverbal communications.

* ''Disney/ChickenLittle'':

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'' uses a variant: There's an alien race - the elcor - whose facial cues are so subtle (and the body language involves scent) that other races are completely incapable of interpreting it. They sound almost exactly like Eeyore and say what emotion they are expressing at the beginning of a sentence. For example, imagine Eeyore saying: "Fearful surprise: Why are all of you aiming your guns at me."
** And then you hear [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCO_UsyhL9o a news story]] about how some rich eccentric is putting on a production of ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' with the cast consisting entirely of elcor. Clocking in at ''over 14 hours long''.
--->"[[SarcasticConfession Insincere endorsement]]: You have not experienced [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]] until you have heard him in the voice of elcor."
** In some cases at least, the emotion statement seems to be added in by their translator software. Which has caused at least one elcor to get smart about it:
--->'''Asari:''' Wait, did you hack your translator so you could control your kinetic language processing?
--->'''Elcor:''' With a sincerity such that skepticism would be insulting: No.
** The one occasion when an elcor speaks to you without an emotion statement, the circumstances are such that it's a major TearJerker.

* ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'': The cute talking chipmunk finds his voice has gone upon arriving in the real world. He resorts to highly impressive and detailed mime; cue Prince Edward completely failing to grasp the point.

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack'', Jay and Silent Bob's pet monkey is stolen en route to Hollywood. Jay bemoans the fact that they have no idea where the van is going. Silent Bob tries to indicate to him using hand gestures, but Jay--seemingly for the first time--doesn't seem to get it, causing both guys endless frustration. Silent Bob eventually breaks down and screams at Jay.
-->'''Silent Bob:''' THE ''SIGN''! ON THE BACK OF THE ''CAR''! SAID ''CRITTERS''! ''OF HOLLYWOOD''! '''YOU DUMB ''FUCK!!'''''

* ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' has the hilarious scene where the monster gets spooked and throttles Frederick, and unable to tell his dimwitted assistants to give him the sedative, he has to charade it while being strangled. This is after he explicitly checked with them that the sedative was prepared before waking the monster. The strangling starts at about 2:58 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pGk0AGsIag&feature=relmfu here]].
* ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' has a scene in which the trickster slave Pseudolus is trying to pass himself off as a soothsayer. A knowledgeable friend stands behind the man Pseudolus is trying to gull, desperately miming information to him. "You are looking for ..." (Baby-rocking motions.) "A child." (Two fingers.) "Two childs. Children!" (Friend mimes muscles.) "A big strong boy, and..." (Friend mimes floaty skipping.) "...a strange little boy. Girl! A little girl!"
* [[Film/LiloAndStitch Lilo]] does a good job following Nani's mimed instructions on what to say to the social worker... for a little while.

** And then you hear [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCO_UsyhL9o a news story]] about how some rich eccentric is putting on a production of ''{{Hamlet}}'' with the cast consisting entirely of elcor. Clocking in at ''over 14 hours long''.

* In an episode of ''Series/{{Charmed}}'', Paige is voiceless and Phoebe can't hear. Phoebe is amazingly unable to understand anything Paige communicates to her.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Inability to read facial cues and such is a symptom often found in some autistic spectrum disorders.
** It goes the other way around too - part because of autistics showing them in an odd manner, and part because they're assumed not to have them.
* If ''Cracked.com'' is [[http://www.cracked.com/article_17251_10-coolest-foreign-words-english-language-needs.html any source to go by]], Koreans call this "lacking ''nunchi''", where ''nunchi'' is what keeps you from doing things like telling dirty jokes in church or bringing up the Holocaust at a bar mitzvah.
** "Nunchi eopda" literally means "to lack a social eye", and it's a real expression in Korean.
* In Japan, "KY" for "''[[http://www.japanprobe.com/2007/06/07/japanese-schoolgirls-love-using-ky/ kuuki yomenai]]''", literally "can't read the atmosphere," is a popular slang term among the younger generation. For situations where the person is REALLY not paying attention, "CKY" for "''[[http://jessejace.blogspot.com/2008/02/lets-learn-japanese-kuuki-yomenai.html chou kuuki yomenai]]''", "really can't read the air".
* Most forms of sign language used by Deaf people[[labelnote:*]]There are forms of sign language not intended for use by the deaf. They've been created for use in environments where normal speech doesn't work, such as SCUBA diving.[[/labelnote]] involve the use of facial expressions to convey subtleties of meaning, to the point where specific expressions have specific meanings. So much so that one of the biggest frustrations that many deaf people have when dealing with hearing people is that they are not expressive enough to understand them.
* This trope is the reason why YouKnowWhatYouDid exists. More often than not, the accuser accuses someone of doing something without even directly saying it and then they get mad when the accused does not "admit" to their crimes when said accused has no idea what the accuser is trying to accuse them of. Pro tip: if you ever going to accuse someone of wrongdoing, get straight to the point.
* A surprising amount of nonverbal communication is just as culture-specific as language, so one party could be getting a completely different message than the other thinks they're sending. For example, making eye contact is considered a basic level of respect in some cultures but aggressive or insulting in others.
[[/folder]]

** In some cases at least, the emotion statement seems to be added in by their translator software. Which has caused at least one elcor to get GenreSavvy about it:

* Most forms of sign language used by Deaf people[[labelnote:*]]There are forms of sign language not intended for use by the deaf. They've been created for use in environments where normal speech doesn't work.[[/labelnote]] involve the use of facial expressions to convey subtleties of meaning, to the point where specific expressions have specific meanings. So much so that one of the biggest frustrations that many deaf people have when dealing with hearing people is that they are not expressive enough to understand them.

-->'''Silent Bob:''' The ''sign'' on the ''back of the van'' said "Critters Of ''Hollywood"''! '''They're going to ''Hollywood'', you ''dumb FUCK!'''''

* In ''{{Eyeshield21}}'', Komusubi only speaks in "Powerful-ese", the language of powerful men. Which means the only members of the main cast who understand him are his [[SempaiKohai Sempai]] Kurita - and, presumably due to RuleOfFunny, [[TeamMom Mamori]]. This is important at one point in the story, when Kurita doubts his strength so much that he can no longer understand Komusubi.

** Now, for added confusion, consider the implications when a Deaf person is trying to communicate (either with no sign-language interpreter, or with a sign-language interpreter '''not''' familiar Autistic communication difficulties) with an Autistic person. When this happens, it's [[DudeNotFunny not recommended]] to PassThePopcorn.

* Towards the end of ''PrideAndPrejudice'', Mrs. Bennet is trying to get Jane and Mr. Bingley alone and keeps winking at her other daughters to get them to leave. Elizabeth just ignores this, but finally Kitty asks explicitly why her mother keeps winking at her. Mrs. Bennet denies everything.

-->'''Timmy's Dad''': (''to Timmy'') You are the '''WORST''' charades player ever! (''windmills his arms'') This is not a bulldozer. (''hops up and down'') This is not a fudgesicle. (''pretends to row a boat'') And how is ''this'' ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}} II''!?

* An Episode of ''Main/TheGeorgeLopezShow'' had George standing behind his mother, trying to signal to Angie why she should not let her borrow the car.

* In an early episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Data's long lost brother Lore is found and assembled. It quickly becomes evident that every time he lies, he has a facial tic so horrid that you fear he's having a seizure. Yet no member of the crew ever notices or comments on this. In the end, he actually has to point this out, [[ViewersAreMorons just in case the audience didn't figure it out.]]

* ''{{Potemayo}}'': Poor Mikan can't perceive hostility from Potemayo, no matter how often she gestures, growls or shouts ''shaaaaa!''. Jumping onto Mikan's head in a [[Franchise/{{Alien}} facehugger]] fashion seems to work.

->''"I'm terribly sorry, [[TheQuietOne Finland]], but I don't understand random-flailing-with-knife language. I tried to interpret it, but I gave up when you used the same sign for '[[TheAlcoholic Vodka!]]' and '[[NoodleIncident There's a cat under the house!]]'."''

->''I'm terribly sorry, [[TheQuietOne Finland]], but I don't understand random-flailing-with-knife language. I tried to interpret it, but I gave up when you used the same sign for "[[TheAlcoholic Vodka!]]" and "[[NoodleIncident There's a cat under the house!]]"''
-->'''Åland''', ''Webcomic/ScandinaviaAndTheWorld'' "[[http://satwcomic.com/dysfunctional-family Dysfunctional Family]]"

* Despite the extent to which CourageTheCowardlyDog will go to try and nonverbally warn of impending danger (even sometimes ''shapeshifting'' into ominous images), [[TooDumbToLive Muriel]] is never able to figure it out (and often [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter implicitly trusts obviously threatening people]]), while [[{{Jerkass}} Eustace]] just angrily dismisses and occasionally physically or mentally abuses him.

* On one ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short, Elmer Fudd's wife wonders what to make for dinner, and their dog uses pantomime to suggest roast duck (DaffyDuck to be exact, whom the dog can't stand). After she misreads every clue, the dog loses his patience and outright ''tells her'' "NO! Roast D-U-C-K duck! Sheesh!"