If he attempts to kiss her on the lips she should turn her head slightly so that the kiss falls harmlessly on her cheek instead. If he attempts to kiss her hand, she should make a fist. If he lifts her gown and attempts to kiss her anyplace else she should quickly pull the gown back in place, spring from the bed, and announce that nature calls her to the toilet.
Bob wants to kiss Alice. Bob moves toward her, but at the last moment, Alice turns her face, and Bob ends up kissing her cheek instead.
Generally done to show that relations between two characters are frosty. If relations are especially frosty, she may not even be that subtle. Other reasons do exist, such as to delay The Big Kiss (in which case, Alice didn't realize Bob was trying to kiss her), or because it's not the time/place for smooching. Or maybe one part of the party just doesn't want to kiss.
See also Almost Kiss, for when the kiss is interrupted by external circumstances.
Examples:
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Anime and Manga
- In Ultra Maniac, Ayu does this to Kaji, but only because he caught her by surprise. She's happy to let him kiss her a little later.
- Fire Tripper
: Before being treated for some of his wounds, Shukumaru tries to kiss Suzuko, but she rejects his advances, due to believing that they're brother and sister by blood.
- Inverted in Omamori Himari when Yuuto tries to kiss Himari on the cheek and accidentally kisses her on the lips instead when she turns her head at the wrong moment. She doesn't mind a bit.
- In the last episode of FLCL Naota tries to kiss Mamimi to prove that he's mature, she turns her head to stop him from doing so.
- Sailor Moon: In Super S season episode 148, Fish Eye tries to kiss Mamoru, but he disses her, much to Fish Eye's dismay.
Comic Books
- Robin: Early in their relationship Stephanie leans in to kiss Tim while he's trying to work through a case out loud and he turns so abruptly she almost falls instead. He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings and didn't even realize what she was doing, only getting distracted momentarily when she murmurs that it's a good thing he's cute.
Fan Works
- Sparkling Shimmer: In chapter 2, Twilight gives in to her feelings and tries to kiss Sunset. Despite doing several romantic gestures thought the chapter, Sunset is shocked and stops her.
Films — Animated
- Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman: In the "Chase Me" short, when Batman has Catwoman cornered after a lengthy chase, she notices how he got hurt earlier and tries to lean in and kiss him, but he pushes her away. It is subverted shortly afterwards though, since as Catwoman looks down, saddened at being rejected by him, Batman smirks at her before suddenly sweeping her into his arms and kissing her himself. Though it turns out to be a Kiss of Distraction.
- Catwoman: Hunted. Catwoman strips off for a bath and flirts heavily with Batwoman until she's on the verge of an Almost Kiss...whereupon Catwoman tells her that cats bath themselves. Batwoman leaves in a huff and Catwoman turns out to have stolen her phone while she was Distracted by the Sexy.
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs:
- After Flint apologizes to Sam before their big mission starts, he moves in for a kiss (since they'd had an Almost Kiss the day before), but she puts her hand up to stop him. Not the time, not the place, not the right mood.
- Then at the end of the movie:
Flint: So, where were we?Sam: You were about to kiss me.Flint: Were you gonna kiss me back?Sam: Why don't you find out?Flint: Because I don't wanna go for it and then get shot down again...Sam: Just kiss me! - Shark Tale: At the end of Oscar's first meeting with Lola, after she discovers he isn't actually rich like she originally thought, she continues flirting with him for a moment, including calling him cute while pulling him in close to her as if she is going to kiss him, with Oscar even closing his eyes and puckering up in anticipation. As their lips are only inches apart though, Lola whispers to him that he's a nobody before pushing him away and ditching him.
Films — Live-Action
- Batman & Robin: Poison Ivy is on both the receiving and giving end of this at various points in the film during her seductions while attempting to use her Kiss of Death ability.
- At Freeze's hideout, Poison Ivy turns her attention to Batman briefly after he accidentally interrupts her attempt to seduce and kiss Robin. She lays on top of him and after blowing her dust in his face and flirting with him for a moment starts leaning in to attempt to kiss him. However, Batman was already wise to her intensions and easily resists her advancements on him, shoving her off him before getting to his feet and grabbing her arm, declaring she's going to jail.
- When Poison Ivy seduces Gordon into giving her the keys to the Bat-Signal, she initially leans in to deliver a deadly kiss to him. But she stops short and decides that he's "far too old" for her and walks off, leaving him heartbroken.
- When Robin arrives at Ivy's lair to meet with her, the two briefly flirt with each other before Robin asks her to give him a sign of trust that she is serious about her claims to reform and be with him, specifically asking her to tell him her plan. Ivy leans forward, putting a hand on Robin's back, and tells Robin she will tell him if he kisses her first, obviously expecting him to jump at the offer. Robin however refuses and instead flips her offer, telling her to tell him the plan first and then he'll kiss her, while staring her right in the eyes. Shortly afterwards when Ivy gives in to Robin's demands and tells him how Freeze is planning to destroy Gotham, Robin initially tries to leave without keeping his end of the deal and kissing Ivy, hurriedly declaring he needs to stop Freeze and turning away from her. But it ends up subverted when Ivy grabs him and pulls him back to face her, "innocently begging" him to share one quick kiss with her "for luck", and the two share a passionate kiss together.
- Donnie Darko tries to kiss Gretchen Ross in the park. She turns away and points out that there is a creepy guy watching them.
- Nadine freaks out a little when Erwin goes in for a kiss on the Ferris wheel in The Edge of Seventeen
- After the final battle in Sherlock Holmes (2009), Sherlock leans forwards as if to kiss Irene Adler, then removes her stolen necklace instead. He then gives her a quick forehead kiss before leaving.
- In Sixteen Candles, when Farmer Ted goes in for the big one at the school dance, Sam pushes him away. He apologizes and she says, "it's okay," so he goes in again, only to be turned away again.
- Zack's girlfriend avoiding his kiss is the first sign she's about to dump him in She's All That.
- In Daredevil (2003), Bullseye tries to kiss Elektra, but she keeps moving her head away every time his face comes closer. Even as she's being gutted, she tries desperately to avoid his mouth, only to fail. Justified in that they aren't a couple, she has no feelings for him other than hate and disgust and he's a psychopath who murdered her father and is killing her.
- Done in the film Double Jeopardy. As Libby publicly confronts her duplicitous husband (he faked his death at sea and framed her for murder) she turns her head as he tries to kiss her, invoking "oohs" from the observing crowd.
- Done in The Bodyguard when Rachael wants to make Frank jealous with another man. He decides he wants sex with her. He leans in for a kiss, and she turns her head away. He then grabs her face and turns it back, and she turns away again, before asking one of her bodyguards to make him leave.
- Stu's girlfriend in The Hangover is shrewish, controlling, and shows very little affection, if any. Before the trip to Vegas, he leans in to kiss her goodbye and she reels back in abject horror almost on instinct...while keeping a completely indifferent look on her face.
- In the first Spider-Man movie, when Harry goes to kiss MJ at the World Unity Festival, she turns her head to the side, signalling that she doesn't really care for him that much (especially after he just criticized her dress). Peter on the ground sees this as well. In the novelisation, it's made clear he understand exactly what she just did and is ecstatic that she might still love him.
- In Young Frankenstein, Frederick and Elizabeth at the train station. No matter how he wants to touch her, there's something wrong. They end up rubbing elbows.
- Then as the train is pulling out, Frederick blows her a kiss and she ducks!
- Georgia does this to Dave-the-laugh in the Film of the Book Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging. She only went out with him to make Robbie jealous; turns out he really liked her and was very hurt when he found out the truth.
- Used to show Belligerent Sexual Tension, rather than frostiness, in Miss Congeniality. Gracie is teasing Eric by saying things like he thinks she's beautiful or that he wants to kiss her. In response, he purposely leans in closer to her lips... but then pulls out a Milky Way and takes a bite (to tease her back, of course).
Eric: Mmm. Enjoy the rest of your night.
- Congo. When Dr Karen Ross holds out her hand for a handshake, Captain Wanta raises it to his lips instead, only for her to yank back her hand.
- A post-coital version in Octopussy. After Magda spends a night of passion with Bond, she gets dressed and steps out onto the balcony, surreptitiously tying one end of her sari to a balustrade.
Magda: I don't know how to say goodbye.Bond: Actions speak louder than words.(Bond moves to kiss her, only for Madga to fall backwards off the balcony, the sari unraveling to deposit her on the ground below, watched by a bemused Bond.)
- Flipped: When Bryce attempts to kiss Juli in front of every students in the cafeteria, Juli immediately turns away and runsnote .
- The Light Across the Street: Olivia rejects Georges trying to kiss her goodnight. He's already paranoid that she's mocking him and cheating on him with Pietri, so he flies into a jealous rage at this.
Literature
- Jerin does this to Kij in A Brother's Price, by stepping back away from her and making room for his sister to intervene. He's already in love with someone else, doesn't much like Kij's entitled attitude on the subject of marrying him (she's quite certain that of course her family is the best alliance for his. His family disagrees), and is in a culture that heavily disapproves of such contact between a man and woman who are not married to each other. She also makes her move in a public setting, which embarrasses a rather shy 15-year-old boy.
- In Proven Guilty, after Molly goes to a great deal of trouble to get her boyfriend bailed out of custody, he tries to kiss her after being released. She turns her head away, signifying frustration with him although the fact that her crush was in the room with them may have also had something to do with it.
- One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed. The teenaged protagonist meets up with an older man she met on the internet and has sex in the back of his car. At one point he goes to kiss her but she avoids him by pretending she's adjusting her position.
- In Harrow the Ninth Harrow does this when Ianthe tries to kiss her, which the narration describes as a compromise response between conflicting urges to kiss her back and murder her.
Live-Action TV
- Our Miss Brooks: At the end of "Capistrano's Revenge", Miss Brooks kisses Mr. Conklin, Bones Snodgrass, and Walter Denton each on the cheek in appreciation for helping her save a swallow's life. When she goes to kiss her Love Interest, the shy Mr. Boynton, he blushes and runs out the door!
Miss Brooks: The big one always gets away!
- In Smallville, Lionel is in Clark's body (It Makes Sense in Context). He knows that Chloe (who he blames for putting him in jail) has a crush on Clark, and starts flirting with her, leaning in for a kiss and then cruelly drawing away, smugly noting "Don't you wish." Later on, it was confirmed by actor John Glover that Lionel is indeed attracted to Chloe...but his hatred and his desire for vengeance were more important to him, thus the bastardry.
- Done humourously in Wonderfalls: Aaron tries to kiss his girlfriend in public, but she's trying to keep their relationship secret. When he moves in, she gives him the good ol' interrupting starfish.
- In the intro to The Dick Van Dyke Show Rob walks in the door, his wife approaches him, he goes to kiss her but she puts her hand up between their mouths, saying "We have guests," so he goes to greet them.
- Kasidy does this to Sisko once in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine after he apologizes for being afraid of commitment.
- Happens in the episode "Cold Feet, Hot Body" of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in which Will kiss disses Denise before he leaves her for good to see her fiance Lisa.
- Inverted in an episode of Hannah Montana where Rico blackmails Miley. They settle on a cheek kiss as payment, but Rico turns his head at the last second and ends up kissing Miley's lips. He was thrilled, she was pissed.
- Supernatural
- In "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part Two" (S02, Ep22), the crossroad demon moves forward as if she is going to kiss Dean and seal the deal, bringing back Sam for Dean's soul in 5 years, which Dean said was his final offer. At the last moment, she stops and says, "Then no deal."
- In "Abandon All Hope", Castiel does a nasty one with the demon Meg. Castiel is trapped in a ring of holy fire but is able to knock Meg in there with him. As they're pressed close together it looks like they will kiss, only for Castiel to throw her across the fire and escape by walking over her body.
- Star Trek: Voyager
- ("Bride of Chaotica!"). As befits a Large Ham Emperor Scientist, Dr Chaotica does the I Kiss Your Hand to Queen Arachnia after she strides majestically into his throne room. As Arachnia is being played by Captain Janeway, she's not impressed. When he tries it again later, Janeway walks off just as he's bending down to kiss.
- In "Gravity", Tuvok is stranded on a planet with an alien woman who falls in love with him. As Tuvok is married, and as a Vulcan has been raised to believe that Love Makes You Crazy, he pushes her away when she tries to kiss him.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- In "Fool For Love", Spike leans in to kiss Buffy, only for her to step away in horror. For a moment Spike looks just as shocked as she is.
- In "Doublemeat Palace", Buffy tries to get through a double shift at a fast-food restaurant by having sex with Spike during her lunch break, up against the wall of the back alley, next to a dumpster. At one point they look like they're going to kiss, but Buffy turns her head away.
- Arrow
- In "Heir To the Demon", Nyssa al-Ghul approaches Sara Lance with her knife drawn...then sweeps her up in a Big Damn Kiss. She then releases Sara and complains that she's had warmer greetings from her ex. Sara points out that not knowing if she was about to be killed was a Moment Killer.
- In "Doppelganger", Thea Queen suits up as Speedy to rescue her ex-boyfriend Roy Harper, giving him the appropriate Big Damn Kiss only to quickly back off as she hasn't seen him in two years and assumes he's moved on like she wanted him to. Roy assures Thea he didn't take her advice.
- Friends: After Ross says "Rachel" during his wedding vows, Emily allows the ceremony to continue even though she's visibly furious with him. When the minister reaches the end and tells them to kiss she keeps turning her face away so Ross can't reach her lips. He eventually settles for kissing her on the cheek.
Music
- The song "Always Have to Steal My Kisses from You" by Ben Harper has this line:
Now I've been hangin' 'round you for days / but when I lean in you just turn your head away
- Fiona Apple's "Paper Bag":
Baby said he couldn't stay, wouldn't put his lips to mine,A fail to kiss is a fail to cope.
Video Games
- Kinda similar. In Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, during one of their rival cutscenes, you see that Kathy has lost a bet to Owen and now has to kiss him. She then closes her eyes and tries to do so, only to find that Owen has moved all the way across the field as a prank. He then teases her for actually having wanted to kiss him. She then goes Tsundere and storms off.
Web Original
- As the page quote implies, this is a tactic young women can use to evade sex, according to Instruction and Advice for the Young Bride. (By the way, the guide is a hoax.)
Western Animation
- Arcane. In "The Boy Savior" while seemingly going in for a kiss, Mel instead hands Jayce a stray bolt and tells him to be careful not to lose his nuts.
- Batman: The Animated Series: In the episode "Pretty Poison" as Bruce comforts Pamela Isley as she is grieving over her fiancé Harvey Dent being poisoned and offers her some encouraging words, Isley thanks Bruce for being a true friend to Harvey and leans in to give him a kiss on the lips, which Bruce turns into a friendly hug instead. This is also when Bruce realizes that Harvey was only poisoned after he and Isley shared a huge kiss together, and correctly realizes Isley may have poisoned Harvey herself.
- In the Popeye cartoon "For Better Or Nurse," Popeye and Bluto want to enter a hospital so they can get close to nurse Olive who tells them that if they were really injured they would qualify for a hospital visit. Overjoyed, the boys pucker up to kiss Olive, but she ducks and they kiss each other!
- On one episode of Kaeloo, Mr. Cat tries to kiss Kaeloo, only for her to push him off of her and make up an excuse based on the rules of a game they were playing.
