Repeat After Me

Hedley Lamarr: Now, repeat after me: "I..."
Thugs: I...
Hedley: ...your name...
Thugs: Your name...
Hedley: [under his breath] Schmucks...

— Blazing Saddles

After me, after me, after me...

No, no, no! That's not what I meant!

This trope is about people following instructions too literally out of ignorance, feigned or otherwise. The archetypal example is:

Speaker: Repeat after me. I...
Crowd: I...
Speaker: State your name...
Crowd: State your name...

Contrast Literal Genie and Exact Words, both of which involve a "backfire" effect, whereas Repeat After Me is merely benign and silly. For a visual variation, see Walk This Way. See also Disobey This Message, Hello, [Insert Name Here], Literal-Minded, Reading the Stage Directions Out Loud, and Overly Literal Transcription. One of the easiest ways in which an Earpiece Conversation can go wrong. Repeat to Confirm is a justified example of this trope. Also contrast Stop Copying Me, when repeated words are a method of trolling.

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Examples:

Advertising

• McDonald's once held a promotion where they gave out little vinyl records, and you could win a million dollars if the choir on the record was able to successfully finish the The McDonald's Menu Song. The choir slavishly repeats everything Ronald McDonald says:
  Ronald McDonald: Repeat after me!
  Choir: Repeat after me!
  [etc.]

Comedy

• Steve Martin had a stand-up routine where he would make the audience repeat "The Non-Conformist's Oath."
  Steve: I promise to be different!
  Audience: I promise to be different!
  Steve: I promise to be unique!
  Audience: I promise to be unique!
  Steve: I promise not to repeat things other people say!
  Audience: I... [breaks down mumbling and laughing]
  Steve: Good!

Comic Books

• In Empowered:
  Protean: Call me "uncle", Doomsloth!
  Doomsloth: *cough* Uncle... Doomsloth!
• In one Little Arsehole story by Walter Moers, with Kalle Klammroth as Obelix.
  Obelix: Who's fat? I'm not fat! A bit... a bit...
  Little Arsehole / Asterix: [whispers] "A little bit pudgy, maybe," you idiot!
  Obelix: A little bit pudgy maybe, you idiot!
• Seeing as Werner loves Literal-Minded jokes... Here is just about the only example out of a whole lot that still makes sense translated into English:
  Hörni: Say something.
  Kalli: Something.
  Hörni: You shall not say "something", you shall say something.
  Kalli: Something.

Fanfiction

• Daphne Greengrass and the Preemptive Adulterer:
  Daphne: No sense putting it off. Touch your wand to mine and repeat after me. I, Daphne Greengrass.
  Harry: I, D...Harry-
  Daphne: Damn it, Potter!
• Horrortale: When Aliza forgets her alibi in front of Undyne, Drunk Bun whispers to Papyrus to tell the queen "that girl's my niece" because Aliza's disguise looks vaguely like the rabbit's family. Papyrus repeats the statement verbatim, leading Undyne to believe Sans has a daughter.

Films — Animation

• One of The Twelve Tasks of Asterix involves being able to resist the hypnotic gaze of Iris the magician. Iris tries to hypnotize Asterix into believing he's a boar, but keeps getting distracted by the Gaul's comments about his Glowing Eyes like "How do you do that?", "Can you make them light up one at a time?" and "They must be handy for reading in bed." Eventually Iris becomes so confused he resorts to this trope.
  Iris: Repeat after me, "By Osiris and Apis, I am a wild boar. I am a wild boar!"
  Asterix: You're a wild boar, you're a wild boar.
  Iris: Yes! I'm a wild boar, a wild boar! [runs out of the tent on all fours, snorting]
• Disney's Pinocchio:
  Geppetto: Say hello to Figaro.
  Pinocchio: Hello to Figaro.
• In Meet the Robinsons, the comically inept villain Bowler Hat Guy gains mind control of a talking frog, and this trope is played with, then subverted. Hilarity Ensues.

Films — Live-Action

• Animal House used the "state your name" version.
• Mel Brooks loves these:
  • From Blazing Saddles:
    Hedley LaMarr: Now repeat after me! I...
    Assembled Mooks: I..
    Hedley LaMarr: Your name...
    Assembled Mooks: Your name...
    Hedley LaMarr: [muttering] Schmucks...
    • And then they throw in a Running Gag:
    Hedley LaMarr: ...pledge allegiance...
    Assembled Mooks: ...pledge allegiance...
    Hedley LaMarr: ...to Hedley LaMarr.
    Assembled Mooks: ...to Hedy Lamarr.
    Hedley LaMarr: THAT'S HEDLEY!
    Assembled Mooks: THAT'S HEDLEY!
  • From History of the World Part I:
    Madame Defarge: Repeat after me! (Cough!) (Cough!) (Hack!) (Spit!)
    Parisian Scum: (Cough!) (Cough!) (Hack!) (Spit!)
    Madame Defarge: No, no! Dumb scum.
  • Another example from Robin Hood: Men in Tights is when Maid Marian tries to make Robin promise to not go to the archery tournament:
    Marian: Oh, Robin, promise me you won't go!
    Robin: Very well. I promise you won't go.
• From the Soviet comedy Ivan Vasilievich (the quote is translated from Russian):
  Miloslavsky: Well... Tsar and Great Prince, repeat, of all of Rus'...
  Bunsha: Tsar and Great Prince, repeat, of all of Rus'...
  Miloslavsky: Don't repeat "repeat"!
• Variation in Airplane!:
  Striker: It's an entirely different kind of flying - altogether!
  Dr. Rumack and Randy, all together: It's an entirely different kind of flying.
• Twice in Pulp Fiction:
  • After giving Mia Wallace the adrenaline boost:
    Lance: If you're all right, then say something.
    Mia: Something.
  • And finally:
    Wolf: Say goodnight, Raquelle!
    Raquelle: Goodnight, Raquelle!
• What's New Pussycat?: Romy Schneider plays a language instructor teaching English to a mixed nationality group. Her fiancé (Peter O'Toole) storms into the classroom, and as the two have a heated shouting match, the class repeats all their lines in unison. O'Toole finally shouts "Aaagh, you bunch of PARROTS!" and storms out.
• A Night at the Roxbury actually says it flat out.
  Father Williams: Steve, repeat after me.
  Steve Butabi: After me.
• The Little Rascals:
  Stymie: Repeat after me. I...
  Rascals: I...
  Stymie: Stymie...
  Rascals: Stymie...
• The Court Jester:
  Griselda: Repeat after me: I am craven and thou art my master!
  Hawkins: I am craven and thou art my master!
  Griselda: Stand there, fool.
  Hawkins: Stand there, fool.
  Griselda: Silence!
  Hawkins: Silence!
• In political satire The Dark Horse, campaign manager Hal Blake is having deeply stupid gubernatorial candidate Zachary Hicks memorize an Abraham Lincoln speech (actually a slightly mangled version of this speech). Blake gets to the part where Lincoln says "the independent voters of this county" and tells Hicks "—change that to state." Hicks, naturally, repeats him word for word.
• Free and Easy: A long sequence between Elmer and film director Fred Niblo, in which Niblo's desperate attempts to teach Elmer his one line of dialogue—"Listen, say it after me, The queen has swooned"—result in this trope. Elmer finally, finally gets it, only to hook his foot in a lighting cable and bring a stage light crashing down as he says the line.
• Tarzan and His Mate: Holt introduces Arlington to Tarzan as "Martin, my friend." Tarzan spends the rest of the movie addressing Arlington as "Martin Myfriend."
• In Doctor in Trouble, Satterjee copies a record to try and improve his English accent:
  Record: The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.
  Satterjee: The rain in Spain is staying mainly in the plain.
  Record: In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly happen.
  Satterjee: In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes are hardly ever happening.

Literature

• Captain Underpants: In the fifth book, Ms. Ribble writes a poem on the blackboard and finishes with "Signed, Your Name Here". She then makes all the students write the poem. But instead of writing their names, the students write "Your Name Here".
• A Tale of Two Cities: Sydney Carton's considerably less competent boss Stryker rises to question Barsad in court. Carton scribbles a note saying "No questions now. Later on if you're not too silly we'll land him." Stryver then blurts out "No questions now, later on if you're not too silly—" before catching himself.
• Discworld:
  • The Ankh-Morpork City Watch Oath takes the cake for this trope:
    "I comma square bracket recruit's name square bracket comma do solemnly swear by square bracket recruit's deity of choice square bracket to uphold the Laws and Ordinances of the city of Ankh-Morpork comma serve the public trust comma and defend the subjects of His stroke Her bracket delete whichever is inappropriate bracket Majesty bracket name of reigning monarch bracket without fear comma favour comma or thought of personal safety semi-colon to pursue evildoers and protect the innocent comma laying down my life if necessary in the cause of said duty comma so help me bracket aforesaid deity bracket full stop Gods Save the King stroke Queen bracket delete whichever is inappropriate bracket full stop."
  • One Moment of Awesome for Sam Vimes is when he, while stranded in his own past, recites the whole thing from memory. He also implies that it's meant to be recited this way (partially because Ankh-Morpork has been monarchless for centuries). If you have trouble reading it, it should be:
    "I, [recruit's name], do solemnly swear by [recruit's deity of choice] to uphold the Laws and Ordinances of the city of Ankh-Morpork, serve the public trust, and defend the subjects of His/Her [delete whichever is inappropriate] Majesty [name of reigning monarch] without fear, favour, or thought of personal safety; to pursue evildoers and protect the innocent, laying down my life if necessary in the cause of said duty, so help me [aforesaid deity]. Gods Save the King/Queen [delete whichever is inappropriate]."
  • Similar to the Dinosaurs variant below, Lancre custom has it that whatever the priest says at the naming ceremony, that's your name. In addition to Princess Esmeralda Margaret Note Spelling, this has lead to James What The Hell's That Cow Doing In Here? Poorchick and King My God He's Heavy I.
    • Which implies there's a My God He's Heavy II.
• A rare non-comedic example crops up in The Lord of the Rings, of all places, when Pippin peers into the Palantír and winds up on a direct hotline to Sauron himself:
  "It is not for you, Saruman!" he cried in a shrill and toneless voice, shrinking away from Gandalf. "I will send for it at once. Do you understand? Say just that!"
  • After being broken out of his trance by Gandalf, he explained what had happened:
  "Then suddenly he seemed to see me, and he laughed at me. It was cruel. It was like being stabbed with knives. I struggled. But he said 'Wait a moment! We shall meet again soon. Tell Saruman that this dainty is not for him. I will send for it at once. Do you understand? Say just that!'"
• In Aleksis Kivi's Seven Brothers, when the excited brothers believe they're being stalked by a real troll in the nightly woods, they want to banish it, and Simeoni whispers some exorcising words into Juhani's ear to shout. When Simeoni says that the troll shows no reaction, Juhani repeats that too, though stops halfway as he catches on.

Live-Action TV

• Blackadder: In "Duel and Duality" from Blackadder the Third, when Blackadder and Prince George swap clothes:
  Blackadder: You'll have to get used to calling me "Your Highness", Your Highness.
  Prince George: Your Highness, Your Highness.
  Blackadder: No, just "Your Highness", Your Highness.
  Prince George: That's what I said. "Your Highness, Your Highness", Your Highness, Your Highness.
• The Burns and Allen Show always ends with George Burns saying, "Say goodnight, Gracie." While the popular myth is that Gracie Allen would respond "Goodnight, Gracie", this is a Beam Me Up, Scotty! She actually simply responded, "Goodnight."
  • Other shows use this gag. For instance, from Tiny Toon Adventures:
    Buster: Say goodnight, Babs.
    Babs: Goodnight, Babs!
  • And from over the pond, this variation from The Two Ronnies:
    Ronnie Corbett: And it's goodnight from me...
    Ronnie Barker: ...And it's goodnight from him. Goodnight.
  • Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In is likely the example codifier, and the source of the Beam Me Up, Scotty!. "Say goodnight, Dick." "Goodnight, Dick."
  • A variation from the same show:
    Dan Rowan: Now repeat after me.
    Goldie Hawn: After me, after me, after me...
  • A sketch from The Sketch Show applied this trope to a backing chorus on California Dreamin'.
  • British snooker quiz gameshow Big Break (1991) did similar.
    Jim Davidson: Say goodnight, J.V.!
    John Virgo: Goodnight J.V.!
  • And from Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
    Warren: Say goodnight, bitch.
    Buffy: Goodnight, bitch.
• In the Stargate SG-1 episode "Crystal Skull", in which Daniel is turned invisible and only his grandfather Nick can see him:
  Daniel: Repeat what I'm saying; I'm standing right beside you.
  Nick: Standing right beside me.
  Jack: He's lost a few pounds.
  Daniel: Jack, don't be an ass!
  Nick: Jack, don't be an ass.
  Jack: ...Daniel?
• The Price Is Right:
  • This contestant during a game of Half Off:
    Drew Carey: Say "Alakazam!"; lift up the lid. Ready? One, two, three...
    Contestant: Alakazam lift up the lid!
  • Similarly, in a 1985 show, as Bob Barker introduced the Dice Game to a player:
    Bob: There are no numbers in the price of that car higher than 6, there are no zeroes in the price of that car. That could be valuable information. What did I just tell you?
    Contestant: That could be valuable information.
    (the audience laughs)
    Bob: (laughs and feigns headache) Oh, give me strength, give me strength. People think giving away refrigerators is an easy job, and then they see something like that.
• One sketch by German humorist Loriot:
  Herr Müller-Lüdenscheid: If you want to put some water into the bathtub, say please.
  Herr Doktor Klöbner: Please.
  Herr Müller-Lüdenscheid: Politely.
  Herr Doktor Klöbner: Politely.
• A variant is commonly used in Police Squad!. For example:
  Ed Hocken: All right, Eddie, let's say you did go to the movies.
  All: You did go to the movies.
  Frank Drebin: Then let's say you were nowhere near the Club Flamingo.
  All: You were nowhere near the Club Flamingo.
• When training other extras in episode 32 of Mimpi Metropolitan, Juna commands them to repeat everything he say and do. The next thing Juna do is greeting Melani, which all the extras repeat. To make it worse, they repeat Juna's attempts to make them stop.
• In a Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch, Biggles tries to dictate to his secretary a letter to King Haakon, and explains that he is not dictating when he takes his antlers off, doing just that as he says so. When she repeats "I am not dictating," he says "What?" and asks her to read what she has been typing, which is:
  "Dear King Haakon, I am not dictating. What?"
• Saturday Night Live:
  • The very first sketch features this, albeit a physical version. Michael O'Donoghue plays a language tutor teaching an immigrant (John Belushi) how to read. ("I would like to feed your fingertips to the wolverines.") In the middle of a sentence, O'Donoghue has a heart attack and drops dead. Belushi looks at his dead body and slumps over the same way.
  • A sketch parodied Natalie Cole's duet with her deceased father, Nat "King" Cole, showing Natalie (Ellen Cleghorne) singing along with other deceased singers, including Sammy Davis Jr. (Tim Meadows), Ethel Merman (Julia Sweeney), and both young (Rob Schneider) and old Elvis Presley (John Goodman), often repeating the last things they sang. However, she also sings along with Tammy Wynnette (Melanie Hutsell), who was still alive at the time.
    [Natalie Cole sings "Stand by Your Man"]
    Tammy Wynnette: [shouting] Hey, I am not dead!
    Natalie Cole: I am not dead...
    Tammy: This is how rumors gets started!
    Natalie: This is how rumors get started...
    Tammy: Cut it out, bitch!
    Natalie: Cut it out, biiitch...
• Hilariously taken to extremes in the Night Court episode "Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson". Harry is trying to swear the pregnant Quon Le and other foreigners as U.S. citizens while Mac has appendicitis. Then they try it again, but this time, they repeat Quan Le going into labor.
  Harry: All right then, at this time, I'm going to ask everyone to raise you right hand and repeat after me...
  [Mac bawls in pain]
  [crowd imitates Mac bawling in pain]
  Harry: Mac, are you all right?
  Crowd: Mac, are you all right?
  Harry: [making "stop" motion] No, no!
  Crowd: [imitating Harry] No, no!
• Mystery Science Theater 3000:
  • At the end of "Indestructible Man", Joel reads aloud an affidavit that he and the bots have agreed to sign, stating that they will never make any more cop/donut jokes. When Joel reads, "I, state your name—" the bots immediately respond with "I, state your name—", much to Joel's chagrin.
  • Played with in "The Human Duplicators", when the hero of the movie says to his girlfriend, "Say something." Joel and the bots chime in with "Something". They're then surprised when the girlfriend also says, "Something."
• A recurring gag on Beakman's World:
  Beakman: Let's say this wall represents a magnified section of human skin.
  Rizzo and Josie: This wall represents a magnified section of human skin.
  Beakman: Hello.
• After Hello Cheeky's local pianist, Denis King, is pelted with tomatoes:
  Denis: Another television first...I shall now play "Fascinating Rhythm" with an eyeful of tomato. (playing and singing) Oh, fascinating rhythm with an eyeful of tomato...
• A Horrible Histories segment on how Victorian schools were run (by the students repeating whatever their teacher said).
• In the episode of Being Human where George teaches English as a Foreign Language and has Hollywood Tourette's, he recounts an incident where he said "Repeat after me" directly before an involuntary Cluster F-Bomb. The students all did.
• The IT Crowd: Roy and Moss are worried about what to say to Denholm's widow at his funeral, and Jen tells them, "Just say, 'I'm sorry for your loss,' then move on." Roy goes up and says, "I'm sorry for your loss. Move on."
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
  Will: Alright, repeat after me.
  Carlton: Repeat after me.
• Supernatural: In "The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo" Charlie has to flirt her way past a security guard, but has no idea how, so Dean, talking through a bluetooth in her ear, tells her what to say.
  Charlie: You ever do anything else with your free time, like take a girl out for a drink? Stop laughing, Sammy. Um... You don't know that bar? "Stop Laughing Sammy"? That place is bringing sexy back. Which is easy, cause I kept the receipt. Stop talking, Charlie. Right. So, you were saying, about going out? For drinks?
• Star Trek: Voyager: In "Message in a Bottle", two Emergency Medical Holograms have seized a starship from Romulan commandos, only for three Romulan warbirds to turn up demanding to speak to them. The EMHs try to bluff their way out by claiming the viewscreen is damaged.
  Warbird: Where's Rekar?
  EMH-1: [Beat] In the medical bay. He's suffered minor injuries.
  Warbird: Identify yourself.
  [EMH-1 casts a desperate look at EMH-2]
  EMH-2: [whispers] You first.
  EMH-1: You first. [realizes what he said and winces]
  Warbird: Repeat your last statement. I don't understand.
  EMH-1: State your identity.
• M*A*S*H:
  • Frank and Hawkeye are assigned to teach English to the Koreans working at the 4077.
    Frank: I will fetch the doctor.
    Koreans: I will fetch the doctor.
    Frank: I will fetch the nurse.
    Koreans: I will fetch the nurse.
    [a hungover Hawkeye enters]
    Frank: You're late!
    Koreans: You're late.
    Frank: [waving his hands] No-no-no!
    Koreans: [copying gestures] No-no-no!
    [Frank storms out in a huff, leaving Hawkeye to take the class]
    Hawkeye: I will fetch the doctor.
    Koreans: I will fetch the doctor.
    Hawkeye: [Beat] Frank Burns eats worms.
    Koreans: Frank Burns eats worms.
  • Enjoying the power of the Koreans repeating everything he says, Frank at one point has them parroting phrases like "We will not contaminate our drinking water with fluoridation."
• Jessica Jones (2015): In "WWJD?", Kilgrave has a Compelling Voice, but has promised Jessica that his minions are actually paid employees and not people under his brainwashing.
  Kilgrave: That's Hank. Say hi, Hank.
  Hank: Hi, Hank.
  Kilgrave: [to Jessica] Sorry. I slip sometimes. Don't misunderstand, Hank's doing this 'cause he's paid, a lot.
• In an America's Funniest Home Videos clip, a scout troop instructed to repeat the scout motto all repeat after the leader: "I, and state your name". The adults present were amused. Some of them had cheeky grins on their faces, indicating it was deliberate on their part.
• Forever Knight: In "Night in Question", Nick Knight is brought into the hospital with a seemingly-fatal head wound, but being a Vampire Detective recovers rapidly. His maker LaCroix hypnotizes the doctor to remember an alternate version of events, saying that the bullet ricocheted off Nick's "thick" skull causing only minor damage. The doctor repeats this, including the thick part.
• Saved by the Bell: The New Class: Near the end of the Season 5 episode "Her Brother's Keeper", when Ryan decides to resort to cheating in order to win the prize of a contest he has Eric enter in his stead since he can't enter it himself, he has Eric wear a concealed ear piece while he himself whisper the correct answers on a coordinated device so Eric can hear the answers and then repeat back in the contest proper. This ends up backfiring on them when Screech, on his mall security guard shift, spots Ryan at the scheme while the contest is still ongoing, gets Eric to confess to everyone at the contest via the same means used in cheating before busting Ryan and Eric on the spot, getting Eric disqualified as the result.
  Screech: [speaking to the device] I'm a phony and I've been cheating.
  Eric: I'm a phony and I've been cheating.
• Titans (2018): Dove beats up several drug dealers and forces the last one conscious to call the police.
  Operator: 9-1-1. What's your emergency?
  Drug Dealer: Um, there's a meth lab at 27-51 Hollister Lane. It's being run by... [turns and looks at Dove]
  Dove: Three complete dipshits.
  Drug Dealer: ...Three complete dipshits. So, uh, you better have someone come down and arrest us.
• Yes, Minister: Soon after the new minister Jim Hacker meets his private secretary Bernard:
  Jim Hacker: Call me Jim.
  Bernard: Actually, I'd prefer to call you "minister", minister.
  Jim Hacker: Does that mean I have to call you "private secretary", private secretary?
  Bernard: Actually, call me Bernard.

Music

• Occurs in some of Stan Freberg's parody song covers:
  • "C'est Si Bon" begins with Freberg trying to instruct (in a bad French accent) his backup singers to sing "si bon, si bon, like zat." He then tells them to sing "si bon, si bon, forget the 'like zat,'" and "si bon, si bon, period," with no better results.
  • In "I've Got You Under My Skin," each line of lyrics is dictated by Freberg to the chorus. When he starts forgetting what the lyrics are, they dutifully sing lines like, "Oh, darn it, what are those words?"
• In Fred Penner's album Collections, he asks the audience to repeat after him and then cannot get them to stop.
• A staple of Les Luthiers' shows. For instance, in "Cartas de Color", when Oblongo is teaching his nephew the rain dance:
  Oblongo: Repeat my words.
  Pupils: "My words", "my words"...
• In blink-182's live album The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!), Tom addresses the audience: "I want all of you to say FUCK with me!" On the count of three, the audience yells out— you guessed it— "Fuck with me!" Mark asks Tom why he would want them to say that. They explain that Tom wanted them to say fuck, but he wanted them to say it with him. They try it a second time, and get it right.

Puppet Shows

• Fraggle Rock, from the episode "I Don't Care":
  Gobo: I swear...
  Assembled Fraggles: I swear...
  Gobo: ...to be fair.
  Assembled Fraggles: ...to be fair.
  Gobo: Now solemnly repeat after me.
  Wembley: Now solemnly repeat after me.
• Sesame Street: Slight play on the formula — Commander Chiphead (played by David Hyde Pierce) has Cookie Monster recite the Cookie Connoisseurs Club oath.
  Chipead: I pledge allegiance.
  Cookie: Me pledge allegiance.
  Chipead: I pledge allegiance.
  Cookie: You too?
• Dinosaurs: The Chief Elder has, among other responsibilities, the duty to name babies. When Earl and Fran brought Baby to be named, the Chief Elder suffered a Hollywood Heart Attack and died. Thanks to an Overly Literal Transcription, Baby Sinclair's official name was "Aaah Augh I'm Dying You Idiot Sinclair" until a new Chief Elder was elected so the Sinclairs could take Baby to be renamed. Other victims of the trope include Fran's cousin "Atchoo" and "*Burp* Excuse-Me Siegelman".
• In the John Cleese episode of The Muppet Show, he advises Gonzo to "keep repeating something" while Cleese attempts to rearrange his limbs. Gonzo, naturally, chants "Something ... something ... something ..."

Radio

• In an episode of the 1990's radio spoof The X Fools, Patrick Stewart has the rest of his cast of Hamlet abducted by aliens, so Agent Smoulder is forced to play all their parts.
  Stewart: LADY, SHALL I LIE IN YOUR LAP?
  Smoulder: MY LORD... um... Mr Stewart, what's my next line?
  Patrick Stewart: Good lord, this never happened on Star Trek!
  Smoulder: GOOD LORD, THIS NEVER HAPPENED ON STAR TREK.
  Agent Sulky: Smoulder, it's OK! I've found the other actors!
  Smoulder: SMOULDER IT'S OK I'VE FOUND THE OTHER ACTORS.
  Patrick Stewart: Oh The Times will crucify me!
  Smoulder: THE TIMES WILL CRUCIFY ME.

Theater

• Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity (Act II) — Richie and Eddie spend the whole act in a dome with no idea how they came to be there. Trying to piece it together...
  Richie: Eddie, think back — what's the last thing you can remember?
  Eddie: It's you...! It's you, going "think back — what's the last thing you can remember?"!
• In the Polish play Zemsta, Czesnik is dictating a letter to his servant. Then it turns out that the servant wrote everything down exactly as spoken—complete with Czesnik's Verbal Tic, much to Czesnik's own fury.
• A running gag on the Flying Karamozov Brothers version of Comedy Of Errors:
  Adriana: Say, is your tardy master now at hand?
  Dromio(of Ephesus): "Is your tardy master now at hand?"

Video Games

• A Dialogue Option in Persona 5:
  Morgana: Can't you say something witty back at her?
  - Please don't tell the cops.
  - Give us the details.
  - Something witty.
  Morgana: I knew you were gonna say that!
• A pre-recorded message in Portal 2:
  Cave Johnson: Say goodbye, Caroline.
  Caroline: Goodbye, Caroline!
  Cave Johnson: She is a gem.
• In Final Fantasy VII, Yuffie and Cloud did the "Say something... something" version on their Gold Saucer date.
• Used for an Ironic Echo in Def Jam Fight for NY:
  Trejo: [pointing a gun at the protagonist] Say goodbye, bitch! [gun clicks empty]
  Protagonist: [smirks and cracks his knuckles] Goodbye, bitch!
• Manor Cafe:
  Meg: Kyle, could you tell me the specials?
  Kyle: The specials.
  Meg: No, not 'the specials', the actual specials.
  Kyle: The actual specials.

Visual Novels

• In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations, Edgeworth at one point has to confront Larry Butz about a letter he wrote. One reason that it's obvious it's written by Larry is that the line at the top said "Salutation here" instead of "Dear Iris", and Larry is the only one involved in the case who would take a letter-writing guide that literally.

Webcomics

• This Irregular Webcomic! strip.
• Sam deliberately exploits this tendency in this Freefall strip.
• In Blood Stain:
  Elliot: I—I'm—I'm—I—
  Serge: ...I am Elliot...
  Elliot: I am Elliot...
  Serge: And I am here for the assistant position—
  Elliot: a... a... and I'm here for the assistant position!
  Serge: And I think Serge is smoking hot!
  Elliot: And I think... [disapproving look]
  Dr. Stein: Please, Serge — nobody believes that.
• The "Say goodbye, X" gag is used in this PepsiaPhobia strip.

Western Animation

• In one episode of Winnie the Pooh that (loosely) reenacts "The Three Little Pigs" with Pooh as the narrator, Piglet asks Pooh what he should say to the Big Bad Rabbit who wants to be let in his home.
  Pooh: I believe you're supposed to say no, Piglet.
  Piglet: [firmly] No, Piglet.
• From DuckTales (1987):
  Some guy: Say you'll do it.
  Launchpad: You'll do it.
  Guy: No, say you'll do it.
  Launchpad: You'll do it.
  Guy: No, say "I'll do it," you idiot!
  Launchpad: I'll do it, you idiot.
• At least once in The Animals of Farthing Wood, when taking their oath.
  Badger: Repeat after me. I, name of animal...
  Toad: I, name of animal...
• Animaniacs:
  • Woe betide anyone who asks the Warner siblings to "repeat after me". They'll repeat everything, including the words "repeat after me". Of course, being the Warners, they obviously just do it to mess with whoever asked.
  • Yakko gets it done to him in "Let the Anvils Ring" when he sings to the Anvilanian crowd "I am now your king! Repeat what I just said!" and they chorus in response, "Repeat what I just said!" Yakko doesn't seem to mind much, though.
• Used in South Park, where a ghostly minion of Satan is manipulating the Republicans, whispering in the ear of George W. Bush during a press conference. It all goes fine until...
  Kevin: It is God's will that he live!
  Bush: It is God's will that he live!
  Kevin: Haaghaghaghaghaghagha...
  Bush: Haaghaghaghaghaghagha...
  Kevin: No no, you don't say that part, Haaghaghaghaghaghagha.
  Bush: No no, you don't say that part, Haaghaghaghaghaghagha.
• SpongeBob SquarePants:
  • "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost":
    Patrick: He really needs to get to the Great Beyond.
    SpongeBob: Patrick, say that again.
    Patrick: That again.
    SpongeBob: No, the other thing.
    Patrick: No, the other thing.
    SpongeBob: No, what you said before when you...
    Patrick: No, what you said before when you...
    SpongeBob: Never mind. I've got an idea.
    Patrick: Never mind. I've got an idea.
  • Mr. Krabs does this to SpongeBob and Patrick when scolding them for playing on fish hooks in ''Hooky":
    Mr. Krabs: I need a sailor's promise! Repeat after me. Yo ho, yo ho! Near the hooks, I'll never go.
    SpongeBob & Patrick Yo ho, yo ho! Near the hooks, we'll never go.
    [a fish hook pokes Mr. Krabs in the butt]
    Mr. Krabs: YEEOWWW!!!! Mother of Pearl! Fire on the poop deck!
    Spongebob & Patrick: YEOW! Mother of Pearl! Fire on the poop deck!
• Tiny Toon Adventures:
  Buster: Say good night, Babs.
  Babs: Good night, Babs.
• During the The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode "The Secret Snake Club vs. P.E.", all the boys join the "Secret Snake Club" in order to get out of gym class, and have to respond to an oath... but when the senior members Wiggly and Viper get into an argument, everyone else keeps repeating what they are saying.
• Pinky and the Brain:
  • When Pinky runs for President, Brain types stuff for him to read from special glasses during a debate. Unfortunately, the "F" button gets stuck, prompting Pinky to make the sound. One of his opponents repeats it. Also, the glasses get other signs which Pinky repeats and another adversary tries to emulate.
  • The trope is the ruin of another plan from another episode where Pinky gains notoriety.
• From the Hey Arnold!! episode, "Suspended":
  Principal Wartz: Repeat slowly after me.
  Harold: Slowly after me.
  Principal Wartz: No! Not yet. "I will not enter the school grounds for the next three weeks."
  Harold: "I will not enter the school grounds for the next three weeks."
  Principal Wartz: Good, I'll see you in three weeks.
  Harold: "Good, I'll see you in three weeks."
  Principal Wartz: Harold.
  Harold: "Harold."
• A Running Gag of Bojack Horseman is that anytime there's a banner, it includes spoken instructions such as "CONGRATS DIANE AND MR. PEANUT BUTTER PEANUT BUTTER IS ONE WORD DON'T WRITE ONE WORD" or "I HAD A BALL AT DIANE'S 35TH BIRTHDAY AND UNDERLINE BALL I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS IS SO HARD" and finally "MR. PEANUTBUTTER'S HOUSEWARMING BASH AND CAN YOU SEND ME A PICTURE OF THE BANNER BEFORE IT GOES OFF TO THE PRINTER THIS TIME"
• In The New Adventures of Lucky Luke, Joe Dalton instructs his brother, Averell with this trope in order to impress the girl the latter is smitten with, only to get it done wrong with just narrow success.
  Joe: (hiding behind a mounted bull head) Your grace and largest, dear Cynthia. Inflame my heart and soul.
  Averell: Your greasy largeness, dear Cynthia. It flames my heart and sarge.
  Joe: No, you imbecile! Listen up!
  Averell: You stupid imbecile, listen up.
  Joe: GRRR!
  Averell: GRRR!
  (Cynthia turns red in the face)
  Joe: Your lovely eyes are as beautiful as the sky, Cindy and your charm is as endless as the vast prairie. And when I look at you I just about keel over from sheer joy! Where's your pa keep his money?
  Averell: Not so fast, Joe!
  Cynthia: Who are you talking to, Averell?
  Joe: The plaque! He's talking to the plaque!
  Averell: The plant. I was talking to the plant!
  Cynthia: A true hero. (kisses Averell)
• The Transformers: Rescue Bots episode "Mayor May Not" has Mr. Alper make Chase say a mayoral oath when he's inaugurated as Griffin Rock's new mayor. Humorously, Chase misinterprets "state your name" as an instruction to repeat that exact phrase rather than to say "Chase".
• Superman: The Animated Series: In "Heavy Metal", when John Henry Irons is chased into an alley by two goons:
  Goon: Well, well, well, a dead Samaritan. Say good night, chump...
  Superman: (entering) Good night, chump.
  (cue Curb-Stomp Battle)
• Happens in The Emperor's New School:
  Yzma: Kronk repeat after me. There's no such Things as Spacepeople.
  Kronk: There's no such Things as Spacepeople.
  Yzma: But Kuzco thinks there is.
  Kronk: But Kuzco thinks there is.
  Yzma: Okay, you can stop repeating now.
  Kronk: Okay, you can stop repeating now.
  Yzma: Really, stop it.
  Kronk: Yeah, wasn't funny anymore.
• Molly of Denali: In "A-Maze-Ing Snow," Trini gets lost in a maze made of snow. Tooey calls for Trini to say his name so he can follow her voice. She responds by yelling, "My name!"

Real Life

• In the late, lamented Adventurer's Club, this was a routine occurrence in the "New Member Induction Ceremony" segment. For instance:
  Character: Repeat after me: [clears throat]
  Audience: [clears throats]
  Character: No, not that!
  Audience: No, not that!
  Character: Not that either!
  Audience: Not that either!

Cycle would continue until either the character involved got fed up or another character prompted them to continue.

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