"This tells me less than nothing. Do you understand? You've made me forget things I didn't even know."
— Black Mage, 8-Bit Theater, Strip #1008
A goy came up to Rabbi Moishe to ask, "Why do rabbis always answer with a question?"
To which Rabbi Moishe replied, "Why not?"
To which Rabbi Moishe replied, "Why not?"
— Jewish joke
EB: What do you do with the fresh basil?
JH: Man, what DON'T I do with fresh basil?
EB: That didn't even pretend to answer my question.
...
EB: What is pesto, anyway?
JH: WHAT is PESTO?
EB: Again, you need to actually answer the question.
JH: Man, what DON'T I do with fresh basil?
EB: That didn't even pretend to answer my question.
...
EB: What is pesto, anyway?
JH: WHAT is PESTO?
EB: Again, you need to actually answer the question.
Makoto: Can high school students even participate in the stock market?
Byakuya: My name is Byakuya Togami.
Makoto: (Was that... an answer to the question?)
Byakuya: My name is Byakuya Togami.
Makoto: (Was that... an answer to the question?)
Kurt: Why does it all keep coming back to— how does the soulsword fit in?
Amanda: Well... That's it exactly, Kurt.
Kurt: ...You do realise that this is part of why we broke up, Amanda? Your inability to give me a straight answer about anything.
Amanda: Well... That's it exactly, Kurt.
Kurt: ...You do realise that this is part of why we broke up, Amanda? Your inability to give me a straight answer about anything.
— Nightcrawler #10
Bishop: Doctor Song, I've lost good clerics today. You trust [the Doctor]?
River Song: I absolutely trust him.
Bishop: He's not some kind of madman, then?
[Beat]
River Song: I absolutely trust him.
River Song: I absolutely trust him.
Bishop: He's not some kind of madman, then?
[Beat]
River Song: I absolutely trust him.
Jeremy Paxman: You stated in your statement that "The leader of the Opposition had said that I" — that is, you — "personally told Mr. Lewisnote that the Governor of Parkhurst should be suspended immediately, and when Mr. Lewis objected, as it was an operational matter, I threatened to instruct him to do it." Derek Lewis says "Howard had certainly told me that the Governor of Parkhurst should be suspended and had threatened to overrule me." Are you saying Mr. Lewis is lying?
Michael Howard: I have given a full account of this and the position is what I told the House of Commons, and let me tell you what the position is—
Paxman: [interrupting] So you are saying Lewis lied.
Howard: Let me tell you exactly what the position is. I was entitled to be consulted—
Paxman: Yes.
Howard: —and I was consulted. I was entitled to express and opinion, I did express an opinion. I was not entitled to instruct Derek Lewis what to do, and I did not instruct him what to do.
Paxman: Well, his ver—
Howard: And you will understand and recall that Mr. Marriot was not suspended. He was moved, and Derek Lewis told the Select Committee of the House of Commons that it was his opinion, Derek Lewis's opinion, that he should be moved immediately. That is what happened.
Paxman: Mr. Lewis says "I told him what we had decided about Marriot, and why. He" — that is, you — "exploded. Simply moving the Governor was politically unpalatable. It sounded indecisive, it would be seen as a fudge. If I did not change my mind and suspend Marriot, he would have to consider overruling me."
Howard: Mr. Marriot—
Paxman: You can't both be right.
Howard: Mr. Marriot was not suspended. I was entitled to express my views, I was entitled to be consulted.
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: I was not entitled to instruct Derek Lewis, and I did not instruct him. And—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: —the truth of the matter is that Mr. Marriot was not suspended.
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: Not — I did not overrule Derek Lewis—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: I took advice on what I could and could not do—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him, Mr. Howard?
Howard: —and I acted scrupulously in accordance with that advice. I did not overrule Derek Lewis—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: Mr. Marriott was not suspended—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: I have accounted for my decision to dismiss Derek Lewis—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: —in great detail, before the House of Commons.
Paxman: I note you're not answering the question whether you threatened to overrule him.
Howard: Well, the important aspect of, of this, which is very clear to bear in mind—
Paxman: I'm sorry, I'm going to be frightfully rude, but I— [laughs] Sorry, it's a quite straight 'yes' or 'no'—
Howard: You can put the question, and I will give you—
Paxman: It's a straight 'yes' or 'no' answer. Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: [Beat] I discussed this matter with Derek Lewis. I gave him the benefit of my opinion. I gave him the benefit of my opinion in strong language. But I did not instruct him, because I was not entitled to instruct him. I was entitled to express my opinion, and that is what I did.
Paxman: With respect, that is not answering the question of whether you threatened to overrule him.
Howard: ...It's dealing with the relevant point, which is what I was entitled to do, and what I was not entitled to do. And I have dealt with this in detail before the House of Commons and before the Select Committee.
Paxman: With respect, you haven't answered the question [of] whether you threatened to overrule him.
Howard: Well, you see, the question is, what was I entitled to do, and what was I not entitled to do? I was not entitled to instruct him, and I did not do that.
Paxman: ...Right. We'll leave that aspect there.
Michael Howard: I have given a full account of this and the position is what I told the House of Commons, and let me tell you what the position is—
Paxman: [interrupting] So you are saying Lewis lied.
Howard: Let me tell you exactly what the position is. I was entitled to be consulted—
Paxman: Yes.
Howard: —and I was consulted. I was entitled to express and opinion, I did express an opinion. I was not entitled to instruct Derek Lewis what to do, and I did not instruct him what to do.
Paxman: Well, his ver—
Howard: And you will understand and recall that Mr. Marriot was not suspended. He was moved, and Derek Lewis told the Select Committee of the House of Commons that it was his opinion, Derek Lewis's opinion, that he should be moved immediately. That is what happened.
Paxman: Mr. Lewis says "I told him what we had decided about Marriot, and why. He" — that is, you — "exploded. Simply moving the Governor was politically unpalatable. It sounded indecisive, it would be seen as a fudge. If I did not change my mind and suspend Marriot, he would have to consider overruling me."
Howard: Mr. Marriot—
Paxman: You can't both be right.
Howard: Mr. Marriot was not suspended. I was entitled to express my views, I was entitled to be consulted.
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: I was not entitled to instruct Derek Lewis, and I did not instruct him. And—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: —the truth of the matter is that Mr. Marriot was not suspended.
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: Not — I did not overrule Derek Lewis—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: I took advice on what I could and could not do—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him, Mr. Howard?
Howard: —and I acted scrupulously in accordance with that advice. I did not overrule Derek Lewis—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: Mr. Marriott was not suspended—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: I have accounted for my decision to dismiss Derek Lewis—
Paxman: Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: —in great detail, before the House of Commons.
Paxman: I note you're not answering the question whether you threatened to overrule him.
Howard: Well, the important aspect of, of this, which is very clear to bear in mind—
Paxman: I'm sorry, I'm going to be frightfully rude, but I— [laughs] Sorry, it's a quite straight 'yes' or 'no'—
Howard: You can put the question, and I will give you—
Paxman: It's a straight 'yes' or 'no' answer. Did you threaten to overrule him?
Howard: [Beat] I discussed this matter with Derek Lewis. I gave him the benefit of my opinion. I gave him the benefit of my opinion in strong language. But I did not instruct him, because I was not entitled to instruct him. I was entitled to express my opinion, and that is what I did.
Paxman: With respect, that is not answering the question of whether you threatened to overrule him.
Howard: ...It's dealing with the relevant point, which is what I was entitled to do, and what I was not entitled to do. And I have dealt with this in detail before the House of Commons and before the Select Committee.
Paxman: With respect, you haven't answered the question [of] whether you threatened to overrule him.
Howard: Well, you see, the question is, what was I entitled to do, and what was I not entitled to do? I was not entitled to instruct him, and I did not do that.
Paxman: ...Right. We'll leave that aspect there.
"Commentary: Your ability to speak without saying anything is truly remarkable, Master."
— HK-51, Star Wars: The Old Republic
Bucky: Where did theynote lay their hands on the Flash Gordon tech?
Captain America: You wouldn't believe me if I told you, chum. Let's just say that there's more sides fighting in this war than anyone will ever know.
Captain America: You wouldn't believe me if I told you, chum. Let's just say that there's more sides fighting in this war than anyone will ever know.
Aloy: So why do they call you "Blameless Marad?"
Blameless Marad: Well, it depends on who you mean by "they"... and what "they" might want to blame me for.
Aloy: [sighs] Talking to you is tiring.
Blameless Marad: So they say.
Blameless Marad: Well, it depends on who you mean by "they"... and what "they" might want to blame me for.
Aloy: [sighs] Talking to you is tiring.
Blameless Marad: So they say.
Anon: You ask a lot of questions.
Sol: You don't answer them.
Sol: You don't answer them.
James Madison: [Aaron Burr]'s very attractive in the North. New Yorkers like his chances.
Thomas Jefferson: He's not very forthcoming on any particular stances.
Madison: Ask him a question, it glances off, he obfuscates, he dances.
Jefferson: And they say I'm a Francophile? At least they know I know where France is!
Thomas Jefferson: He's not very forthcoming on any particular stances.
Madison: Ask him a question, it glances off, he obfuscates, he dances.
Jefferson: And they say I'm a Francophile? At least they know I know where France is!
— Hamilton, "The Election of 1800"
Sabine: How do you find a way of answering questions without giving any answers?
Hera: Do you really want me to answer that?
Hera: Do you really want me to answer that?
"The Answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything is... forty-two."
— Deep Thought, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Snagglepuss: Aren't you guys supposed to be 3 million years in the past?
Fred: Barney and I are raising money.
Snagglepuss: That didn't answer my question.
Fred: Barney and I are raising money.
Snagglepuss: That didn't answer my question.
Sara: What makes the difference between "old-fashioned" and "traditional"?
Lavinia: One is better than the other.
Sara: [thinking] That's not an answer!
Lavinia: One is better than the other.
Sara: [thinking] That's not an answer!
