Lame Rhyme Dodge

"Stan: "We have to do something!"

Kyle: "We tried but that fat bitch won't let us!"

Mrs. Crabtree: "WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

Kyle: "I said 'Rabbits eat lettuce!'""

- South Park

Generally speaking, Lame Rhyme Dodge is the result of someone having a Did I Just Say That Out Loud? moment, but doesn't want to/is afraid or embarrassed to admit to having said what they said, or, it's a case of someone trying to dodge having heard what somebody else just said to them. It's the little sibling trope to Last-Second Word Swap.

Frequently used by guys who are tongue-tied around women, or teenagers trying to dodge teachers or other adults.

The way both parties try to dodge this situation is to come up with a word that rhymes or sounds similar to the operative word in the sentence. Unfortunately, this usually results in a sentence that makes no sense at all.

A common variant is to have someone dreaming/daydreaming about something, then they're awakened from their reverie by someone saying "What did you say?" and realize they've been saying everything out loud. They proceed with the clumsy cover-up.

Compare Freudian Slip. Not to be confused with Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion.

Film
"Dr. Evil: Son, wouldn't you like to see what daddy does for a living?
 * Austin Powers International Man of Mystery

Scott Evil: Blow me.

Dr. Evil: What?

Scott Evil: Show me."

"Dr. Evil: Son, wouldn't you like to see what daddy does for a living?
 * And cleaned up for broadcast tv:

Scott Evil: Bite me.

Dr. Evil: What?

Scott Evil: Might be - fun."

"Gary: You said you were going to... fondle your sweaters.
 * Lion King: When Banzai grumbles about Mufasa, earning an enraged "What did you say?!" from Scar, he nervously replies "I said, uh...que pasa?".
 * Since "mostaza", "mustard" in Spanish, rhymes with "Mufasa", the Mexican dub renders it as "I said, uh... with mustard!".
 * Which is funny, because they could have just continued to use "¿que pasa?" since it was already in Spanish.
 * Inverted in the remake of Ocean's Eleven, Rusty is talking to a bartender, only it's too loud in the bar for them to hear each other. Rusty begins the conversation with something like, "Longest night of my life" When the bartender looks up, wondering what Rusty said, he says, "I'm running away with your wife," and the bartender just nods and smiles.
 * In Wet Hot American Summer, camp chef Gene tends to accidentally mention his odd fetishes and then offer up a lame rhyme dodge:

Gene: Ah, uh - no I didn't. I said... fondue the cheddar... I was thinking about making fondue with cheddar cheese for dinner tonight."

""You look pretty."
 * An unusual version of this happens in Hot Rod when the main character changes his sentence into something worse instead of something innocuous when he suddenly backtracks on his brief moment of having enough nerve to compliment the girl he likes.

"What?"

"Uh, I said you look shitty.""

"Old Lady at the Opera: Did you like the opera, dear?
 * Pretty Woman

Vivian: It was so good, I almost peed my pants!

Edward: She said she liked it better than The Pirates of Penzance."

"Schuyler (Roger's Boss): Women just started throwing themselves at me!
 * All of Me

Roger: You must be joking.

Schuyler: What was that?

Roger: I said, "I must be choking.""

"C.D.: [shouting through the front door] Ten more seconds and I'm leaving!
 * Roxanne

Roxanne: [opening the door] What did you say?

C.D.: I said, ten more seconds and I'm leaving! Wait a second! What did you think I said?

Roxanne: I thought you said, "Earn more sessions by sleeving."

C.D.: Well, what the hell does that mean?

Roxanne: I don't know. That's why I came out!"

"Liceman: Tickle your ass with a feather?
 * In Up The Academy, Major Liceman trying to get some action at a dance:

Woman: What?

Liceman: I said, uh, it's particularly nasty weather...we're having."

Live Action TV
"Deborah: I'm glad you've become so much more mature, Tony...what are you staring at?
 * Men Behaving Badly (paraphrased):

Tony: I was just wondering what colour your bush is.

Deborah: Pardon?

Tony: I was just...wondering...what car rubbish...is."

"Josh: Thanks, Drake! You're really saving my butt!
 * A sketch on The Two Ronnies features Ronnie Corbett's character doing this with every sentence, ie: "Tickle your botty with a feather tonight" is changed to "Particularly grotty weather tonight." Eventually the people around him figure it out and he admits that he's doing it to try and to drum up his trade: he sells deaf aids.
 * Drake and Josh, similar to the Hot Rod example, uses it in a way that's WORSE than what it was before. Drake agreed to pay for Josh's speeding ticket so their father wouldn't find out.

Megan: How is Drake saving your butt?

Josh: Oh, I didn't say he was saving my butt! I said Drake was... (realizes he can't think of anything else) shaving my butt..."

"Tom Servo: Sh-sh-she's turning around!
 * Mystery Science Theater 3000: In Soultaker, there's a needlessly long slow-motion scene where the female lead gets undressed while her mother, possessed by a soultaker, spies on her from the doorway. Crow gets something in his eye at a critical moment and has to leave the theater and look for some eye drops, Missing the Good Stuff.

Mike: Shh!

Crow: [offscreen] Did you say she's turning around?

Tom Servo: No, no, Crow, I said she's spurning a clown!

Crow: Well, I like that too! Where's the Visine?"

"Lucille: Wait a minute. Are you saying that before they got married, your mom and dad lived together!?
 * One from Home Improvement:

Randy: Oh, no, no. What I said was that before they got married, they loved good weather. See?"

"Tim: There's nothing wrong with two kids having a nice race down Dead Man's Curve.
 * And another:

Jill: Down what!?

Tim: Fred Man's Curve!"

"Arthur: Now remember, in here, you're not my servant. I'm just a simple peasant like everyone else.
 * Merlin

Merlin: The simple part's right.

Arthur: What?

Merlin: I said, 'The sun is very bright.'"

"Xander: (to Buffy) You're in love with a vampire?! What, are you outta your mind?!
 * From an early episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Sunnydale Syndrome was still firmly in place:

Cordelia: What?!?

Xander: (to Cordelia) Not vampire... (to Buffy) How could you love an umpire? Everyone hates 'em!"

Literature
""And you're a maggot-infested string bean," muttered Louis.
 * Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger:

"What?" asked Mr. K.

"I said, you're a magnificent human being.""

""That wouldn't be hard to do."
 * Redwall's The Legend of Luke; two characters insult each other's cooking.

"What did you say?"

"I said the sky's far up'n'blue, mate!"

"There's worse cooks aboard than me."

"What was that?"

"I said the sky's as blue as the sea.""

""Where the devil did you get her?"
 * In Goosebumps #41: Bad Hare Day, the protagonist's sister tells their parents that she and her brother have a secret. When their parents ask what it is, the protagonist says that his sister was saying that she wanted a "wee pet", claiming that she was practicing her Scottish accent.
 * In Lolita, when Humbert Humbert is sitting on the porch of the hotel where he's just arrived with his preteen lover, he has the following somewhat unnerving dialogue with a mysterious stranger who had spoken briefly with him and Lolita earlier:

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said: the weather is getting better."

"Seems so."

"Who's the lassie?"

"My daughter."

"You lie-- she's not."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said: July was hot.""

Theater
"Fredrick: You must meet my wife.
 * A Little Night Music:

Desiree: Let me get my hat and my knife.

Fredrick: What was that?

Desiree: I must meet your wife."

"Nicky (talking to Brian and Christmas Eve): I do believe my roommate Rod is a homosexual.
 * Avenue Q

Rod (overhearing): WHAT!?!?

Nicky: Er, I do believe my roommate Rod...has an undescended testicle."

Video Games
"Leanne: Ah, this skirt's too short!
 * In a surprisingly competent localization, appears in the English release of Resonance of Fate when Leanne is wearing a Sexy Santa Dress:

Zephyr: Now all we need is a trampoline.

Leanne: What did you say?

Zephyr: I said "the hem looks really keen.""

"Ratchet: (to Clank) Look, plumber's crack.
 * Ratchet pulls one when meeting the Plumber, or rather his… posterior.

Plumber: What did you just say?

Ratchet: Err, I said, look! The plumber's back!"

Web Comics
"Belkar: See, this is more like it, now.
 * Inverted in this Order of the Stick strip.

Miko: What did you say?

Belkar: I said, "I'm looking forward to cutting out your pancreas, you fascist cow.""

Web Original
"Billy: Love your hair!
 * Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog - Billy has this problem.

Penny: ...huh?

Billy: [stammers] I...love the ...uh...air."

"Casca: I can't believe I'm going to sleep with you in three episodes.
 * Berserk Abridged has this between Casca and Guts.

Guts: What was that?

Casca: Uh, I said if we could just find a sheep then we could make lamb burritos!"

Western Animation
"Rose: Jake!
 * American Dragon Jake Long Jake normally doesn't, but he was self-conscious about molting at this time.

Rose: [moments later] Jake? I was calling you.

Jake: Oh, did you say Jake? I thought you said ...steak.

Rose: Why would I say steak?"

"Vlad: They're here, kill Jack.
 * Another Jake Long example. Spud, disguised as a member of the Huntsclan sees Jake get knocked down and apparently killed by the Huntsgirl. He calls out "Jake!" and then realising that he's surrounded by Huntsclan trainees, changes it to "Cake! Which is what we'll have to celebrate the death of the dragon."
 * Danny Phantom: Vlad accidentally said in front of Maddie how he wanted to kill Jack. How he fixed it? 'Flapjacks'.

Maddie: What was that?

Vlad: I said... Flapjacks! Mm-hm, pancakes. I have pancakes."

"Stan: We're not getting on, you fat bitch!
 * Used all the time in South Park, between Stan and the crabby Bus Driver, and even subverted at one point:

Mrs. Crabtree:''' WHAT DID YOU SAY?

Stan: [contritely] I said, 'we're not getting on, you fat bitch'.

Mrs. Crabtree: [pacified] Oh. Okay, then.

Kyle: Dude!

Stan: I always wondered if that would work!"

"Cartman: How would you like to suck my balls?
 * South Park enjoys subverting this one...

Mr. Garrison: What did you say?!

Cartman: Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What I mean to say was * gets out a megaphone* How would you like to suck my balls, Mr. Garrison?"

"Burns: Bobo... Bobo... [wakes up]
 * Happens in The Simpsons, when Mr. Burns was dreaming of his lost teddy bear:

Smithers: Who's Bobo, sir?

Burns: Hm? Bobo? Er... no, I said... Lobo! Sheriff Lobo. They never should have cancelled that show.""

"Marge: Am I coming?
 * And parodied immediately after when it cuts to Homer who actually is shouting about Sheriff Lobo.
 * Done by Mr. Burns a second time in Treehouse of Horror III:

Mr. Burns: Of course. We wouldn't think of going without the bait-- uhh, that is, the bait-thing beauty. The bathing beauty! I covered that up pretty well."

"Littlefoot: (referring to the travelling dinosaurs entering the valley) They know they can find food here, and then be on their way.
 * Even The Land Before Time gets one, in the 7th sequel, The Stone Of Cold Fire:

Cera: Yeah, with a belly full of our treestars!

Petrie: Only if you not eat them all first..

Cera:: What did you say?!

Petrie:: Er...me say..."oh gee, that sure be the worst!""

"Jay: All right, it's just you and me. Now what did you think of my script?
 * In The Critic, Jay was so deluded that he interpreted his producer Gary Grossman's opinion of his script in this way.

Gary: It was excrement.

Jay: Did you say "it was excellent?"

Gary: It was crummy.

Jay: Did you say "it was yummy?"

Gary: It was an awful piece of junk that made me want to puke all night.

Jay: Did you say "it was an awesome piece of spunk that you want to shoot tonight?"

Gary: It was a bilious piece of dirt that made me cry out in pain.

Jay: Did you say "it was a brilliant piece of work, and you'll fly me to Spain? Where we'll meet King Juan Carlos and drink sangria all night?"

Gary: You piece of blech."

"Jay: (mumbling) Beauty and King Dork...
 * In the pilot, after Jay falls out of a Daydream Surprise about the woman whose movie he's reviewing...

Valerie: What?

Jay: I said, "how useful is the spork!" You know, that spoon/fork thing you get at Kentucky Fried Chicken? (aside) I covered that up pretty well!"

"Joan of Arc: Abe, I'm so mad at you I could kiss you!
 * Clone High

Abe: What did you say, Joan?

Joan of Arc: I said, I'm so mad at you I could piss glue.

Abe: Really? It sounded like you said "I could kiss you."

Joan of Arc: No, I said: "I could piss glue." It's a very common expression."

"Snively: Your stupidity will ruin everything, you ugly boil.
 * Happened all the time on Sonic the Hedgehog between Dr. Robotnik and his nephew Snively:

Dr. Robotnik: What was that, Snively?

Snively: I said the doomsday machine is going to need more oil, sir."

"Stewie: I love you.
 * Family Guy:

Brian: What?

Stewie: Uh...I said...olive juice...

Brian: Olive juice?

Stewie: Olive juice you too."

"Donna (wryly): Oh, believe me, there's plenty of room for three in this bed.
 * The Cleveland Show:

Cleveland: What?

Donna: Uh...I said, 'There's plenty of room for Clee in this bed!'

Cleveland: You never call me 'Clee.'

Donna: Of course I do! I love you, Clee."

"Dr. D.: See? And you thought I was just making it up!"
 * In Happily Ever After Fairy Tales for Every Child's take on "Thumbelina," the mole is played by a fruit bat, who shows Thumbelina his collection of pinned butterflies. Seeing one she recognizes, she exclaims, "Mario!" which she tries to pass off "Marry you, I can't wait to marry you."
 * Somewhat of a subversion in Phineas and Ferb's Musical Cliptastic Countdown: Dr. Doofenshmirtz does this with his plan to control people using his MIND-CONTROL-INATOR. When he realizes that all of what he just said was on-camera, he quickly says, "I meant, 'Mimes control my gator!'" Cut to two mimes and an alligator.

"Dr. D.(pulls out a pie tray): "It's silver!""
 * Then he starts going off on his plan to Enslave the Tri-State Area... I mean... Engrave my pie-plate carrier!

"Candace: "Look, I don't want him to know about the whole spa thing. He'll think all I care about is myself."
 * Happens between Doofenshmirtz and Monogram again in the character commentary on Chronicles of Meap. Subverted when, instead of using this trope, Doof flounders and says the same exact thing again.
 * Happens to Candace in "Spa Day" due to the fact that she doesn't seem to understand that no matter how loudly she speaks and the person is standing right next to her, they can still hear what she's saying. Jeremy even goes to point this out, leading to the truly horrible rhyme dodge while talking to Stacy:

Jeremy: "Candace?"

Candace: (to Jeremy) "Uno momento por favor!" (turns back to Stacy) "Look, we'll go help people for like fifteen minutes and then we'll go to the spa."

Jeremy: "Candace!"

Candace: (to Jeremy) "Your call is very important to us and will be answered in the order received." (turns back to Stacy again) "We'll still be able to make it to our spa day!"

Jeremy: "Candace, if you'd rather have a spa day..."

Candace: "Oh, you heard SPA day? Because I said HURRAH DAY!""

"Niblet: It's so sad. I mean, just because he's creepy-looking--
 * In the 2010 Pound Puppies episode "Nightmare on Pound Street," the main characters are discussing a puppy whose ugliness has kept him from being adopted:

Freddie: *overhearing* What do you mean 'creepy-looking?'

Niblet: Um...did I say 'creepy?' 'Cause I meant *thinks for a minute* 'sleepy!' Yeah, I meant sleepy-looking."


 * Blinky Bill did this a lot, in one case setting up the plot of the episode by changing "Have you ever seen such a silly face?" to "We're practicing for a heavy race". He then proceeds to give Mayor Pelican the idea for a Fun Run to raise money for a new hospital.