I'd Tell You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

{{quote|'''Doctor:''' Oh, Mr. Holmes, I would love to tell you, but then, of course, I'd have to kill you.

'''Sherlock:''' That would be [[Badass Boast|tremendously ambitious of you]].

 

{{examples}}

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* Japanese speakers don't have this [[Stock Phrase]], but people like [[Gundam Wing|Heero Yuy]] skip straight to "''omae wo korosu''" when people like Relena Dorlian find out too much.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* The first title of [[The Gallagher Girls]] series is ''I'd Tell You That I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You''.

* {{spoiler|Loki}} says this in ''[[American Gods]]'' - the Fat Kid [[Genre Blindness|naturally]] [[Sarcastic Confession|assumes he's kidding]]. When the kid replies that yes, he really does want to know... he tells him. [[Subverted Trope|And then he kills him]].

* From ''[[The Three Musketeers (novel)|The Three Musketeers]]'', {{spoiler|Athos}}: "Because I am believed to be dead, and have reasons for wishing nobody to know I am living; so that I shall be obliged to kill you to prevent my secret from roaming over the fields."

** An even more perfect example, from the sequel ''The Vicomte de Bragelonne'': "It's a state secret," replied d'Artagnan, bluntly: "and as you know that, according to the king's orders, it is under the penalty of death any one should penetrate it, I will, if you like, allow you to read it and have you shot immediately afterwards." (The secret in question is the identity of the [[Man in the Iron Mask]].)

[Damar's lady friend leaves]

'''Weyoun''' [somewhat snarkily]: "What a pleasant woman." }}

* ''[[Crossing Jordan]]'' episode "Out of Sight"

{{quote|'''Dr. Nigel Townsend:''' Counterintelligence for the Royal Navy. I'd tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you.}}

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Stock Phrases]]

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]