# If you refuse to talk, do you actually have to say "I cite the 5th amendment"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-refuse-to-talk-do-you-actually-have-to-say-i-cite-the-5th-amendment/419887>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 20, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-refuse-to-talk-do-you-actually-have-to-say-i-cite-the-5th-amendment/419887 "2007-09-20T17:35:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-refuse-to-talk-do-you-actually-have-to-say-i-cite-the-5th-amendment/419887/21 "2007-09-21T18:56:58Z")

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[QUOTE=Flipshod]  
Just in case anyone out there doesn’t read this as a joke, in the above circumstances, it is not good advice to flee. Simply say you’re busy and need to go if you are free to do so.

[/QUOTE]

Whoosh! 🙂

Seriously though, doh…  
I dived into a serious discussion with a joke and totally blew it. Well, I am new around here…

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-refuse-to-talk-do-you-actually-have-to-say-i-cite-the-5th-amendment/419887/22 "2007-09-21T19:10:41Z")

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I once heard an interview with the creator of _Columbo_, who said he created the “Just one more question…” schtick in that pre-wordprocessing age when he thought of another question for Columbo to ask and it was too much trouble to retype the whole scene. He just added the question at the end of the friendly interrogation, as an afterthought. He had no idea it would become iconic for the character.

Saw Peter Falk last night as a Sam Spade-esque character in the Neil Simon comedy _Murder by Death_, as it happens. Funny stuff.

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**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-refuse-to-talk-do-you-actually-have-to-say-i-cite-the-5th-amendment/419887/23 "2007-09-21T23:12:09Z")

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I can’t help seeing something Pythonesque in this.

Perp: “I cite the 5th Amendment and refuse to speak.”

Cop 1: “Ha! You just spoke!”

Cop 2 (hits gong triumphantly): “Good one, Hal!”

Perp: “I did not!”

Cop 1: “Hoho! You just spoke again!”

Cop 2: _ **gonnng** _ “Hal, stop it. You’re killing me here…”

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