Take Five

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    One character wants to talk to a second character about something private, but a third character is in the room. The first character suggests that the third character step out and take a coffee break. Often, the third character doesn't get that he's being asked to leave for privacy reasons, no matter how obvious it might be.

    Compare Talk About That Thing, where the two characters make up an excuse to leave the room together, and Go Look At the Distraction, where the third character is tricked into leaving the pair alone. Hide and No Seek is a specific form of this where adults try to get the children out of the way using a game.

    Not to be confused with the awesome song from the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

    Examples of Take Five include:

    Film

    Capt. West: Commander Galloway, why don't you get yourself a cup of coffee?
    Lt. Cmdr. Galloway: Thank you, sir, I'm fine.
    Capt. West: Commander, I'd like you to leave the room so we can talk about you behind your back.
    Lt. Cmdr. Galloway: Certainly, sir.

    Marcus Burnett: Mike. Go downstairs and have a Coke and smile.

    • In the remake of The Italian Job, Skinny Pete tells his girl "Go relax, babe." when he wants to have a private meeting with someone.
    • From Kelly's Heroes: Crapgame tells his assistant to get a haircut when Kelly wants to talk business in private.
    • In Mr. and Mrs. Smith, when Jane recognizes John on the security footage of her last botched hit, she gets her assistants to leave by saying, "Why don't you go make some coffee?"
    • From The Green Mile

    Paul Edgecombe: Percy... they're moving house in the infirmary. Why don't you go see if they could use some help?
    Percy Whetmore: They got all the men they need.
    Paul Edgecombe: Why don't you just make sure?
    {A pause, in which Percy doesn't move}
    Paul Edgecombe: I don't care where you go, as long as it's not here at this moment.

    Live Action TV

    • Used expertly in the 'South Atlantic Raiders episode of The Comic Strip, in which the hero, Stan, would like his somewhat dim-witted mate Billy to leave the room so that he can get acquainted with the woman he thinks is his long-distance girlfriend:

    Stan: Billy, can you take a hint?
    Billy: Yeah. What is it?

    • In a recent CSI: Miami episode, Eric wants to talk to Calleigh about a possible corrupt cop, but some low-level techie is in the room with them.

    Eric: "Hey, why don't you go get a cup of coffee?"
    Techie: "No, I'm good."
    Eric: -glares at Techie-
    Techie: "Oh, um... I guess I did need to take a break."

    Xander: Willow, don't you have a thing?
    Willow: A thing? The thing! That I have! Which is... a thing I have to go to. See ya later.

    • In the Babylon 5 episode "Voices of Authority", Sheridan wants to have a frank conversation with the Political Officer Earthside wants to saddle him with:

    Sheridan: Zack!
    Zack Allen: Yes, sir?
    Sheridan: Take a walk!
    Zack Allen: Yes, sir!

    • Used in The George Lopez Show where George and Angie have to talk about their finances and Ernie just opens a can of orange soda during the discussion. He doesn't want to leave since "he just opened this can," and George gives him a rather nasty look.
    • The following exchange from Merlin:

    Arthur: Go get some more firewood, would you, Merlin?
    Merlin: I thought Morgana was doing that.
    Arthur: Well, go and see if she's all right.
    Merlin: Why wouldn't she be?
    Arthur: I don't know, maybe there are wolves in these woods.
    Merlin: No... I don't think so.
    Arthur: Merlin... (mouths: 'YOU' and jerks his head implying get out. Merlin looks over and notices Gwen, finally getting it. Arthur nods in exasperation)
    Merlin: Oh. yeah, yeah of course. THE WOLVES.

    This also happens to be a Crowning Moment of Funny and can only really be appreciated by watching it.

    • In The West Wing, the phrase is, "Everyone, can we have the room for a minute?" And since it's the president asking, everyone leaves...
    • Similar to the West Wing example, in an early episode of Bones, Agent Seely tells the Jeffersonian technicians that he needs the room for a few minutes, to a room full of blank faces. Hodgins ends up explaining to them that Seely wanted them to leave so he could talk with Bones in private.
    • In Stargate SG-1 the phrase "Give us the room" is used fairly frequently, although characters can only do that to people they outrank. General Hammond especially liked this one (the other generals didn't use it as often).
    • Due South: When Detective Vecchio wanted to talk with Don Zucco in private after Zucco had Constable Fraser beaten to a pulp, Zucco told his men to go get him and Ray some coffee. Not too long after they left them alone, Ray proceeded to beat Zucco senseless.
    • The Big Bang Theory: Inverted by Sheldon who, after Penny asks if she can talk to him privately, turns to Raj and tells him to leave his apartment.

    Opera

    Western Animation

    • Done in The Weekenders in the final episode. Tino's mother wants to talk with her ex-husband by telling Tino do his homework. Tino replies that he did it all on Friday. She then tells him to do that thing in his room upstairs. Tino gets the idea, hinting at its lack of subtlety.
    1. ↑ The prisoner had recently shot Mr. Garibaldi In the Back. The other guards were understandably unsympathetic to his well-being.
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