List of catchphrases in American and British mass media
This is a list of catchphrases found in American and British english language television and film, where a catchphrase is a short phrase or expression that has gained usage beyond its initial scope. These are not merely catchy sayings. Even though some sources may identify a phrase as a catchphrase, this list is for those that meet the definition given in the lead section of the catchphrase article and are notable for their widespread use within the culture.
This list is distinct from the list of political catchphrases.
In British culture
In American television
Catchphrases from events, interviews, and commercials are not included.
Catchphrase | Character | Series | First appearance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Aaay!" | Fonzie | Happy Days | 1974 | [49][50][51] |
"And that's the way it is." | Walter Cronkite | CBS Evening News | 1963 | [49][50] |
"Ay caramba!" | Bart Simpson | The Simpsons | 1988 | |
"Baby, you're the greatest" | Ralph Kramden | The Honeymooners | 1955 | [49][50] |
"Bam!" | Emeril Lagasse | Emeril Live | [49][50] | |
"Bang, zoom, straight to the moon" | Ralph Kramden | The Honeymooners | 1955 | [51] |
"Bazinga!" | Sheldon Cooper | The Big Bang Theory | 2007 | [49][51] |
"Bite my shiny metal ass!" | Bender Rodriguez | Futurama | ||
"Blam!" | Bitch Pudding | Robot Chicken | ||
"Book 'em, Danno!" | Steve McGarrett | Hawaii Five-O | 1968 | [49][50][51] |
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" | Coach Taylor | Friday Night Lights | 2006 | [49][51] |
"Come on down!" | Johnny Olson | The Price is Right | 1972 | [49][50] |
"Cut it out" | Joey Gladstone | Full House | [49] | |
"Damn you, vile woman!" | Stewie Griffin | Family Guy | ||
"Danger, Will Robinson" | Robot | Lost in Space | 1965 | [49][50][51] |
"De plane! De plane!" | Tattoo | Fantasy Island | 1977 | [49][50][51] |
"Deal… or no deal?" | Howie Mandel | Deal or No Deal | 2005 | |
"Denny Crane" | Denny Crane | Boston Legal | [50] | |
"Did I do that?" | Steve Urkel | Family Matters | [49] | |
"D'oh!" | Homer Simpson | The Simpsons | 1988 | [49][50][51] |
"Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." | David Banner | The Incredible Hulk | [50] | |
"Dude." | Hugo "Hurley" Reyes | Lost | [49] | |
"Dy-no-mite!" | J.J. Evans | Good Times | 1974 | [49][50][51] |
"Eat my shorts" | Bart Simpson | The Simpsons | 1990 | [49][52] |
"Elizabeth, I'm coming!"[note 1] | Fred Sanford | Sanford and Son | [49][50] | |
"Everybody Lies" | Dr. Gregory House | House | 2004 | [49][51] |
"Gee, Mrs. Cleaver" | Eddie Haskell | Leave it to Beaver | [50] | |
"Giggity-giggity-goo!" | Glenn Quagmire | Family Guy | ||
"God'll get you for that" | Maude | Maude | 1972 | [49][50] |
"Good night, and good luck" | Edward R. Murrow | See It Now | [50] | |
"Goodnight, everybody!" | Yakko Warner | Animaniacs | ||
"Good night, John Boy" | The Waltons | 1971 | [49][50][51] | |
"Have Mercy" | Jesse Katsopolis | Full House | [49] | |
"Heh-heh" | Beavis and Butt-Head | Beavis and Butt-head | [50] | |
"Hello there, children!" | Jerome "Chef" McElroy | South Park | ||
"Here it is, your moment of Zen" | The Daily Show | 1996 | [50] | |
"Here's Johnny" | Ed McMahon | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | 1962 | [49][50] |
"Hey now!" | Hank Kingsley | The Larry Sanders Show | [50] | |
"Hey hey hey!"[note 2] | Dwayne Nelson | What's Happening!! | [50] | |
"Hey hey hey!" | Fat Albert | Fat Albert | [50] | |
"Holy (whatever), Batman!" | Robin | Batman | [50] | |
"Holy crap!" | Frank Barone | Everybody Loves Raymond | [49][50] | |
"How rude!" | Stephanie Tanner | Full House | 1987 | |
"Homey don't play that!" | Homey the Clown | In Living Color | [50] | |
'How sweet it is!" | Jackie Gleason | The Jackie Gleason Show | [50] | |
"How you doin'?" | Joey Tribbiani | Friends | 1994 | [49][50][51] |
"I know nothing!" | Sgt. Schultz | Hogan's Heroes | [50] | |
"I love it when a plan comes together" | John "Hannibal" Smith | The A-Team | 1982 | [50][53] |
"I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl ..."[note 3] | Larry | Newhart | [50] | |
"I'm listening" | Frasier Crane | Frasier | [49] | |
"I'm ready!" | SpongeBob SquarePants | SpongeBob SquarePants | 1999 | |
"I'm Rick James, bitch!" | Dave Chappelle as Rick James | Chappelle's Show | 2004 | [49][50] |
"If it weren't for you meddling kids!" | Various villains | Scooby Doo, Where Are You! | 1969 | [50] |
"Is that your final answer?" | Regis Philbin | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | 1999 | [49][50][51] |
"It's a good thing" | Martha Stewart | Martha Stewart Living | [49] | |
"It’s morphin’ time!" | Various characters | Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers | 1993 | |
"Jane, you ignorant slut" | Dan Aykroyd to Jane Curtin | Weekend Update / Saturday Night Live | [49][50] | |
"Just one more thing..." | Columbo | Columbo | 1971 | [49][50][51] |
"Kiss my grits!" | Flo | Alice | 1976 | [49][51] |
"Ladies… please." | Howie Mandel | Deal or No Deal | 2005 | |
"Legendary" | Barney Stinson | How I Met Your Mother | 2005 | [49][51] |
"Let's be careful out there" | Sgt. Esterhaus | Hill Street Blues | 1981 | [49][50][51] |
"Let's move people" | Sasha | Bratz | 2005 | |
"Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!" | Adventures of Superman | 1952 | [49] | |
"Live long and prosper" | Spock | Star Trek | 1966 | [49][50][51] |
"Lucy, you got some splaining to do!" | Ricky Ricardo | I Love Lucy | 1951 | [51] |
"Make it so" | Jean-Luc Picard | Star Trek: The Next Generation | 1987 | [49] |
"Make it work" | Tim Gunn | Project Runway | [49] | |
"Makin' whoopee" | Bob Eubanks | The Newlywed Game | [50] | |
"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! | Jan Brady | The Brady Bunch | [49][50] | |
"Mom always liked you best" | Tommy Smothers | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour | [50] | |
"Mother of Pink!" and "Chop chop!" | Burdine Maxwell | Bratz | 2005 | |
"Na-Nu, Na-Nu" | Mork | Mork & Mindy | 1978 | [49][51] |
"Never assume ..." | Felix Unger | The Odd Couple | [50] | |
"Nip it!"[note 4] | Barney Fife | The Andy Griffith Show | [50] | |
"No soup for you!" | The Soup Nazi | Seinfeld | 1995 | [49][50] |
"Norm!" | Cheers | 1982 | [50][51] | |
"Now cut that out!" | Jack Benny | The Jack Benny Program | [50] | |
"Oh my God, they killed Kenny"[note 5] | Stan Marsh | South Park | 1997 | [49][50][51] |
"Oh, my nose!" | Marcia Brady | The Brady Bunch | [50] | |
"Open the case!" | Howie Mandel | Deal or No Deal | 2005 | |
"Oww! My nose!" | Kaycee | Bratz | 2005 | |
"Pow! Right in the kisser!" | Ralph Kramden | The Honeymooners | 1955 | |
"Resistance is futile" | Borg | Star Trek: The Next Generation | [49][50] | |
"Ruh-roh" | Astro (and Scooby-Doo) | The Jetsons / Scooby-Doo | [49] | |
"Say good night, Gracie" | George Burns | The Burns & Allen Show | [50] | |
"Schwing!" | Wayne and Garth | Wayne's World / Saturday Night Live | [50] | |
"Screw you guys, I'm going home!" | Eric Cartman | South Park | ||
"Shut up, Meg." | Peter Griffin | Family Guy | ||
"Smile, you're on Candid Camera" | Candid Camera | [50] | ||
"Sock it to me!" | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | 1968 | [49][50][51] | |
"Space, the final frontier ..." | Captain Kirk | Star Trek: The Original Series | 1966 | [50] |
"Stifle!" | Archie Bunker | All in the Family | 1971 | [49][50][51] |
"Suit up!" | Barney Stinson | How I Met Your Mother | [50] | |
"Tell me what you don't like about yourself" | Dr. McNamara and Dr. Troy | Nip/Tuck | [50] | |
"Thank you veddy much" | Latka Gravas | Taxi | [49] | |
"That would be so cool! So cool" | Arthur Kensington Jr., "The Nerd" | Robot Chicken | ||
"That's hot" | Paris Hilton | The Simple Life | [50] | |
"That's what she said!" | Michael Scott | The Office | [54] | |
"The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat" | Jim McKay | ABC's Wide World of Sports | [49][50] | |
"The Tribe has spoken." | Jeff Probst | Survivor | 2000 | [49][50] |
"The truth is out there" | Fox Mulder | The X-Files | [50] | |
"This is the city ..." | Joe Friday | Dragnet | 1951 | [50] |
"This tape will self-destruct in five seconds." | Mission: Impossible | 1966 | [49] | |
"To the Batmobile!" | Batman | Batman | 1966 | [49] |
"Two thumbs up" | Siskel & Ebert | At the Movies | [50] | |
"Up your nose with a rubber hose" | Vinnie Barbarino | Welcome Back, Kotter | 1975 | [50][51] |
"We are two wild and crazy guys!" | Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd as Czech playboys | Saturday Night Live | [50] | |
"Welcome to the O.C., bitch" | Luke Ward | The O.C. | [50] | |
"Well, isn't that special?" | The Church Lady | Saturday Night Live | [49][50] | |
"We've got a really big show!" | Ed Sullivan | The Ed Sullivan Show | [50] | |
"We've got a situation." | Mike "the Situation" Sorrentino | Jersey Shore | [49] | |
"What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" | Arnold Jackson | Diff'rent Strokes | 1978 | [49][50][51] |
"What you see is what you get!" | Geraldine Jones | The Flip Wilson Show | [50][51] | |
"Who loves ya, baby?" | Kojak | Kojak | 1973 | [49][50][51] |
"Why you little…!" | Homer Simpson | The Simpsons | 1988 | |
"Will you accept this rose?" | The Bachelor | [49] | ||
"Works for me" | Rick Hunter | Hunter | 2004 | |
"Would you believe...?" | Maxwell Smart | Get Smart | 1965 | [50][51] |
"Wubba Lubba Dub-Dub" | Rick Sanchez | Rick and Morty | 2013 | [55][56] |
"Yabba dabba doo!" | Fred Flintstone | The Flintstones | 1960 | [49][50] |
"Yada, yada, yada" | Elaine Benes | Seinfeld, episode "The Yada Yada" | 1997 | [49][50][51] |
"Yeah, that's the ticket" | Tommy Flanagan, the Pathological Liar | Saturday Night Live | [50] | |
"You eediot!" | Ren Hoek | Ren & Stimpy | 1991 | [50] |
"You look mahvelous" | Billy Crystal as Fernando | Saturday Night Live | [49][50] | |
"You big dummy!" | Fred Sanford | Sanford and Son | 1972 | [57] |
"You got it, dude!" | Michelle Tanner | Full House | 1987 | |
"You made a great/bad deal!" | Howie Mandel | Deal or No Deal | 2005 | |
"You rang?" | Lurch | The Addams Family | [50] | |
"You're fired!" | Donald Trump | The Apprentice | 2004 | [49][50] |
"You've got spunk ..." | Lou Grant | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | [50] |
In cinema
Catchphrase | Character | Movie | First appearance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
"I'll be back" | Terminator | The Terminator | 1984 | [note 6][note 7] |
"Hasta la vista, baby" | Terminator | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | [note 8] |
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning" | Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore | Apocalypse Now | 1979 | [note 6][note 7] |
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" | Rhett Butler | Gone with the Wind | 1939 | [note 9][note 10] |
"Here's looking at you, kid" | Rick Blaine | Casablanca | 1942 | [note 11][note 12] |
"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse" | Don Vito Corleone | The Godfather | 1972 | [note 13][note 14] |
"Go ahead, make my day" | Harry Callahan | Sudden Impact | 1983 | [note 15] |
"You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" | Harry Callahan | Dirty Harry | 1971 | [note 15] |
"You talkin' to me?" | Travis Bickle | Taxi Driver | 1976 | [note 16] |
"Yippee ki yay, motherfucker" | John McClane | Die Hard | 1988 | [note 17] |
"Say hello to my little friend" | Tony Montana | Scarface | 1983 | [note 18] |
"Release the Kraken!" | Zeus | Clash of the Titans | 2010 | [58] |
"The name is Bond, James Bond" | James Bond | Dr No | 1962 | [note 8] |
"We have ways to make men talk" | Mohammed Khan | The Lives of a Bengal Lancer | 1935 | [59] |
See also
Notes
- ^ Full quote: "Elizabeth, I'm coming to join you honey"
- ^ Dwayne Nelson's "Hey hey hey" catchphrase in What's Happening!! emphasizes the second hey
- ^ Full quote: "I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl"
- ^ Full quote: "Nip it in the bud!"
- ^ The catchphrase "Oh my God, they killed Kenny" is followed with Kyle Broflovski's catchphrase "You bastards!"
- ^ a b #1 on Time Magazine's top 10 catchphrases.
- ^ a b #37 on the American Film Institute's top 100 Movie Quotes.
- ^ a b #76 on the American Film Institute's top 100 Movie Quotes.
- ^ #2 on Time Magazine's top 10 catchphrases.
- ^ #1 on the American Film Institute's top 100 Movie Quotes.
- ^ #6 on Time Magazine's top 10 catchphrases.
- ^ #5 on the American Film Institute's top 100 Movie Quotes.
- ^ #10 on Time Magazine's top 10 catchphrases.
- ^ #2 on the American Film Institute's top 100 Movie Quotes.
- ^ a b #6 on the American Film Institute's top 100 Movie Quotes.
- ^ #10 on the American Film Institute's top 100 Movie Quotes.
- ^ #96 on Premiere magazine's top 100 Greatest Movie Lines.
- ^ #61 on American Film Institute's top 100 Movie Quotes.
References
- ^ "Bob Monkhouse: Quiz show king". BBC News. 29 December 2003. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ "Ooh ! You Are Awful – Dick Emery's Big Screen Offering". britishclassiccomedy.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ "Don't panic! Dad's Army turns 50 with set of stamps". BBC News. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ "Anne Robinson to be the new host of Countdown". 15 February 2021 – via www.bbc.com.
- ^ Moore, James (10 August 2020). "The Weakest Link: 20 years since Anne Robinson became the Queen of Mean". Express.co.uk.
- ^ a b c McAlpine, Fraser (19 April 2012). "'Doctor Who': Ten of the Doctor's Most Memorable Catchphrases". BBC America. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012.
- ^ "David Tennant reveals the sex of fan couple's baby using his Doctor Who catchphrase in adorable video". Digital Spy. 10 January 2018.
- ^ Hattenstone, Simon (10 June 2002). "Permission to speak, sir?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ Roycroft-Davis, Roy (3 March 2012). "SAY NO, NO, NO TO PROPPING UP THIS EU DISASTER ZONE". Daily Express. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ Sutcliffe, Tom (30 September 2011). "Tom Sutcliffe: 'You stupid boy' spoke volumes". theindependent.co.uk. London. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ "I don't believe it! Grumpy old man Victor Meldrew back from the dead". belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ "John Inman". the Guardian. 8 March 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ Payne, Stewart (21 August 2003). "Ooh Betty, I've got a stolen police radio". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ "Ronnie Corbett obituary: '...And it's goodnight from him'". liverpoolecho.co.uk. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ^ "Nice to see you, to see you Knight". thenorthernecho.co.uk. 11 June 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
- ^ White, Michael (11 June 2011). "Bruce Forsyth gets long-awaited knighthood – didn't he do well?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ "Shut that door! How the Larry Grayson effect can stop shops from going bust". bitterwallet.com. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ a b "Shut That Door! Larry Grayson at ITV (TV)". dvdcompare.net. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ a b "Brown And Clegg In Synchronised Larry Grayson Tribute". dailymash.co.uk. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ Dodson, Sean (26 February 2008). "Steptoe and Son to ride again". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
- ^ a b Ringtones of Revel Horwood's catchphrases are available Archived 3 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
- ^ "Louis Smith Wins Full Marks For Topless Showdance in Strictly Come Dancing Final," Metro, 22 December 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
- ^ "Paul Daniels: 10 of his best magic tricks from TV". BBC News. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ Flickr pictures by Warren, May 5 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ Mark Reason, "Ronnie O'Sullivan greater than Tiger Woods", The Daily Telegraph 4 May 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ YouTube clip showing commentator and audience in action, 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ Mastercaller.com page. Retrieved 5 May 2014
- ^ cf the title of Dickinson's autobiography, What A Bobby Dazzler. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ Dan Hearn, "A real Bobby Dazzler in Oxford", Oxford Mail, 28 October 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2014
- ^ Dan Hearn, " A real Bobby Dazzler in Oxford", Oxford Mail, 28 October 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2014
- ^ "Can You Hear Me, Mother?". moneymagpie.com. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ^ Prigg, Mark (20 March 2011). "Does my bum look big in this? Westfield unveils 'tweet mirror' for shoppers". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ Kennedy, Victor J. (2007). Hypomanic- Mad in England. Chipmunkapublishing. ISBN 978-1-84747-419-3.
- ^ TV and Radio (10 November 2011). "The Fast Show: A new series, sir? Did she want it, sir? interview". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- ^ Beacom, Brian (11 May 2010). "'The audience gets a chance to laugh at everyone who's daft and bigoted'". evening times.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ Lyons, James (24 November 2010). "Theresa May resorts to 'Allo 'Allo French accent defending immigration plans". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ "TV provides new dictionary entries". BBC News. 30 August 2003. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ "Brookside fans hold Scouse demo". BBC News. 18 October 2002. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
- ^ "Formula 1 ace Lewis Hamilton apologises for "Is it cos I is black?" Ali G joke". Daily Record. Scotland. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
- ^ "Is it cos I is black?". The Guardian. London. 12 January 2000. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
- ^ "'Exterminate!' Woman spotted with Dalek by The Leas in Folkestone". Kent Online. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
- ^ Archibald, Ben (3 March 2011). "Me? A slut? How very DARE you?". Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
- ^ Freedland, Jonathan (21 March 2007). "This political limbo leaves Brown cast as Westminster's Prince of Wales". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
- ^ Carter, Helen (21 August 2009). "Teenage girl is first to be jailed for bullying on Facebook". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
- ^ Hurley, James (28 March 2013). "Plan to tackle 'computer says no' banking". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
- ^ "20 of the best TV catchphrases ever: Vote on your favourite quotes and one-liners". Daily Mirror. 16 March 2014.
- ^ a b Martin, Dan (31 May 2013). "Why does River Song divide Doctor Who fans?". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ "Sir Bruce Forsyth's 10 most iconic catchphrases". NME. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg Clehane, Diane (9 September 2013). "TV's 60 Greatest Catchphrases". TV Guide. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb "TV Land Lists the 100 Greatest TV Catchphrases". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. 28 November 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Cashill, Robert (18 March 2015). "From "Kiss My Grits!" to "Bazinga!", 30 Favorite TV Catchphrases". Biography.com. A&E Television Networks. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ "'The Simpsons': Nancy Cartwright on the origin of 'Eat my shorts'". Zap2it. 30 October 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ Sachs, R. (2010). What Would Rob Do: An Irreverent Guide to Surviving Life's Daily Indignities. Wiley. p. pt57. ISBN 978-0-470-59426-1.
- ^ The Office US (15 July 2017), Every That's What She Said Ever - The Office US, archived from the original on 22 December 2021, retrieved 27 November 2017
- ^ "Google the RICK AND MORTY Catchphrase "Wubba Lubba Dub Dub" for a Surprising Response". Nerdist Industries. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ Lavender, Natasha (27 May 2020). "The Truth Behind Rick's Catchphrase On Rick And Morty". Looper.com.
- ^ "Most popular sitcom catchphrases of all time, from 'Ayyyy!' to 'Hello, Newman'". FOX Wilmington. 24 February 2020.
- ^ Silver, Alexandra (9 December 2010). "The Top 10 Everything of 2010". Time. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ "The origin of the movie cliché "We have ways of making you talk!"". thisdayinquotes.com. 11 January 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
External links
Look up catchphrase in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.