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Vote on Hollywood's Greatest Catch-Phrase. Is it "Snap Out Of It?," "My Bad!" or Something Else Entirely?

People sometimes quote lines from movies and TV shows.

Have you noticed?

Some of these phrases were repeated over and over again by their original source, hammering it into our brains. Sometimes they were only said a single time, yet became unforgettable. But however they found their way into the world, they've since found immortality by being repeated by countless people in an endless number of situations.

They've entered the catch-phrase pantheon.

But this got me thinking: what's the best catch-phrase of all time? What's the single phrase that is the most functional? The most original? The most clever?

Naturally, that's for you, our readers, to decide. What's the one phrase that makes you smile the widest or laugh the loudest when you use it or hear it used?

But first, one request. This is for posterity, so we should probably exclude catch-phrase nominations that are too "of the moment." Sure, there are plenty of quotes that might be popular now, but will they stand the test of time?

Think about it. "You are the weakest link!" and "Is that your final answer?" were both annoyingly ubiquitous during the heyday of the shows from which they came, but they clearly didn't stand the test of time.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Bette Davis was known for the blunt bon mot – both on-screen and off (she famously said, "I'm the nicest Goddamn dame who ever lived" and "Old age is no place for sissies"). But most people remember these lines from her movies:

"Fasten your seatbelt – it's going to be a bumpy night!" (All About Eve)

"But you are, Blanche, you are [in that wheelchair].' (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane)


The Wizard of Oz
is a little like the Shakespeare play Hamlet – almost every line is a famous quote. Still, it seems to me that folks have gravitated to these quotes in particular:

"Ding dong, the witch is dead!"

"There's no place like home."

"And her little dog too!"

"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."


While a number of "gay" catch-phrases were written by out gay or bi men, ironically very few of them have been popularized by us. Which is why it's nice to have Neil Patrick Harris' How I Met Your Mother character re-popularize a classic and introduce a whole new one:

"Wait for it…"

"Suit up!"


I've discovered the world doesn’t have nearly enough Cher-isms:

"Snap out of it!" (Moonstruck)

"Wagon Wheel Watusi!" (Burlesque)


Why is it that the worst movies give us the best catch-phrases? Case in point: Mommie Dearest:

"No wire hangers, ever!"

"Don't f**k with me fellas. This ain't my first time at the rodeo."


Not to mention Showgirls:

"There's always someone younger and hungrier coming down the stairs after you."

"I'll NEVER be like you."

"It doesn't suck."

"I want my f**king suitcase... asshole!"

"I like nice tits."


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