Do you have anything that automatically triggers a "favorite catch phrase" from TV or the movies?

Cafe Society
141

Like most, I have several but the one that seems to give me the most service is a Dean Keaton line in the Usual Suspects when Kobayashi says something Keaton doesn’t believe he can pull off. The dismissive way Keaton says, “We’ll see”.

                           KOBAYASHI
            I am sorry, Mr. McManus.
                           (To Keaton)
            I implore you to believe me, Mr. Keaton.
            Mr. Soze is very real and very                             +
            determined.

                             KEATON
            We'll see.

When someone brags about something they can or are going to do (that I’m dubious about) that line jumps to my lips.

142

My car has been in the shop getting repaired after an accident, and while it’s there the insurance company has been paying for a rental car. Also, I’ve been on a bit of a Talking Heads kick lately.

So whenever I get in my rental car I may tell myself, “This is not my large automobile,” which actually is not a line from “Once in a Lifetime”, but it sounds like it should be.

143

When someone is leaving - - (waving) “Have fun storming the castle!”

144

Even though I detested MASH, I sometimes use this Hawkeye line: “Never let it be said I didn’t do the least I could do”.

145

I hope literary classics like Mad Magazine are appropriate for this thread? If so, whenever anybody says ‘can I ask you a question?’ I respond with ‘you just did’.

146

Just yesterday my husband mentioned that my latte was ready. My response?

“Latte, latte, latte get your adverbs here!”

147

Two from Bill Murray movies:

Whenever someone is late arriving at a large gathering: “Nice team spirit, Morty.” (Meatballs)

When someone has one of those “forgot to tell you something important” moments: “Important safety tip, thanks, Egon.” (Ghostbusters)

148

Whenever they strike up Canada’s national anthem, I can’t help saying “Oh, Canada, eh?” Then I need a toque and a bottle of Molson.

149

MAD submissions are always welcome! :+1:

150

Zero Mostel in his various roles provide me a wealth of commentary on the details of Life. Especially Max Bialystock and Pseudolus.

From classic Mad, the most-used phrase is “SHAZOOM!”

151

When people start to drone on about their medical procedures, I’ll say (sometimes just think to myself to maintain civility), “I don’t know what that is and I don’t want to know what that is and if you tell me what that is I’m going to slit your throat”

152

Whenever I’m Christmas shopping and see something I like, I hear Alvin the Chipmunk patiently explaining, “It’s a present, Dave - from me to me.”

And since not all of the references here are from the dawn of time, it’s probably ok to say…

Miss Jackson, if you’re nasty.

Oh, and one more thing… is something that has to be said in a gravelly voice people occasionally recognize as Peter Falk.

153

Here’s a slightly obscure reference: “RRRrrrr!”, a wacky French comedy about early humans, features a guy whose whole job consists of walking around with a torch and announcing “it’s getting dark!” at all hours of the day, to which the customary response is “shut your mouth”. He pops up throughout the film as a running gag.

Every time someone mentions how dark it’s getting, in any context, I think to myself “shut your mouth”. But I only say it out loud if it’s my husband.

Here’s a collection of clips from the film - in French, but simple to understand. The torch guy is one of the first.

154

“Cigarette?”
“…yes, it is.”

155

That triggered a memory. Eons ago some coworkers went to a (car) racetrack, and apparently one of the drivers was Canadian so they played Oh Canada, and some plastered idiot in the stands yelled: “that’s not the godammed Spar Spangled Spanner!” That became a catch phrase at work for a while.

156

Any time someone says “Hi, everybody!” I can’t help but respond by loudly saying “HI, DR. NICK!”

157

NITPICK: The title is “O Canada” (vocative “O,” as in, e.g., “O Caesar, what a wounding shame is this”).

Oh, Canada! would make a great title for a musical, however. :blush:.

158

CHRIS GRIFFIN: (Responding to a mention of Brown University in Rhode Island) Brown is the color of poo!

BRIAN GRIFFIN: Why, yes … yes, it is.

Or, like a contestant being interviewed on Jeopardy!:

CURRENT HOST: I see here you collect turn-of-the-century erotica.

CONTESTANT: I do!

These are two of my standard responses to vapid statements or questions. I also can’t help thinking of those silly question-and-answer sections in EFL textbooks:

TEACHER: Can you operate a word processor?

STUDENT: (Bright and perky) Yes, I can!

TEACHER: Can you operate a fax machine?

STUDENT: (Sad and gloomy) No, I can’t.

TEACHER: Can you operate a switchboard?

STUDENT: (Bright and perky again) Yes, I can!

(NB: The books I had to use were all printed in the '90s.)

159

I’m in Interlibrary Loans. The vast majority of requests I receive are for articles we already own, and my patrons are just too lazy or clueless to look them up themselves. When a “Borrowing” request goes to “Document Delivery” because we own it, “Oh you mean this gate key!” Probably say it a few dozen times every day.

160

Having to do some tedious, repetitive and time-consuming menial task causes me to channel my inner George Costanza when told he had to count and roll his giant jar of pennies before the bank would accept them: What? Do you want me to quit my job??