I just learned that Martin Lawrence made these phrases popular in mainstream US

Cafe Society
1

“You go girl!”
“Don’t go there!”

Oh, and if you didn’t know: “Get to steppin’!” Of course, Lawrence didn’t originate the first two (or the last AFAIK)- African Americans had used them for at least a decade before his show Martin premiered in the 90s. Still, though, I want to recognize Lawrence for making these two phrases what they were in the 90s. I never imagined he had such influence; such bad influence, but influence.

Cite: http://www.word-detective.com/021605.html

2

I remember “You go girl” becoming popular from the show “In Living Color” which was on long before I ever heard of Lawerence. They even had a regular sketch about a talk show called “You go girl!”

Not sure when I remember hearing the other phrases first, but that one sticks in my mind because at the time it was popular with the demographic of people I worked with and it was often a topic of discussion at work the next day.

3

I hear “Damn, Gina” used a lot as well.

4

“You so crazy!”

“I’ll see you when I see you” from his stand-up act

5

Didn’t he also popularize the phrase “Whatup?”

6

I think his was more like “Wazzzzup!”

7

I thought the Terminator made that last one popular: Hasta La Vista = I’ll see you when I see you.

8

No

'I’ll see you when I see you" must be exclaimed in a sing-songy voice for full effect, and has nothing to do with ‘hasta la vista’.

In fact Terminator II made ‘hasta la vista’ less popular.

9

He also came up with now-obsolete terms such as “Jive Turkey” and “Soul Train” when he was a toddler.

10

Not sure about the first two, but I know that I borrowed “Get to Steppin’!” from the tv show Martin.

11

Didn’t “Hasta la vista, baby” originally come from a Tone Loc video? I thought the Terminator scene was itself a pop cultural reference to Tone-Loc.

12

I was actually kidding about Termy making it popular, but yeah I think popularity of the Spanish version of “I’ll see ya when I see ya” can be attributed to Tone Loc.

13

It may have been introduced by Tone Loc, but it did not become a catch phrase my dad would know (the ultimate test for cultural saturation) until after T2.

14

Animal said it in the closing credits for The Muppets Take Manhattan well before Tone or Arnold ever did! :wink:

–Cliffy