Identify the quote: "Screwing would be DEADLY!"

Cafe Society
1

I remember watching some show (probably in the '90s, but possibly a bit earlier or later) where a cool guy character is proposing to “screw” some lady (?) friend and he reflects “Screwing would be deadly!” (where “deadly” means “amazing”).

That quote really stuck with me because of the almost sing-song delivery of the line (with the emphasis on “deadly”) and how unromantic it was. My first thought is that it might be from a “Kids in the Hall” sketch, but it could be from some other sketch show or even a movie.

Does this ring a bell for anyone?

2

I recognize it, but not in that context. “Deadly” was meant to be “fatal”. Can’t recall the source, though. But it is a memorable line.

Timeline seems right to me. That was prime TV watchin’ era for me. Kids/Hall, Upright Citizens, maybe something from Adult Swim?

3

Hey, Gato, sounds like a party at your house. :smiley:

4

Can’t help with the source of that line, but I can’t recall any time in slang when the term “deadly” meant amazing.

5

I want to say I’ve heard it from Irish quarters. Like, when I hear it in my head “that would be deadly!”, it’s in an Irish or possibly Scottish accent.

ETA: I found several online sources confirming that “deadly” is used in Irish slang. Here’s one. So maybe that could help hunt down what show this is from.

ETA2: Apparently, it’s also used in Australian slang (that cite says specifically Aboriginal.) Come to think of, that may be where I know it from, as one of my cousins lives in Australia, and I can hear it in her voice in my head.

6

Though, I have to say, the “screwing” part sounds more like American English vernacular, at least to me.

7

I grew up in an area of Australia with a relatively large Aboriginal population and all kids, black or white, used “deadly”. I now live in an area with a very low Aboriginal population and no-one here uses “deadly”.

I don’t know - I think “screwing” is a fairly common word throughout the English-speaking world. It has certainly been used in Australia as far back as I can recall.

8

OK, so maybe we’re okay going down the Irish/possibly Australian line of thinking.

9

Sounds vaguely familiar. Maybe somethingthese absolute bastards would have said? ("Young Ones"link.)

10

Notwithstanding the frequency of using “deadly” to mean “awesome” in North American English, I’m 70% sure this was in a “Kids in the Hall” sketch and it was clear from context what the meaning was.

11

Damn! I didn’t realize the music was that loud!

12

Update: It was a “Kids In The Hall” sketch, in Season 5. A loser realises that a girl he had a crush on in high school also had a crush on him, so he shows up at her house to ask her to “correct an error from the past”. So, pretending that they’re back in high school, he says:

“Did you do your homework? Man, “Alien” is a cool movie. I wonder what the '80s will be like? Hey, let’s screw! Yeah, screwing would be deadly! I dig you, you dig me…”