It’s a common saying or meme here on the SDMB that sounds like it might have been lifted from some science fiction book or movie.
Searching the board archives doesn’t produce an obvious ur-thread where it was coined & entered our hive-mind.
So, where’s it from? If it is from a SF book or movie, how good (or bad) was the story?
The movie Aliens.
(which I thought was pretty good)
Or to put the saying in context:
The space marines have gone deep underground to the Aliens lair led by their gung-ho commander. Ripley had advised simply nuking the entire site, but the commander is sure his squad of big tough marines can handle a few bugs. Ambushed by the xenomorphs, the squad barely gets out alive, with the commander temporarily comatose and the ranking non-com in command. His first decision as acting commander is to repeat Ripley’s suggestion word for word.
In other words, it’s an archtype of being smart rather than badass. Sorta like when Indiana Jones pulled out his gun and shot the attacker.
Or that you’ve just been whipped good and have to retaliate with the most excessive use of force possible.
Here’s the relevant dialogue (Ripley is the protagonist, played by Sigorney Weaver, Burke is the “company man” and the rest are the remainder of a pair of squads of Colonial Marines that just barely survived an attack by the aliens):
VASQUEZ
All right, we can't blow the fuck
out of them...why not roll some
canisters of CN-20 down there.
Nerve gas the whole nest?
HUDSON
Look, man, let's just bug out and
call it even, okay?
RIPLEY
(to Vasquez)
No good. How do we know it'll
effect their biochemistry? I say
we take off and nuke the entire
site from orbit. It's the only
way to be sure.
BURKE
Now hold on a second. I'm not
authorizing that action.
RIPLEY
Why not?
Burke senses the challenge in her tone and backpedals
flawlessly into conciliatory mode.
BURKE
Well, I mean...I know this is an
emotional moment, but let's not
make snap judgments. Let's move
cautiously. First, this physical
installation had a substantial
dollar value attached to it --
RIPLEY
They can bill me. I got a tab
running. What's second?
BURKE
This is clearly an important
species we're dealing with here.
We can't just arbitrarily
exterminate them --
RIPLEY
Bullshit!
VASQUEZ
Yeah, bullshit. Watch us.
HUDSON
Maybe you haven't been keeping up
on current events, but we just got
out asses kicked, pal!
Ripley faces Burke squarely and she's not pleased.
RIPLEY
Look, Burke. We had an agreement.
Burke moves in, lowering his voice. He takes her aside
from the others.
BURKE
I know, I know, but we're dealing
with changing scenarios here. This
thing is major, Ripley. I mean
really major. You gotta go with
its energy. Since you are the
representative of the company who
discovered this species your
percentage will naturally be
some serious, serious money.
Ripley stares at his like he's a particularly
disagreeable fungus.
RIPLEY
You son of a bitch.
BURKE
(hardening)
Don't make me pull rank, Ripley.
RIPLEY
What rank? I believe Corporal Hicks
has authority here.
BURKE
Corporal Hicks!?
RIPLEY
This operation is under military
jurisdiction and Hicks is next in
chain of command. Right?
HICKS
Looks that way.
Burke starts to lose it and it's not a pretty sight.
BURKE
Look, this is a multimillion
dollar operation. He can't make
that kind of decision. He's just
a grunt!
(glances at Hicks)
No offense.
HICKS
(coolly)
None taken.
(into mike)
Ferro, you copying?
FERRO
(voice over; static)
Standing by.
HICKS
Prep for dust-off. We're gonna
need an immediate evac.
(to Burke)
I think we'll take off and nuke
the site from orbit. It's the
only way to be sure.
Great movie, directed by James Cameron (Terminator, The Abyss, True Lies. It (and its predecessor, Ridley Scott’s Alien) basically spawned the '80s/'90s collection of unrelenting killer-alien movies. So yeah, you should see it.
It’s just a good thing they didn’t make any sequels or absurd cross-overs, 'cause those would have sucked. If you catch my drift. 
Stranger
Cool. Thanks everybody.
And after making such a sound judgement call, Ripley later pisses off the Alien Queen by frying her entire clutch of eggs, whereupon Queenie comes after her looking for evens with consequences that prove catastrophic (if you accept Alien[sup]3[/sup] as canon ) – all for nothing because the colony’s fusion plant was going to blow anyway. Normally Ripley kicks ass, but on this occasion you have to admit shefucks up.
I just find it comical that a squad of marines commanded by a green lieutenant has nukes and nerve gas. What does a Major get - the Death Star?
I think it caught on as a catchphrase because it’s one of the few examples of sound tactical thinking in movie SF: usually fighting the monsters depends on either fortuitously discovering some implausible weakness {“Water! Water will dissolve them!”} or encountering moral qualms {“But if we kill them, General, we’re no better than they are.”} For once a character said exactly what the audience was thinking: piss off and nuke the fuckers from a safe distance.
Yeah, but then they don’t do it!
Mind you, that would have short-circuited three movies.
Which is also why the sequence with Indiana Jones and the swordsman is so popular- it’s exactly what any normal person (who happened to be carrying a .455 calibre revolver) would do when confronted with a Bad Guy showing off his Mad Scimitar Skillz™ - they’d simply draw their gun and shoot him. 
They didn’t get the chance. Their ride got 'jacked, remember?
Leading to the best line ever
“game over man, game OVER”
Bill Paxton will ALWAYS be HUdson to me, ALWAYS whimpering those lines…heh heh heh.
Kinda makes things weird seeing his naked, polygamist ass on a regular basis over on “Big Love.” Feh.
Maybe we could light a fire. Sing songs.
Put her in charge!
[hijack]
The funny thing is that wasn’t how the scene was written. Originally it was a typical over-complex Hollywood type fight scene, but when it came time to do the shoot, Harrison Ford was suffering from a bad case of the trots. Knowing that he really wasn’t up to the task for the complex scene they had planned, Harrison asked Spielberg if he could just shoot the guy.
[/hijack]
I also can’t see Bill Paxton in anything without thinking of his famous “game over, man” lines.
Whenever I think of Bill Paxton it’s for his other great line in that movie
My favorite Paxton line:
“They’re gonna come in here, and they’re gonna come in here, and they’re gonna kill us!”
I love the repetition of the first part- he’s too jacked up to think of any worse fate than the aliens coming in there. And then, of course, killing them.
Actually, the best line ever, which I silently quote almost daily, occurred earlier.
Sgt. Apone: Any questions?
Cpl. Hudson: Yeah, how do I get out of this chicken shit outfit.
If only I were brave enough to say that to my boss every time he asks that question.