# Princess Bride: Why so many quoted lines? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609 "2012-11-20T12:31:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/21 "2012-11-20T15:15:34Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > In general, Dopers are smarter than the average bear. Also, when one finds a group of people who share one’s interests, one tends to stick around. I love Monty Python and Douglas Adams and Airplane and the Princess Bride, and so do a lot of people here… so I feel comfortable in this community and decided to stay and contribute. > > It’s like asking why a knitters circle is so full of people who like yarn. I think the common interests angle is the explanation. Yes, Dopers are smarter than the average _ **bear** _ but I’ve seen nothing to convince me that Dopers are anything more than a good representative sample of the general public. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/22 "2012-11-20T15:19:44Z")
> [@Just\_Ed](#): > > Mayhap the SDMB just has an over-representation of these fans. Mayhap [the ESPN, too.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP-RQkeXkf8) (I think that may indicate a wide appeal.) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/23 "2012-11-20T16:16:47Z")
A group that hangs around together a lot tends to develop its own traditions. One such tradition might be quoting lines from particular movies. Once such traditions start, the members who previously didn’t adhere to that tradition frequently start following the tradition. Those who don’t like the tradition might drop out of the group. Those who consider joining the group might be influenced by whether they want to follow that tradition. What this all means is that traditions, once started, tend to become more common in the group. Actually, if there’s any lines that we frequently quote, it tends to be more the ones that don’t come from a movie or anything else but which just spontaneously arose on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/24 "2012-11-20T16:48:33Z")
Hi Opal!! ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/25 "2012-11-20T16:50:08Z")
> [@](#): > > And it’s not just a phrase. Say the single word “Inconceivable!” or “Mah-wage!” and see what happens. It’s a way of separating the Dopers from the screaming eels. I dinna thin’ that word means what you thin’ it means… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/26 "2012-11-20T16:51:32Z")
_“Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”_ Never seen _TPB_, but I do like the line. It conveys a kind of tender nihilism. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/27 "2012-11-20T16:54:24Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > _“Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”_ > > Never seen _TPB_, but I do like the line. It conveys a kind of tender nihilism. They’re Nihilists, Donny. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/28 "2012-11-20T16:58:24Z")
The two movies I quote the most are the Princess Bride and Pulp Fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/29 "2012-11-20T17:05:43Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] Can you think of another with as many recognizable lines? _Casablanca_ comes to mind. [/QUOTE] What was that film with a load of _aliens_ in it? I think it was called “The bus that couldn’t slow down”? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/30 "2012-11-20T17:11:43Z")
These movies really tied the thread together. You can’t really dust for vomit. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/31 "2012-11-20T17:16:03Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] You can’t really dust for vomit. [/QUOTE] What’s wrong with _sexy?_ … nuke the whole site from orbit. Game over man! Game over! ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/32 "2012-11-20T17:37:00Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > A group that hangs around together a lot tends to develop its own traditions. . So, eventually we are all going to end up down at the quarry throwing shit? Damnit. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/33 "2012-11-20T17:46:04Z")
> [@Rollo\_Tomasi](#): > > In terms of stopping a random person on the street, I actually think you’re far more likely to find someone who can quote **Casablanca** than **The Princess Bride**. “Here’s looking at you, kid” and “Play it again, Sam” (a slight misquote, but still widely used) have really permeated the culture. They’ve been constantly reused and repackaged in a way that I don’t think lines from **The Princess Bride** have been, even the Inigo Montoya bit. You’re probably right about the widespread familiarity of the Casablanca lines. I was thinking of quantity rather than popularity. Most people I know would recognize “Shocked. Shocked!”, “a beautiful relationship”, “we’ll always have Paris”, “I was misinformed”, and probably others. On second thought, I think I was totally wrong about Casablanca. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/34 "2012-11-20T18:05:48Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > So, eventually we are all going to end up down at the quarry throwing shit? Damnit. Now that really did make me Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there! Thanks **billfish**! ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/35 "2012-11-20T18:14:56Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > They’re Nihilists, Donny. Nihilists. Fuck me. Say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, but at least it’s an ethos. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/36 "2012-11-20T18:18:48Z")
I’m Brian. And so’s my wife! ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/37 "2012-11-20T18:49:49Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > So, eventually we are all going to end up down at the quarry throwing shit? Damnit. As you wish… ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/38 "2012-11-20T18:52:36Z")
There are two reasons why the Princess Bide is quoted so much [ol] [li]Exclusivity. Private jokes exclude those outside the collective.[/li][li]Inherent Quotability. Dialog in sentence fragments. [/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/39 "2012-11-20T19:13:38Z")
> [@Just\_Ed](#): > > I have to mentally restrain myself every time I hear someone say “It’s possible” so that I don’t immediately say " - pig." I have the same reaction when I hear someone say, “That’ll do.” ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609/40 "2012-11-20T20:48:48Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I would like to add Caddy Shack to the list. Most men my age (58) can quote lots of lines from that one. Well? We’re waiting! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/princess-bride-why-so-many-quoted-lines/641609.md?page=3)