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.
Mayhap the ESPN, too.
(I think that may indicate a wide appeal.)
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.
Hi Opal!!
I dinna thin’ that word means what you thin’ it means…
“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.
The two movies I quote the most are the Princess Bride and Pulp Fiction.
[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”?
These movies really tied the thread together.
You can’t really dust for vomit.
[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!
So, eventually we are all going to end up down at the quarry throwing shit? Damnit.
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. 
Now that really did make me Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there! Thanks billfish!
Nihilists. Fuck me. Say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, but at least it’s an ethos.
I’m Brian. And so’s my wife!
As you wish…
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]
I have the same reaction when I hear someone say, “That’ll do.”
Well? We’re waiting!