For the purposes of this thread, let’s define a catchphrase as an expression that is strongly associated with a particular person, real or fictional, because they themselves use it so often. Examples of catchphrases are Homer Simpson’s “D’oh!”, Arnold Jackson’s “What’choo talkin’ 'bout, Willis?”, and Walter Cronkite’s “And that’s the way it is.”
By contrast, a reverse catchphrase is an expression that is strongly associated with a particular person only because other people direct it at that person so often. Examples include “Norm!”, which is associated with Norm Peterson because everyone else at Cheers always yells it at him, and “Cut your hair. You look like a girl!” which other characters often told Tommy Solomon on 3rd Rock from the Sun.
What are some other examples of reverse catchphrases?
I just thought of another one: “Shut up, Wesley!” and some close variants were directed at Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Wesley Crusher several times over the course of the series. It must have been quite cathartic for the writers and viewers alike.
Not that fans didn’t utter that a lot, but I can only think of one episode (“Datalore”) in which the phrase “Shut up, Wesley!” was actually spoken by another character.
I think you’ve got it backwards—“Datalore” is the only episode in which “Shut up, Wesley!” is uttered by Wesley himself. Picard and Beverly Crusher used the phrase several times in other episodes, and Guinan once said something very similar to him.
There’s John Peters (You know- the farmer?)
There’s the Glow Cloud (all hail)
There’s Hiram McDaniels, who is “literally a five-headed dragon”
There’s Lee Marvin (happy 30th birthday!)