# Reverse catchphrases **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 4, 2022, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274 "2022-04-04T20:28:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/1 "2022-04-04T20:28:07Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/2 "2022-04-04T20:33:27Z")
Two from Mary Tyler Moore: “Oh, Rob!” and “Oh. Mr Grant!” (For Dick van Dyke and Ed Asner, respectively.) ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/3 "2022-04-04T20:38:33Z")
What about things never actually said, but stuck to an actor? “Judy, Judy, Judy”. “Play it again Sam.” ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/4 "2022-04-04T20:44:19Z")
“You’re the worst” Britta, Community ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/5 "2022-04-04T20:55:30Z")
There’s no shortage of these; maybe save them for another thread? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/6 "2022-04-04T20:57:15Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/7 "2022-04-04T20:58:59Z")
Newman! ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/8 "2022-04-04T20:59:31Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/9 "2022-04-04T21:00:33Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/10 "2022-04-04T21:04:22Z")
If we’re including feature films, there’s “Shut the fuck up, Donnie” from _The Big Lebowski_. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/11 "2022-04-04T22:52:31Z")
“One of these days, Alice…” But only one person ever said that, so it might not be a good example ---
**Author:** ![Petek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/petek/32/1590_2.png) [@Petek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petek)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/12 "2022-04-04T23:28:18Z")
Heeeeeeeeere’s Johnny! ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/13 "2022-04-04T23:45:49Z")
Welcome to Night Vale has lots of these. 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!) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/14 "2022-04-05T01:23:58Z")
“Shut up, Meg.” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/15 "2022-04-05T02:08:35Z")
“Hi, Bob!” ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/16 "2022-04-05T02:29:04Z")
> [@CardboardBoxx](#): > > “You’re the worst” Britta, Community “Shut up, Leonard” ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/17 "2022-04-05T14:22:12Z")
“I’m Snake Plissken.” “I heard you were dead.” ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/18 "2022-04-05T15:02:55Z")
“Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/19 "2022-04-05T16:09:52Z")
“Tish! You spoke French!” ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/20 "2022-04-05T16:26:58Z")
“Danger, Will Robinson!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274.md?page=2)