# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/21 "2022-04-05T16:28:27Z")
From Dora the Explorer: Swiper, no swiping ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/22 "2022-04-05T16:42:57Z")
That one is borrowed from “Big Jake”: Whenever Jake introduces himself as Jacob McCandles, the other person says: “I thought you were dead.” ---
**Author:** ![Vimp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vimp/32/4186_2.png) [@Vimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vimp)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/23 "2022-04-05T16:54:17Z")
“He’s dead, Jim.” Alternatively, “Jim, he’s dead.” ---
**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 5, 2022, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/24 "2022-04-05T17:01:06Z")
Most of these are always said by the same character, and thus is more of a catchphrase for the character saying it than the character receiving it. Some are things that were only said once; hardly a catchphrase at all, no matter how often fans repeat the line. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/25 "2022-04-05T17:08:42Z")
How about “Yes. We know who you are,” said by many people (and Daleks) to Harriet Jones. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/26 "2022-04-05T17:42:42Z")
“Hey, aren’t you the horse from _Horsin’ Around_?” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/27 "2022-04-05T18:54:10Z")
“Meathead” stuck to Michael Stivick, but rarely used the term himself. ---
**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 5, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/28 "2022-04-05T19:51:29Z")
Yeah, I > [@CardboardBoxx](#): > > Most of these are always said by the same character, and thus is more of a catchphrase for the character saying it than the character receiving it. Yeah, I have to agree. Perhaps my definition should have stipulated that a reverse catchphrase needs to be used by multiple other people. I consider lines like “Tish, you spoke French” and “He’s dead, Jim” to be catchphrases of Gomez Addams and Leonard McCoy, not reverse catchphrases of Morticia Addams and James T. Kirk. ---
**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 5, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/29 "2022-04-05T20:04:40Z")
How about “Yes, (Prime) Minister”? Virtually every episode ends with those words. It’s only ever said to Hacker, but despite the fact that sometimes it’s said by someone else, is probably more a Sir Humphrey catchphrase, as he says it by far the most often. ---
**Author:** ![MarkSh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@MarkSh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkSh)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/30 "2022-04-05T22:25:00Z")
“Go home, Roger!“ Sister sister “Tommy, you ain’t _got_ a job!” Martin “Thank you Mr. Grace.” Are You Being Served?, Always in response to his catchphrase “you’ve all done very well!” ---
**Author:** ![Nyvaak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Nyvaak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyvaak)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/31 "2022-04-05T22:33:09Z")
You’ll shoot your eye out ! (Are we including movies?) ---
**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 8, 2022, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/32 "2022-04-08T13:24:45Z")
I don’t know if character’s names are really a “catchphrase”, even if spoken in a particular way. But if you want to include it, there’s the classic exasperated GILLIGAN! From the days of radio, Fibber McGee and Molly: “Tain’t funny, McGee.” (Uttered by Molly.) ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/33 "2022-04-08T13:39:09Z")
“Doctor? Doctor who?” ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/34 "2022-04-08T13:42:25Z")
And the classic, “It’s bigger on the inside.” ---
**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 8, 2022, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/35 "2022-04-08T13:49:59Z")
It’s only in one episode, but the _The IT Crowd_ has a story line where Jen wants to apply for another job, and each time she tells someone else about it, the other person says, “It’s not for you, Jen.” ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/36 "2022-04-08T13:53:47Z")
During Christopher Eccleston’s tenure on Doctor Who, there was a running joke. Other Character: You’re from another planet? The Doctor (cheerful): Yes, I am! Other Character: Why do you have a Northern accent? The Doctor (angry): Lots of planets have a North! ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/37 "2022-04-08T18:55:32Z")
“Ew, David!” - Schitt’s Creek Although I think David did say “Ew” without his name at the end a few times ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274/38 "2022-04-08T19:41:00Z")
“God damn it, Archer!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-catchphrases/962274.md?page=1)