My brother and a good friend told me I should have a catch phrase years ago, and we settled on “Write it up.” I really don’t use that one anymore, though occasionally I stick it into utility programs like an in-joke, (especially as a caption on a button that produces output.)
One that I stole from a star trek paperback is “All part of the service.” (Must be drawled lazily after somebody thanks you for doing something in your job description for best effect.)
Apparently I have quite a few Rooshisms, but here’s a few of them:
Alrighteous (It’s my favorite word anytime I want to interject an “alright” into a statement)
S’cool (“It’s cool”)
Most Uncool (Insert person’s name here), Most Uncool…
Are the big three I can think of right now, but there’s many more little phrases I tend to use.
“…or something to that effect.” I use this phrase all this time, especially when I’m not entirely sure that whatever I’ve just said is right.
“So yeah, you’re supposed to drive for fifteen minutes, and then you’ll end up on Elm Street, and then just look for the blue house…or something to that effect.”
Also, whenever there’s an awkward silence or a tense moment, I like to break it up with an “okie-dokie”; then I’ll delve into a totally different topic of conversation.
“If that’s the worst thing to happen in here today, we’re in great shape.” - Usually said to one of my ICU patients after they spill water or something.
I’ve got more, I bet I’ll think of them while I’m half-asleep in bed tonight.
I use “There is no way this can go wrong” a lot. It comes in pretty handy; my friends and I are of an age and level of economic well-being where someone might say, “So John will find another job by the time the baby comes, Jane will have no delivery complications, and we won’t lose the house before Memorial Day!” And then bam! Catchphrase!
My family has “I like pie. Cobbler, not so much.” for when someone (or a small group of someones) goes off on a highly specialized, detailed tangent about a subject of minimal interest to the rest of the group. It serves to alert the rambler that her or she needs to dial back the Comic Book Guy-style devotion and to let the rest of the group know that you’re also at sea regarding the tangent, so it’s okay to show disdain or confusion. Try it on the physics nerd, X-Men fan or railway schedule enthusiast of your choice!
Most of mine I’ve stolen from my father. Whenever I’ve inhaled everything on the plate at a restaurant, when the waiter asks “How was everything?” I always answer, “I could hardly finish it.”
If a friend has caught himself going on in too much detail on a minor part of his story and says, "Anyway - " I throw in “to make a long story…” I love the elegance of that one.
I say “alright,” with this kind of resigned sigh that kind of means let’s get this crap over with. It’s surprisingly therapeutic at work and a number of my colleagues use it. I also coined the term (as far as I know) “nutty as a squirrels turd™.”
“… and the like.” When I can’t be troubled to describe similar or related things.
“It is a puzzlement.” Quoting from The King and I, when I’m told about some odd thing that I can’t explain and don’t care to try.
“You see, but you do not observe.” Quoting Sherlock Holmes, when my kids overlook something obvious.
“And yet the Republic still stands.” When my kids are whining about something minor but which they consider the worst possible thing in all of recorded history.
“He’s dead already!” Quoting Scotty, when someone won’t stop uselessly doing something over and over again.
“'Tis only a scratch!” Quoting Monty Python and the Holy Grail, when I sustain a minor injury.
“Dookie! Pick up the phone!” Quoting the “Whassup?” beer commercial from awhile back; said when the phone rings, it always reduces my five-year-old to giggles.