# What is the most commonly used phrase in English that came from a movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [December 2, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068 "2024-12-02T16:37:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/101 "2024-12-05T19:42:52Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > In British English, at least, quite often you hear > > > You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off! I’m fond of ‘think you used enough dynamite, there, Butch’? But I’d hardly call it common ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/102 "2024-12-05T20:32:04Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > OK, but for the purposes of this thread (most commonly used phrase that was pretty much unheard of before the movie (or TV show)), it has to be bucket list, right? I would think “That’ll be the day” from _The Searchers_ gets more use. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/103 "2024-12-05T21:57:32Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > but for the purposes of this thread (most commonly used phrase that was pretty much unheard of before the movie (or TV show)) Who’s On First? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/104 "2024-12-05T22:39:19Z")
“If you can’t say anything [or something] nice, [then] don’t say anything at all” is a more grammatical form of what Thumper said in Bambi: “If you can’t say somethin’ nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.” No form of the quotation is found in the novel by Felix Salten and as far as I can tell, it was not a common phrase before the movie came out in 1942. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/105 "2024-12-06T00:55:15Z")
I can’t believe I didn’t think of this until today. Apparently I’m in a lull in using it. “Do or do not. There is no try.” Definitely from a movie. I have some sticker giveaways of this. Unfortunately it has “not” instead of “no”. Unhappy, Yoda is. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/106 "2024-12-07T00:56:51Z")
How do we feel about “This house is clean.” from _Poltergeist_? (Yes, I said it a half hour ago.) Surely people said it from time before the movie but say it in a certain tone in certain settings and … ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/107 "2024-12-07T02:26:59Z")
but do people use it in everyday conversation? ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/108 "2024-12-07T02:44:11Z")
Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/109 "2024-12-07T02:59:38Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > How about, “We’ll head 'em off at the pass”? I _hate_ that cliche. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VjGW2WwDQhM/hqdefault.jpg "We'll head them off at the pass") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjGW2WwDQhM) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/110 "2024-12-07T14:46:58Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > “There’s no place like home.” That comes from the 19,th century song _Home Sweet Home_ ---
**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:** [December 7, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/111 "2024-12-07T14:48:23Z")
“You talkin’ to me?” ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/112 "2024-12-07T14:53:30Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > I always thought that Nigel’s final utterance to Debergi–“These go to eleven”–summed everything up, by making it clear how clueless Nigel was. Fun factoid: when BBC i introduced their iPlayer, the scale on the volume indicator did indeed go up to 11. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/113 "2024-12-07T16:09:27Z")
Has anyone mentioned “We’ll never find them unless we split up!” yet? I’m too lazy to try to figure out when this phrase was first used in a movie, but it seems likely that it appeared fairly early. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/114 "2024-12-07T18:03:20Z")
“T’was Beauty killed the Beast!”. People say it all the time, right? ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/115 "2024-12-07T18:12:13Z")
while all of these phrases are easily remembered, only a few actually represent what OP asked, that being “commonly used”, i.e normal conversation ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/116 "2024-12-08T03:43:15Z")
I do hear people saying “That’s on my bucket list” at least once a week or so, on average. Usually in reference to a place to travel to, not an activity. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/117 "2024-12-08T04:22:51Z")
It’s genuinely a common phrase now. But it wasn’t any sort of blockbuster film. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/118 "2024-12-08T06:25:24Z")
> [@john\_b\_2](#): > > Badges! Badges! We don’t need no stinking badges!”, variations of which have become quite common over the years. That’s probably the most common variation, and the one I usually use myself. But it’s a misquote. The actual line was “Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4OcM23Hbs5U/maxresdefault.jpg "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (6/10) Movie CLIP - No Stinking Badges (1948) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OcM23Hbs5U&t=18) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/119 "2024-12-08T21:29:56Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > How about, “We’ll head 'em off at the pass”? I started a thread about that a year or so ago. I found precisely _one_ old Western movie that used it. Almost every other use assumes that it’s a common cliche (like **Blazing Saddles** , or **On Her Majesty’s Secret Service** ) and uses it in a mocking sense. But it doesn’t actually appear to have been used as a common phrase to _become_ a cliche. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068/120 "2024-12-08T21:32:23Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > “T’was Beauty killed the Beast!”. People say it all the time, right? Not only don’t people say it, but the “ancient Arabian Phrase” quoted at the beginning of the 1933 movie _King Kong_ was made up by the scriptwriters > [@](#): > > And the prophet said: “And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty. And it stayed its hand from killing. And from that day, it was as one dead.” Old Arabian Proverb [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-commonly-used-phrase-in-english-that-came-from-a-movie/1011068.md?page=7)