# Words or phrases that were that were coined by a TV show or movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2020, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081 "2020-11-20T23:57:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/21 "2020-11-21T05:23:19Z")
I just found out that _Me, Myself and I_ was a 1937 song by Billie Holiday [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMrS9\_4XyYI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMrS9_4XyYI), but I’m pretty sure it was popularized by _The Three Stooges._, “Who’s we? Me, Myself and I” though I can’t find a video it offhand. And how could we have come this far without “NADAFINGA!” from _A Christmas Story_! Ohhh…another one from _A Christmas Story_, “It, it was…soap poisoning.” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/22 "2020-11-21T05:58:38Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > “Sorry about that Chief!” - _Get Smart_ “Sorry about that Chief!” - _The Adventures of Superman_ ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/23 "2020-11-21T06:25:39Z")
TY for the correction. Oddly, I’ve only seen snippets of the series pre-internet, but I can envision and hear someone saying that. Not sure if it’s Clark or Jimmy. I’m leaning towards Jimmy. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/24 "2020-11-21T06:30:26Z")
It’s Jimmy. But for him it was mainly a set up for Perry White to growl “Don’t call me chief!”. Don Adams as Maxwell Smart took that simple phrase and slathered it in irony… ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/25 "2020-11-21T07:04:01Z")
“Truthiness” - Stephen Colbert ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/26 "2020-11-21T07:08:42Z")
Speaking of Seinfeld terms: My company has thrice-weekly zoom calls where we discuss concerns, and a major one right now is “shrinkage”. I can hardly suppress my juvenile snickering every time somebody mentions it. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/27 "2020-11-21T07:09:46Z")
The Simpsons Wiki has a list devoted to words created by the show such as the already mentioned embiggen and cromulent. [https://simpsons.fandom.com/wiki/Made-up\_words](https://simpsons.fandom.com/wiki/Made-up_words) ---
**Author:** ![essaychess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/2bfe46/32.png) [@essaychess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essaychess)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/28 "2020-11-21T14:00:29Z")
“That’s what she said” (The Office) ---
**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:** [November 21, 2020, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/29 "2020-11-21T14:43:44Z")
“Na-nu, na-nu!” _ **Mork and Mindy** _ “Live Long and Prosper!” _ **Star Trek** _ “Beam me up, Scotty!” _ **Star Trek** _ (Whether or not it was actually used there.) “Spongeworthy.” _ **Seinfeld** _ “D’oh!” _ **The Simpsons** _ “Urethra!” _ **Married … with Children** _ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/30 "2020-11-21T14:46:49Z")
> [@essaychess](#): > > “That’s what she said” (The Office). You’re kidding. We used that in the 1980s and I’m sure it was old and withered then (“that’s what SHE said!”) My input: I had never heard of the act of human reproduction referred to as “boinking” before Moonlighting. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/31 "2020-11-21T14:49:22Z")
“I’ll have what she’s having.” ---
**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:** [November 21, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/32 "2020-11-21T14:51:36Z")
“Shazbot!” _ **Mork and Mindy** _ “I’ve got to have thir-r-r-ty minutes!” _ **Star Trek** _ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/33 "2020-11-21T15:08:50Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > You’re kidding. > > We used that in the 1980s and I’m sure it was old and withered then (“that’s what SHE said!”) We used that in the 1960s. _The Office_ had Michael use it because it was so trite. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2020, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/34 "2020-11-21T15:15:15Z")
“Fully functional.” _ **ST: TNG** _ “Make it so!” _ **ST: TNG** _ ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/35 "2020-11-21T16:05:25Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Catch phrases were rampant in TV series in the past, and also in commercials. Yes, but of course not all catchphrases are words or phrases that were invented for/by the show in question. It’s not my thread, but IMHO we’re looking for words or phrases had never been used before they appeared in the show or movie that coined them. How about “[fartknocker](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fartknocker)” from _Beavis & Butt-head_? ---
**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:** [November 21, 2020, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/36 "2020-11-21T16:13:20Z")
“Where’s the beef?” **Wendy’s commercial.** ---
**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:** [November 21, 2020, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/37 "2020-11-21T16:15:59Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > How about “[fartknocker](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fartknocker)” from _Beavis & Butt-head_? “Dillweed” “Butt Plug” “Butt Munch” ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/38 "2020-11-21T16:20:35Z")
Yabba-dabba-doo. Verrry interesting. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/39 "2020-11-21T16:25:25Z")
“Get a life” came from a SNL skit with William Shatner. Text: > **[Is it true that Bill Shatner told people to get a life?](https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-Bill-Shatner-told-people-to-get-a-life)** > > Answer: That was a SNL skit. He was at a Trekkie convention and said… > > Trekkies: Mr. Shatner! Mr. Shatner! > > William Shatner: Alright, the first question, uh, go ahead! Charlie: Yeah! Okay, um, when you were gonna beam down to the planet, okay, for... Video: > **[Get A Life! - video Dailymotion](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmagzq)** > > Watch Get A Life! - dag2007 on Dailymotion ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081/40 "2020-11-21T16:26:47Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > “Get a life” came from a SNL skit with William Shatner. Genuine question: That skit popularized the phrase “Get a life,” but did it invent it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-were-that-were-coined-by-a-tv-show-or-movie/926081.md?page=3)