# Words or phrases that you hear a lot more in movies than the real world **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-you-hear-a-lot-more-in-movies-than-the-real-world/594720 "2011-08-31T03:40:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-you-hear-a-lot-more-in-movies-than-the-real-world/594720/81 "2011-09-02T21:16:22Z")
“Run for your life!” (I remember hearing that a lot in cartoons as a kid, like Smurfs.) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-you-hear-a-lot-more-in-movies-than-the-real-world/594720/82 "2011-09-02T21:16:27Z")
We had to gut all the wiring from a house we were updating. I sold all to a local recycling center. When I got back to the project, I told my co-worker, “I gave him some copper we can’t re use.” ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-you-hear-a-lot-more-in-movies-than-the-real-world/594720/83 "2011-09-02T21:16:59Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > I actually got to use that once! We were white water rafting, and a bump knocked me out of the raft. A friend caught my leg, but was going to be dragged into the water himself. We did the full “Go! Save yourself!” “We all go home, or no one goes home!” exchange before I kicked off into the water. He was courteous enough to scream “NOOOOOOOOOO!” Some of my “hobbies” CAN be on the dangerous side (if things go really bad) so I too have had that sorta of exchange (mostly in jest with mnor problems) on more than one occasion… Then again “every man for himself” is often heard as well 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-you-hear-a-lot-more-in-movies-than-the-real-world/594720/84 "2011-09-03T15:48:00Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I act out a lot of these cliches with my kids: > > “Hey, Sam…” Pause with hand on doorknob. > “Stay safe…” Open door, walk through door. > Then pause, look back over shoulder. > “_Real._.. safe…” Quoting myself to point out that my kids have a good grasp of movie cliches, and are good at this too: “Hey, Sam-- you’re finishing that math project, right?” Sam slowly raises head, fixes me with a steely gaze:_ **“I don’t care how this math stuff started. But it ends TONIGHT!”** _ [bangs fist on table] ---
**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:** [September 3, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-you-hear-a-lot-more-in-movies-than-the-real-world/594720/85 "2011-09-03T16:01:59Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Quoting myself to point out that my kids have a good grasp of movie cliches, and are good at this too: > > “Hey, Sam-- you’re finishing that math project, right?” > Sam slowly raises head, fixes me with a steely gaze:_ **“I don’t care how this math stuff started. But it ends TONIGHT!”** _ [bangs fist on table] IIRC, Dave Barry says an even more awkward shoehorning became a running gag in his house after the preview for Road To Perdition – where mob boss Paul Newman intones that none of us will ever see heaven and Tom Hanks, the father who wants more for his son, hoarsely replies with quavering sincerity: _“Michael could.”_ And so if it’s mundanely pointed out that, say, nobody could finish mowing the lawn before dinner, you can bet that someone immediately stares off into the distance and holds back the tears while poignantly saying _“Michael could.”_ ---
**Author:** ![LaurenIpsum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@LaurenIpsum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaurenIpsum)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-you-hear-a-lot-more-in-movies-than-the-real-world/594720/86 "2011-09-03T16:29:04Z")
The one that really annoys me is “What?!” when said in response to shocking or really bad news. While I’ve certainly heard it used in real life, it’s not used anywhere near the extent that TV shows and movies use it. About a year ago, someone did a YouTube montage of this word being used several dozen times in Mad Men alone (looks like it’s been removed). To be honest, if someone gives me some bad or shocking news, I’m not very likely to just gape at them and say “What?” I would say something like, “Oh shit,” or try to find out more, like “What happened?” or “When?” ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-you-hear-a-lot-more-in-movies-than-the-real-world/594720/87 "2011-09-04T00:10:28Z")
It is not exactly a line but one that occurred to me because I saw it happen in a movie I was watching today. I have never seen anyone in real life wiggle their eyebrows. People in movies do it quite a bit though for a variety of reasons, usually suggestive or because they are “up to no good.” ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-you-hear-a-lot-more-in-movies-than-the-real-world/594720/88 "2011-09-05T19:01:53Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] “I’ve got some Good News; and some Bad News” [/QUOTE] > [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > You’ve never had anyone say that to you? Or said it yourself? I was going to question this one as well. I’ve heard this one (and have used it myself) in real life, non-ironically and not-trying-to-sound-like-I’m-in-a-movie, on a number of occasions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-you-hear-a-lot-more-in-movies-than-the-real-world/594720.md?page=4)