Apple orchard banana cat dance 8-6-6-3!
Remember that? Well, for those who aren't huge sitcom buffs like me, that is the jingle Marshall Ericksen coined to remember his password for the bar exam results website in "How I Met Your Mother" (Season III, Episode 8: Spoiler Alert). It is nonsensical of course, but I had it stuck in my head for a good two days because it's so catchy. And infectious too, for my roommate started humming it after a point. But that's the thing about catchy phrases and lines - whether it is a product slogan or a sports tag line - strike chords and make points (funny, profound, or otherwise) that make them retention-friendly. These phrases, and sometimes their overuse, are the reasons why we remember certain products, items, and above all, certain people. Check out some of the snazziest catchlines that have ever been coined below.
Catchy Phrases to be Tried Out on Friends!
The Big Bang Theory: Season 5, Episode 2 - The Infestation Hypothesis
Remember the one where Sheldon kept obsessing about Penny's red sofa that she had picked up from the road and paid some random guy to get it up to her apartment? I loved the way Penny greeted him each time Sheldon knocked on her door in order to convince her to get rid of it. It went like this.
Sheldon: *Knock knock knock* Penny.
*Knock knock knock* Penny.
*Knock knock knock* Penny.
Penny: What's up, buttercup?
After the first slamming of the door.
Sheldon: *Knock knock knock* Penny.
*Knock knock knock* Penny.
*Knock knock knock* Penny.
Penny: What's the word, hummingbird?
After the second slamming of the door.
Sheldon: *Knock knock knock* Penny.
*Knock knock knock* Penny.
*Knock knock knock* Penny.
Penny: What's the gist, physicist?
These greetings were so catchy that I had to dig up and coin some more of these absolute gems. Check the following out for your own pleasure.
► What's the story, morning glory?
► What's the deal, satin feel?
► What's new, morning brew?
► How's the date, metalhead?
► Why so wary, sugared-dairy?
► What's the scene, jelly bean?
► Fiddle-de-dum! Morning, chum!
► What's cookin', good lookin'?
► I'm the boss, applesauce!
► Yes, indeed, pumpkin seed.
Fair warning though, your chums will get annoyed after a bit, but isn't that the point anyway? You can always revert with:
► Take a hike, Mike! (Say it in the quintessential Rajesh Ramayan "Raj" Koothrappali way and you are golden!)
Catchy Phrases from Sitcoms
Over the years, the moving reels have given us catchphrases that have become
legen-wait for it-dary in their own right. They are oft-repeated and never fail to serve their purpose of adding that punch to any conversation when slipped in
ad libitum. Let's check some of these little verbal pieces of
awesomeness out below that have rocked our world time and again. And fair warning again, mortals: I know that a Ted Mosby would call some of the specimens below "catchwords" and not "catchphrases" (reference:
Well, technically, "awesome" wouldn't be a catchphrase. If anything, it's more of a catchword. - Season III, Episode 8: Spoiler Alert), but let's go with calling them catchphrases just for the fun of it, ok?
The Simpsons
Bart Simpson:
● Eat My Shorts!
● Whoa, mama!
● Don't Have a Cow, Man!
● Ay Caramba!
● I'm Bart Simpson, who the Hell are You?
● Aww Man'!
● Eep! (Said whenever he realizes he's in serious trouble)
● I didn't do it! (Sometimes followed by:
Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything!)
Charles Montgomery Burns:
Release the Hounds!
F•R•I•E•N•D•S
How you doin'? ~ Joseph Francis "Joey" Tribbiani, Jr.
Yeah, yeah, and you were going to give him, you know, your flower. ~ Monica Elizabeth Geller
We were on a BREAK! ~ Ross Eustace Geller
OH... MY... GAWD! ~ Janice Hosenstein (Said with a pause after every word and in the most annoying nasal tone EVER!)
Well, I gotta buy a vowel. ~ Janice Hosenstein
Ohhh, are you a puppy! ~ Janice Hosenstein
Sex and the City
Until he says "I love you", you're a free agent. ~ Samantha Jones (Season III, Episode 10: All or Nothing)
Here. Swear. Swear on Chanel. ~ Carrie Bradshaw (Season IV, Episode 11: Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda)
I've spent $40,000 on shoes and I have no place to live? I will literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes! ~ Carrie Bradshaw (Season IV, Episode 16: Ring A Ding Ding)
He's just not that into you. ~ Jack Berger (Season VI, Episode 4: Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little)
The fact is, sometimes it's hard to walk in a single woman's shoes. That's why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun. ~ Carrie Bradshaw (Season VI, Episode 9: A Woman's Right to Shoes)
The Big Bang Theory
Sheldon Lee Cooper:
I am not crazy/insane. My mother had me tested.
Bazinga!
There, there.
You're in my spot.
Why is it his spot you ask? Well,
In the winter that seat is close enough to the radiator to remain warm, and yet not so close as to cause perspiration. In the summer, it's directly in the path of a cross-breeze created by opening windows there and there. It faces the television at an angle that is neither direct, thus discouraging conversation, nor so far wide as to create a parallax distortion. I could go on, but I think I've made my point.
And also,
Cathedra mea, regulae meae. (That's Latin for "My chair, my rules.")
Social protocol states when a friend is upset, you offer them a hot beverage, such as tea.
It's not a cartoon, it's anime.
Ah, gravity - thou art a heartless bitch.
If you have time to lean you have time to clean.
Sarcasm?
I can't be impossible. I exist.
Scissors cut paper. Paper covers rock. Rock crushes lizard. Lizard poisons Spock. Spock smashes scissors. Scissors decapitates lizard. Lizard eats paper. Paper disproves Spock. Spock vaporizes rock. And, as it always has, rock crushes scissors. ~ The rules of "rock-paper-scissors- lizard-Spock" as explained by the one and only in a single breath.
Penny, I have an IQ of 187. If there were any way for me to get soup at home, don't you think I would have thought of it?
Penny:
Holy crap on a cracker!
No Shirt. No Shoes. No Sheldon.
Oh, you're going to jibber-jabber about jibber-jabber?!
Mrs. Wolowitz:
Howard, the phone is ringing!
How I Met Your Mother
Robin, have I ever told you that I have been vomit-free since '93? ~ Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby
You mean figuratively! ~ Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby
But...umm ~ Robin Charles Scherbatsky, Jr.
Lawyered! ~ Marshall Ericksen
Where's the poop, Robin? ~ Lillian "Lily" Aldrin
Legen - wait for it - dary Deliveries!:
★ It's going to be legen - wait for it - and I hope you're not lactose intolerant, because the second half of the word is - dairy! Legendary!
★ Tonight is gonna be legen - wait are we sure it's a good idea to go to a strip club.. Shut up Lily I'm in charge now - dary!
★ It will be legen - no I'm not waiting for it, and neither should Marvin, so maybe you two should just die right now - dary!
★ Barney: Dude, working together is gonna be legen - wait for it - I'll send you an inter-office memo with the rest 'cause we freakin' work together!
Trish: (Later that day)
Excuse me Mr. Stinson...
Barney:
NOT NOW TRISH!
Trish: But there's an urgent memo for Mr Mosby. (She hands Ted the memo)
Ted: (Reads memo)
Dary.
Barney: LEGENDARY!!
★ Barney: It's gonna be legen - I'm not waitin' for it any longer
Quinn: (Post-coitus)
Dary!
Barney Stinson's "High Five" versions:
Self-five!
I request the highest of Fives!
Almighty Five!
Phone Five!
High V!
Hypothetical High Five!
Mental self-five!
High Two
Arthritis Five!
Relapse Five!
Solemn Low Five
A high five doesn't even cut it.
High Six!
Freeze Frame High Five!
Tiny Five
Multiple High Fives!
Door Five!
Motility Five!
Claw Five!
Wordplay Five!
Condolence Five
Retraction Five
Popular Catchy Phrases from Movies
And after all this, one must end with some of the best and popular phrases that were ever uttered on the silver screen.
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. - Rhett Butler in "Gone with the Wind" (1939)
Elementary, my dear Watson. - Sherlock Holmes in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (1939)
The stuff that dreams are made of. - Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941)
A martini. Shaken, not stirred. - James Bond in "Goldfinger" (1964)
I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. - Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" (1972)
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. - Michael Corleone in "The Godfather Part II" (1974)
I feel the need - the need for speed! - Lt. Pete Mitchell and Lt. Nick Bradshaw in "Top Gun" (1986)
Hasta la vista, baby. - The Terminator in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)
My precious... - Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings:The Two Towers" (2002)
Why so serious? - Joker in "The Dark Knight" (2008)
Of course continual viewings of
How I Met Your Mother has made the following my favorite catchphrase of the moment.
I'm Getting Too Old For This S***! - Roger Murtaugh in "Lethal Weapon"
Catchy Business and Advertising Taglines
Advertising is all about catchy phrases and wordplay to make a quick point. After all, the secret to a successful advertising campaign is to employ words that make an impression for a long time to come. So, let's have a look at the list of slogans that say it all.
I am what I am. - Reebok
Because life's complicated enough. - Abbey National
Because you're worth it. (Originally: Because I'm worth it.) - L'Oréal
The future's bright - the future's Orange - Orange (UK)
Don't live a little, live a lotto. - Lotto
Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline. - Maybelline
It's fun to play together. - Xbox LIVE
The world's local bank. - HSBC
Intel inside. - Intel
Solutions for a small planet - IBM
Impossible is Nothing - Adidas
Grace, space, pace. - Jaguar
Power, Beauty and Soul. - Aston Martin
There is no substitute - Porsche
Challenge everything. - Electronic Arts
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. - State Farm Insurance
Innovation. - 3M
Ideas That Last. - A.T. Kearney
The Company To Remember for Life. - American National Insurance Company
A Promise for Life. - Abbott Laboratories
Guardian. Enriching the lives of people we touch. - Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
It's All About. - ACC Bank
Bottom line, a better value. - Wausau Insurance
The power to help you succeed. - Pacific Life Insurance
We mean clean. - Bissell Inc.
The quicker picker-upper. - Bounty
Does she...or doesn't she? - Clairol
Look Ma, no cavities! - Crest
The best seat in the house. - Jockey Shorts
High performance. Delivered. - Accenture
Catchy Food and Drink Phrases
A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play. - Mars bar (Australia)
Melts in your mouth, not in your hand. - M&M's
Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat. - Kit Kat
You don't just buy a Bournville, you earn it. - Cadbury Bournville
I'm Lovin' It - McDonald's
Have it your way - Burger King
It's finger lickin' good. - Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)
A sandwich is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal. - Manwich
Eat Fresh - Subway
Once you pop, the fun don't stop. (Originally: Once you pop, you just can't stop.) - Pringles
Nobody bakes a cake as tasty as a Tastykake. - Tastykake
Clover, loved all over. - Clover butter
Du pain, du vin, du Boursin. - Boursin (cheese)
When it rains, it pours. - Morton Salt
Pleasure is the path to joy. - Häagen-Dazs
Fill your cup to the rim with Brim. - Brim Coffee
Good to the last drop - Maxwell House
Be yourself. Be refreshing. Be 7 Up. - 7 UP
Look for the real things. - Coca-Cola
For Those Who Think Young/The Joy of Pepsi-Cola - Pepsi
The King of Beers - Budweiser
If you want to impress someone, put him on your Black list. - Black label (Johnnie Walker)
Single source of inspiration - Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky
Not a drop is sold till it's seven years old - Jameson Irish Whiskey
The sweet smell of success. - The Macallan Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Ardbeg. The Islay malt that sweetly whacks you. - Ardbeg, Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
Plop-plop, fizz-fizz, oh what a relief it is. - Alka-Seltzer
Catchy Phrases about Life
Oh, what would language be without wit, sarcasm, and humor? Not very enjoyable. Thankfully, there are people who have forged insightful thoughts by using words and left them behind for our pleasure and reflection. Let's check a few of them out.
I don't suffer from my insanity - I enjoy every minute of it. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon in "Dance with the Devil"
Cheer up, the worst is yet to come. - Philander Johnson
The more people I meet, the more I love my dog. - Pascal
I get enough exercise just pushing my luck! - Author Unknown
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. - Steven Wright
Humorous, cynical, sarcastic, deep, rhyming, attention-grabbing - whatever you feel about these quotes, they are excellent specimens of creative thinking. Let me know if you find any more of these gems. Excellent for T-shirts, computer screens, hearty tête-à-têtes - these catchy phrases are winners through and through.