Our Daily Bleg: What TV Catchphrase Do You Abuse?

Here’s the latest guest bleg from Fred Shapiro, editor of the Yale Book of Quotations. His past blegs can be found here; send us your own bleg requests here.

The Yale Book of Quotations has a large section of the most famous television catchphrases. The list is stronger on pre-1980 catchphrases than post-1980 catchphrases, perhaps reflecting the fact that my own TV-watching was concentrated in the 1960’s and 1970’s. A couple of years ago I blegged on the Project Wombat listserv, asking for suggestions of famous post-1980 TV catchphrases not already included in the YBQ.

The ones with the most votes were:

“Yada, yada, yada.” (Seinfeld)
“Well, isn’t that special?” (Saturday Night Live)
“You look mahvelous!” (Saturday Night Live)
“No soup for you!” (Seinfeld)
“Bam!” (Emeril Live)
“I’m Larry, this is my brother Darryl …” (Newhart)
“Norm!” (Cheers)
“The tribe has spoken.” (Survivor)
“Yeah, that’s the ticket.” (Saturday Night Live)
“Homey don’t play that!” (In Living Color)
“How you doin’?” (Friends)
“Here it is, your moment of Zen.” (The Daily Show)
“You eeeediot!” (Ren and Stimpy)
“Holy crap!” (Everybody Loves Raymond)
“Heh heh.” (Beavis and Butthead)
“Hey now!” (The Larry Sanders Show)

I would welcome further suggestions of famous post-1980 TV catchphrases not already in the YBQ. I realize that there may be a few Freakonomics readers who do not yet have copies of the YBQ, but suggestions of catchphrases that turn out already to be in the book are fine too.