Do You Recognize These Iconic TV Catchphrases? ‘You Got It, Dude!’ and 18 More We Can’t Forget
By Julianne MacNeill,
25 days ago
These iconic TV catchphrases are inseparable from the characters who made them famous. Imagine not hearing “Suit up!” from Barney in every other episode of How I Met Your Mother ? Or what about the famous, “How you doin’?” from Joey on Friends ? Whatever the catchphrase, we all know our favorite shows wouldn’t be the same without these famous lines. Check out some of the most iconic TV catchphrases we’ve been hearing for years!
1. “How you doin’?” – Joey Tribbiani, Friends
Joey simply wouldn’t be Joey without this phrase. Although all of his friends know exactly what he means when he utters these words, we’d be lying if we said it doesn’t work every single time.
2. “It's gonna be legen — wait for it — dary.” – Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother
Although he is often manipulative and a bit harsh with his words, you can’t argue that Barney’s hilarious and that he’s all about the legen — wait for it — dary things in life.
Ahh, Uncle Jesse. He was everyone’s crush during the Full House days (and after, right?) and it only grew when he would say his iconic catchphrase, “Have mercy.”
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4. “Whatchoo talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?” – Arnold Jackson, Diff’rent Strokes
It wasn’t long before Arnold Jackson’s catchphrase was cemented into pop culture. “Whatchoo talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?” is often said throughout the series, but the character often replaced Willis’ name with whomever he was talking to. But either way, we like the original phrase, and use it in our daily lives.
Homer Simpson’s famous “D’oh” catchphrase is as iconic as the character himself. The character often utters the phrase throughout the series to express his frustration and annoyance about something he’s done.
6. “Fuhgeddaboudit.” – Tony Soprano, The Sopranos
Although this phrase was well known prior to the series, Tony Soprano truly popularized it on The Sopranos . The phrase means “forget about it,” but with the words strung together, it comes out sounding like “Fuhgeddaboudit.”
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7. “How Rude!” – Stephanie Tanner, Full House
Full House is responsible for quite a few iconic catchphrases, but “How Rude!” is easily one of the best. Stephanie utters this throughout the entirety of the series and it truly never gets old.
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8. “That’s what she said” – Michael Scott, The Office
Michael Scott from The Office often has something inappropriate to say, so this phrase doesn’t come as much of a surprise. But it’s always laughable when he offers it on-screen.
9. “Bazinga!” – Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory
Sheldon Cooper is an awkwardly hilarious character, but “Bazinga!” just adds to it. The phrase makes Sheldon an even quirkier character than he already is.
10. “Did I do that?” – Steve Urkel, Family Matters
Urkel was known best for his clumsiness and doing things that often went sideways, so the phrase he always offered in response was, “Did I do that?” — when he clearly did. But it always made for a hilarious moment of television.
11. “Cut it out” – Joey Gladstone, Full House
It wouldn’t be Full House without Joey’s stand-up comedy and one of his best lines was, “Cut it out.”
12. “Suit up!” – Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother
Barney Stinson was known for a lot of things, but “Suit up!” was easily one of his best traits. Barney would never be spotted not in a suit, so he often requested his friends do the same (although they never listened).
13. “Book ‘em, Danno” – Detective Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-0
Detective McGarrett popularized this phrase, which he would often say to his partner, Danny “Danno” Williams. He would say this when a suspect was caught and arrested.
14. “You got it dude!” – Michelle Tanner, Full House
Michelle’s adorable phrase made her even more lovable, especially when she gave the signature thumbs up. The Full House star made “You got it dude!” a piece of pop culture history.
15. “Oh… my… god!” – Janice Hosenstein, Friends
This catchphrase is so ingrained in our brains that we can hear it as we read it. Janice made this a memorable one with the voice we all know and (sort of) love.
16. “Oh my god! They killed Kenny!” — Stan, South Park
This phrase came about when the South Park character, Kenny McCormick, was first killed off. The character’s death is a common piece of each episode’s plot and is often in a ridiculously violent way.
17. “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” — Coach Taylor, Friday Night Lights
Coach Eric Taylor popularized this phrase, which he would often repeat to his football team prior to playing a game. The phrase became known as a moment of hope and optimism for the team, who was often looking for a win.
18. “Live long and prosper.” - Mr. Spock, Star Trek
Mr. Spock says this phrase on Star Trek , which is associated with the Vulcan salute, presented for the first time in the second season episode of the original series, “Amok Time.” The phrase was popularized and became a major part of pop culture.
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19. “Dyn-O-mite!” - J.J. Evans, Good Times
J.J. Evans, the oldest of the Good Times siblings, popularized the catchphrase, Dyn-O-Mite by saying it in every episode. The character often proclaimed it — loudly — whenever he was excited about something.
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