Does your favorite TV character have a catchphrase you love? Or love to hate? Take a look through this list to see if yours made the cut.
Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose – Friday Night Lights
Coach Taylor’s inspirational catchphrase “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” likely became an oft-repeated mantra in locker rooms across the country after achieving popularity on Friday Night Lights.
Legen-dary – How I Met Your Mother
Oh, Barney Stinson! Your quirky catchphrase is positively…legen–wait for it–dary.
He’s Behind Me, Isn’t He? – NCIS
Tony DiNizzo is a frequent flyer at the Foot-in-Mouth clinic. His “he’s behind me, isn’t he?” has grown beyond a catchphrase limited solely to his character and has infected the rest of the NCIS cast.
Dude – Lost
Lost’s Hurley might singlehandedly be responsible for introducing “Dude” into the mainstream. No longer is it a catchphrase limited in use to surfers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
You’re Fired – The Apprentice
Donald Trump’s “you’re fired” from The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice gained so much synonymity the casino tycoon tried to have it trademarked. (He lost. Because sanity.)
It’s Handled – Scandal
Olivia Pope’s gut is never wrong (except when it is), which is why “It’s handled” wins for best Scandal catchphrase. If Olivia says that she’s a) mad, b) telling the truth.
Eat My Shorts – The Simpsons
True story. As a kid I wasn’t allowed to watch The Simpsons because of Bart Simpson’s “rude” catchphrases and behavior. “Eat my shorts,” indeed, parentals.
Will You Accept This Rose? – The Bachelor and The Bachelorette
Chris Soules is the 19th bachelor to utter the show’s second-most important question (the first being a proposal, of course). “Will you accept this rose?” Why, of course we will, Chris. Of course we will.
Bazinga! – The Big Bang Theory
“Bazinga” was sort of funny the first few times Sheldon said it. Now? If we never hear him say it again it will be too soon.
D’oh! – The Simpsons
Like his similarly-hued son, Homer Simpson has a catchphrase: “D’oh!” Coupled with his customary facepalm, “d’oh” is an easy favorite.
Yada, Yada, Yada – Seinfeld
When Elaine Benis recounted a story to the boys and wanted to gloss over details she deemed unncessary, “yada yada yada” became her placeholder.
Seriously – Grey’s Anatomy
If Hurley gets credit for “dude,” Grey’s Anatomy gets credit for “Seriously.” As a question or a simple statement of fact, “seriously” is as versatile a catchphrase as they come.
Hello, Brother – The Vampire Diaries
“Hello, brother” has been used by The Vampire Diaries’ Damon and Stefan Salvatore to convey absolutely every emotion possible over the course of their 150+ years together. Something about it still makes us tingle every time.
How You Doin’? – Friends
Now that Friends is streaming on Netflix, we can relive all the times Joey Tribbiani wooed a woman with his patented “How you doin?”
The Tribe Has Spoken – Survivor
A little bit campy and a little bit cool, “the tribe has spoken” speaks volumes about Survivor’s reality format where contestants vote each other off the island.
I’m A Very Private Person – Person of Interest
Michael Emerson’s Harold Finch is “a very private person,” a trait which he frequently mentions on Person of Interest.
Always and Forever – The Originals
Once upon a time, the original siblings vowed “always and forever” and come Vampire-hunting Mikael or a dagger to the chest, they’ve managed to keep that promise. Mostly.
That’s What She Said – The Office
Oh, Michael Scott. How we miss you and your Dundler-Mifflin shenanigans.
Literally – Parks and Recreation
Chris LITERALLY could not use this catchphrase any more frequently on Parks and Recreation. Seriously. Dude.