Viewers tune into TV shows as equally for the catchphrases as they do for the characters and stories. They wait for the moment that’s going to trigger a character to utter the anticipated phrase. It’s all in the delivery!
15. “Oh, My God! They Killed Kenny!” – Stan and Kyle, South Park
In many episodes of South Park, the character of Kenny was killed off somehow. Think of Looney Tunes but more gruesome. Every time the unfortunate incident occurred, the characters Stan or Kyle would react in shock, saying “Oh, my God! They killed Kenny!” The catchphrase became so iconic that it became best-selling merchandise with T-shirts, baseball caps, stickers, and more.
14. “Did I Do That?” – Steve, Family Matters
Family Matters was a sitcom set in Chicago that followed the annoying, geeky Steve Urkel (Jaleel White). Steve is notoriously clumsy and often causes chaos and damage. He would react in faux disbelief, uttering his iconic catchphrase. For example, after spilling liquid on important papers, he would quip: “Did I do that?”
13. “Is That Your Final Answer?” – Host, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Originally a British quiz show, Millionaire’s success spawned an American version. There were seven hosts over the years from Regis Philbin to Meredith Vieira to Jimmy Kimmel. A dramatic moment always came in the show. The host would give the contestant one last chance to either change or confirm their choice. The host would ask: “Is that your final answer?”
12. “Are You Hungry, Dear?” – Marie, Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond centered on sports columnist Ray Barone, who lives with his wife Debra (Patrician Heaton) and their kids. They lived across from his parents, Marie (Doris Roberts) and Frank (Peter Boyle) Barone. Intrusive Marie always infers that Raymond’s wife’s cooking is subpar by asking him “Are you hungry, dear?”
11. “You Dumb Babies!” – Angelica, Rugrats
Every 90s child remembers the iconic Nickelodeon show Rugrats. It centered on Southern California toddlers Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and the twins Phil and Lil. They turned everyday activities into games and adventures. The conceited, spoiled, and greedy Angelica (Voiced by Cheryl Chase) was the primary antagonist. Her catchphrase was: “You dumb babies.”
10. “Cool.” – Butt-Head, Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-Head is an adult, lowbrow-comedy animated series. Picture only two of three stooges, but the stooges are teenage slackers infatuated with hard rock and heavy metal. They had several catchphrases including “bunghole,” “cornholio,” “shut up Beavis,” and “that sucks.” But the line they repeated most often was simply: “Cool!”
9. “It Stinks!” – Jay, The Critic
The Critic was an adult-animated sitcom, later a web series, that follows New York film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by Jon Lovitz. The opening sequence featured Sherman awakened by a phone call or news report. He’d then watch a parody of a renowned movie. His conclusion was always the catchphrase: “It stinks!”
8. “How Rude!” – Stephanie, Full House (1987-1995)
Full House centered on the Tanner household where Danny (Bob Saget), a widower, raises his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle. Each daughter had their own catchphrase. D.J. said: “Oh, Mylanta!” Michelle’s was: “You got it, dude.” But the classic belonged to Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and she said it anytime anyone interrupted, annoyed, or upset her. “How rude!”
7. “Time Out!” / “Time In.” – Zack, Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell followed a group of high school friends. The main character was Zack (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). Whenever he found himself in a sticky situation, he would say: “Timeout.” The other characters would go into “freeze mode.” Zack would then air his feelings and thoughts to the audience. When he said, “Time in,” everything would “un-freeze,” going back to normal.
6. “Hi-De-Ho There, Neighbor!” – Wilson, Home Improvement
When Home Improvement was popular, it seemed all of America knew this catchphrase. The show had a running gag with Tim Allen’s older neighbor, called by his last name Wilson. The audience never saw Wilson’s face, it was always behind the fence, or covered by some other object. Every time Wilson greeted Tim, he uttered the catchphrase: “Hi-De-Ho There, Neighbor!”
5. “You Know What I’m Sayin’?” – Will, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air starred Will Smith as a Philadelphia teenager sent to live with his stern, wealthy aunt and uncle in their Bel-Air mansion. Will is only interested in rap music, basketball, and girls. Every time he tried to influence someone to his way of thinking, he dropped his catchphrase: “You know what I’m sayin’?” Things rarely went as planned.
4. “Feeny! Fe-he-he-heeny!” – Eric, Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World follows Corey Matthews (played by Ben Savage) as a street-smart and funny pre-teen boy. His main teacher, Mr. George Feeney (William Daniels), lives next door. Corey’s scatterbrained older brother Eric (Will Friedle) is remembered for his catchphrase, the Feeney Call: “Feeny! Fe-he-he-heeny!” The catchphrase even continued into the sequel Girl Meets World.
3. “Engage!” & “Make It So” – Captain Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation captain Jean-Luc Picard, portrayed by Sir Patrick Stewart, is a completely different type of leader than the original Star Trek with actor William Shatner playing Captain Kirk. Picard is diplomatic, cool, calm, collected, and levelheaded. His most repeated line is “Engage!” This one’s a tie between his other iconic line: “Make it so.”
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2. “Eat My Shorts!” – Bart, The Simpsons
Even people who aren’t necessarily Simpson’s fans know this one. This phrase has crept into the national lexicon. The line is uttered by the boy Bart Simpson. The rebellious, brash kid enjoys skateboarding, video games, and television. He doesn’t particularly like taking certain orders or requests. That’s enough to trigger this iconic phrase: “Eat my shorts!”
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1. “How You Doin’?” – Joey, Friends
Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt Leblanc, is a serial womanizer. He’s also more heart than brains. It was all about the delivery of these three simple words: “How you doin’?” The way he delivered the ‘you’ made it hilarious. This phrase didn’t emerge until Season 4, but every fan of the show knows it.
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