Catch phrase

A catch phrase is a phrase or expression that is popularized by a real person or fictional character. They are especially common among cartoon characters.

Well-known catch phrases

• "And away we go!" - Jackie Gleason
• "And it's goodnight from me" - "And it's goodnight from him!" - Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker respectively in The Two Ronnies
• "And now for something completely different." - John Cleese in Monty Python's Flying Circus
• "Ay Carumba!" Bart Simpson
• "Backbackbackbackback..." - Chris Berman
• "Beam me up Scotty" - attributed to Captain Kirk in Star Trek - actually never used
• "Book 'em, Dan-o." - Steve McGarrett on Hawaii Five-O
• "Come up and see me some time." - Mae West
• "D'oh!" - Homer Simpson
• "Did I do that?" - Steve Urkel
• "Drat and double drat!" - Dick Dastardly in Wacky Races
• "Dy-no-mite!" - Jimmie Walker
• "Eat my shorts!" Bart Simpson
• "Fascinating" - Mr. Spock in Star Trek
• "Good Grief!" - Charlie Brown
• "Good night, Mrs. Calibash, wherever you are." - Jimmy Durante
• "He could go all the way!" (spoken in a staccato style) - Chris Berman
• "He fallen in the water!" Spike Milligan as Little Jim in the Goons
• "Holy cow!" - Phil Rizzuto, Harry Caray
• "I am outta here!" - Dennis Miller
• "I don't get no respect." - Rodney Dangerfield
• "I have a cunning plan" - Baldrick (Tony Robinson) in Blackadder
• "I'll be back." - The Terminator^* (and other Arnold Schwarzenegger movies)
• "I love it when a plan comes together." - Hannibal Smith on The A-Team
• "I'm free!" - John Inman in Are You Being Served (the feed line is "Are you free, Mr Humphries?")
• "I'm Julian and this is my friend Sandy" - Kenneth Williams in Round the Horne
• "I pity the fool!" - B. A. Baracus (played by Mr. T) in The A-Team
• "I'm smarter than the average bear!" - Yogi Bear
• "I've fallen and I can't get up!" - "Mrs. Fletcher, in a 'Lifecall' television commercial
• Nice to see you, to see you - nice! - Bruce Forsyth
• "No Problem!" - ALF
• "Oh boy..." - Samuel Beckett in Quantum Leap
• "Oh, Matron!" Kenneth Williams again, this time in Carry On films, to Hattie Jacques,
• "Oh my God, they killed Kenny!" - "You bastards!" - Stan and Kyle in South Park
• "Ooh... I'm being ha-RASSed!" - Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford)
• "Smarter than the average ranger" - Yogi Bear
• "Stone me, what a life!" - Tony Hancock in Hancock's Half Hour
• "They think it's all over... - it is now!" - Kenneth Wolstenholme commentating on the 1966 World Cup final^*
• "To the moon" - Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners
• "Well, excuuuuse me!" - Steve Martin
• "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!" - Oliver Hardy to Stan Laurel (note: "nice", not "fine")
• "What's up Doc?" - Bugs Bunny
• "Yabba Dabba Do!" - Fred Flintstone
• "Ying tong iddle i po" - The Goons
• "You silly moo!" - Alf Garnett to wife Else in Till Death Us Do Part
• "You stupid boy!" - Captain Manwaring to Frank Pike in Dad's Army
• "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" - Charlie Croker (Michael Caine) in The Italian Job^*
• "You wouldn't let it lie!" - Bob Mortimer in Vic Reeves' Big Night Out

^* These phrases occur only once in their respective film/series etc, but have still become catch phrases.

see also: Stock phrase