Catch phrase

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

Today, catch phrases are frequently seen as an important part of marketing a character, with the phrase appearing on t-shirts and other promotional materials for the character's respective show or film.

Catch phrases attributed to real people often are often based on something that the person would be expected to say, as opposed to something they actually did. These are also known as misquotations. "Beam me up, Scotty" (see below) is a good example of this.

Well-known catch phrases

"All your base are belong to us" - Zero Wing
"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
"Go ahead. Make my day." - Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan in Sudden Impact
"Good Grief!" - Charlie Brown
"Good night, Mrs. Calibash, wherever you are." - Jimmy Durante
"h'Arsenal!" - Eric Morecambe (originally a quiz answer disguised as a cough, thereafter a random interjection)
"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 hate the itching. But I don't mind the swelling" - David Letterman
"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 think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed" - Marvin the paranoid android, in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
"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 bear" - 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
"Up, up and away" - Superman (the old cartoon series)
"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 do you think of the show so far? - [throws voice] Ruggish!" - Eric Morecambe
"Where's the Beef" - Clara Peller
"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.