Top 100 TV Catch Phrases

[HotCorner]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sometimes it takes only a word, or just a few, to become immortalized in television history.

The TV Land cable network has compiled a list of the 100 greatest catchphrases in TV, from the serious -- Walter Cronkite's nightly signoff "And that's the way it is" -- to the silly: "We are two wild and crazy guys!"

The network will air a countdown special, "The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catch Phrases," over five days starting December 11.

"We have found that television is such a huge part of baby boomers' DNA that it makes sense that so much of America's pop culture jargon has come from TV," said Larry Jones, TV Land president. (What are your favorites? Click here and let us know.)

The greatest number of moments, 26, come from the 1970s. TV Land identified nine moments from this decade. Ten are from commercials, and 28 from comedies, including six from "Saturday Night Live."

In alphabetical order, TV Land's list:

- "Aaay" (Fonzie, "Happy Days")

- "And that's the way it is" (Walter Cronkite, "CBS Evening News")

- "Ask not what your country can do for you ..." (John F. Kennedy)

- "Baby, you're the greatest" (Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden, "The Honeymooners")

- "Bam!" (Emeril Lagasse, "Emeril Live")

- "Book 'em, Danno" (Steve McGarrett, "Hawaii Five-O")

- "Come on down!" (Johnny Olson, "The Price is Right")

- "Danger, Will Robinson" (Robot, "Lost in Space")

- "De plane! De plane!" (Tattoo, "Fantasy Island")

- "Denny Crane" (Denny Crane, "Boston Legal")

- "Do you believe in miracles?" (Al Michaels, 1980 Winter Olympics)

- "D'oh!" (Homer Simpson, "The Simpsons")

- "Don't make me angry ..." (David Banner, "The Incredible Hulk")

- "Dyn-o-mite" (J.J., "Good Times")

- "Elizabeth, I'm coming!" (Fred Sanford, "Sanford and Son")

- "Gee, Mrs. Cleaver ..." (Eddie Haskell, "Leave it to Beaver")

- "God'll get you for that" (Maude, "Maude")

- "Good grief" (Charlie Brown, "Peanuts" specials)

- "Good night, and good luck" (Edward R. Murrow, "See It Now")

- "Good night, John Boy" ("The Waltons")

- "Have you no sense of decency?" (Joseph Welch to Sen. McCarthy)

- "Heh heh" (Beavis and Butt-head, "Beavis and Butthead")

- "Here it is, your moment of Zen" ("The Daily Show")

- "Here's Johnny!" (Ed McMahon, "The Tonight Show")

- "Hey now!" (Hank Kingsley, "The Larry Sanders Show")

- "Hey HEY hey!" (Dwayne Nelson, "What's Happening!!")

- "Hey hey HEEY!" (Fat Albert, "Fat Albert")

- "Holy (whatever), Batman!" (Robin, "Batman")

- "Holy crap!" (Frank Barone, "Everybody Loves Raymond")

- "Homey don't play that!" (Homey the Clown, "In Living Color")

- "How sweet it is!" (Jackie Gleason, "The Jackie Gleason Show")

- "How you doin'?" (Joey Tribbiani, "Friends")

- "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" (Alka Seltzer ad)

- "I know nothing!" (Sgt. Schultz, "Hogan's Heroes")

- "I love it when a plan comes together" (Hannibal, "The A-Team")

- "I want my MTV!" (MTV ad)

- "I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl ..." (Larry, "Newhart")

- "I'm not a crook ..." (Richard Nixon)

- "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV" (Vicks Formula 44 ad)

- "I'm Rick James, *****!" (Dave Chappelle as Rick James, "Chappelle's Show")

- "Is that your final answer?" (Regis Philbin, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire")

- "It keeps going and going and going ..." (Energizer Batteries ad)

- "It takes a licking ..." (Timex ad)

- "Jane, you ignorant ****" (Dan Aykroyd to Jane Curtin, "Saturday Night Live")

- "Just one more thing ..." (Columbo, "Columbo")

- "Let's be careful out there" (Sgt. Esterhaus, "Hill Street Blues")

- "Let's get ready to rumble!" (Michael Buffer, various sports events)

- "Live long and prosper" (Spock, "Star Trek")

- "Makin' whoopie" (Bob Eubanks, "The Newlywed Game")

- "Mom always liked you best" (Tommy Smothers, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour")

- "Never assume ..." (Felix Unger, "The Odd Couple")

- "Nip it!" (Barney Fife, "The Andy Griffith Show")

- "No soup for you!" (The Soup Nazi, "Seinfeld")

- "Norm!" ("Cheers")

- "Now cut that out!" (Jack Benny, "The Jack Benny Program")

- "Oh, my God! They killed Kenny!" (Stan and Kyle, "South Park")

- "Oh, my nose!" (Marcia Brady, "The Brady Bunch")

- "One small step for man ..." (Neil Armstrong)

- "Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?" (Grey Poupon ad)

- "Read my lips: No new taxes!" (George H.W. Bush)

- "Resistance is futile" (Picard as Borg, "Star Trek: The Next Generation")

- "Say good night, Gracie" (George Burns, "The Burns & Allen Show")

- "Schwing!" (Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as Wayne and Garth, "Saturday Night Live")

- "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy" (Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle)

- "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids" (Trix cereal ad)

- "Smile, you're on 'Candid Camera' " ("Candid Camera")

- "Sock it to me" ("Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In")

- "Space, the final frontier ..." (Capt. Kirk, "Star Trek")

- "Stifle!" (Archie Bunker, "All in the Family")

- "Suit up!" (Barney Stinson, "How I Met Your Mother")

- "Tastes great! Less filling!" (Miller Lite beer ad)

- "Tell me what you don't like about yourself" (Dr. McNamara and Dr. Troy, "Nip/Tuck")

- "That's hot" (Paris Hilton, "The Simple Life")

- "The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat" (Jim McKay, "ABC's Wide World of Sports")

- "The tribe has spoken" (Jeff Probst, "Survivor")

- "The truth is out there" (Fox Mulder, "The X-Files")

- "This is the city ..." (Sgt. Joe Friday, "Dragnet")

- "Time to make the donuts" ("Dunkin' Donuts" ad)

- "Two thumbs up" (Siskel & Ebert, "Siskel & Ebert")

- "Up your nose with a rubber hose" (Vinnie Barbarino, "Welcome Back, Kotter")

- "We are two wild and crazy guys!" (Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd as Czech playboys, "Saturday Night Live")

- "Welcome to the O.C., *****" (Luke, "The O.C.")

- "Well, isn't that special?" (Dana Carvey as the Church Lady, "Saturday Night Live")

- "We've got a really big show!" (Ed Sullivan, "The Ed Sullivan Show")

- "Whassup?" (Budweiser ad)

- "What you see is what you get!" (Geraldine, "The Flip Wilson Show")

- "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" (Arnold Drummond, "Diff'rent Strokes")

- "Where's the beef?" (Wendy's ad)

- "Who loves you, baby?" (Kojak, "Kojak")

- "Would you believe?" (Maxwell Smart, "Get Smart")

- "Yabba dabba do!" (Fred Flintstone, "The Flintstones")

- "Yada, yada, yada" ("Seinfeld")

- "Yeah, that's the ticket" (Jon Lovitz as the pathological liar, "Saturday Night Live")

- "You eeeediot!" (Ren, "Ren & Stimpy")

- "You look mahvelous!" (Billy Crystal as Fernando, "Saturday Night Live")

- "You rang?" (Lurch, "The Addams Family")

- "You're fired!" (Donald Trump, "The Apprentice")

- "You've got spunk ..." (Lou Grant, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show")

.

[Javy Pornstache]

No "Let's Rock" by Al Bundy? Blasphemous.

Thanks for posting anyhow

[Chip R]

I thought a lot of these weren't necessarily "catch phrases" as much as they were memorable quotes. JFK's quote was a good example. After he said that he didn't go around repeating it all the time.

[Razor Shines]

What about Jack Bauer Yelling "D*** It!!"? And if they were going to use a line from Get Smart it should have been "missed it by that much". IMHO.

[NJReds]

For the Star Trek fans, there's no:

"Beam me up, Scotty"
"He's dead, Jim"

[Johnny Footstool]

Any "greatest ever" list that included items less than 3 years old is a bad list. Greatness is judged by history, not by the immediacy of pop culture. Quotes from "Boston Legal" and "The O.C."? Will anyone even remember those shows in 5 years?

I'm reminded of MTV's "100 Greatest Videos Ever" countdown, which listed "Pour Some Sugar On Me" as the #1 video of all time.

[HotCorner]

Any "greatest ever" list that included items less than 3 years old is a bad list. Greatness is judged by history, not by the immediacy of pop culture. Quotes from "Boston Legal" and "The O.C."? Will anyone even remember those shows in 5 years?

I agree. I was very surprised to see "Suit up!" from How I Met Your Mother on the list. The show has only been on for two seasons.

And for a phrase like "Beam me up Scotty" not to be on the list is unbelievable and I don't even watch Star Trek.

[HotCorner]

"Eat my shorts" and "Cowabunga" also failed to make the list yet "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy" and "Have you no sense of decency?" make it.

[Donder]

I was expecting "I've fallen and I can't get up," but overall an interesting list.

[Yachtzee]

If you're going to have a catch phrase from SNL, I think "More Cowbell!" needs to be considered.

I thing they have mistaken quotes for catch phrases. The only political quote I could see as a catch phrase is "I am not a crook," if only because everyone who spoofs Nixon uses it.

I don't think you can really judge a catch phrase until the show in which it was spoken hits reruns or syndication. Star Trek alone could fill this list with a majority of phrases better than the ones already listed.

I always thought "Hello Ladies" by Lenny and Squiggy was a great catch phrase.

Another one, if you are of a certain age and had cable back in the '80s is "I don't know," especially if it is followed by a bucket of green slime falling on the speaker.

[Blimpie]

I always thought "Hello Ladies" by Lenny and Squiggy was a great catch phrase.

Not to split hairs, but I think it was normally "Hello girls..."

And I agree.

[oneupper]

For the Star Trek fans, there's no:

"Beam me up, Scotty"
"He's dead, Jim"

From NG:

"Make it so, number one!"
"Engage!"

[westofyou]

Wha' happened?

[Yachtzee]

Wha' happened?

That's a great movie catch phrase if I ever heard one!

[pedro]

"The pain..." (Dr. Smith , Lost in Space)