15 Comedy Catchphrases That Wore Out Their Welcome
There’s no shortage of iconic catchphrases. Some were annoying right out of the gate, and some only stayed iconic for a year or two before we all came to our senses and realized just how annoying they really are.
Either way, they helped make these characters famous, because they somehow stuck.
"Legend... wait for it... dary”
Bays & Thomas Productions & 20th Century Fox
How I Met Your Mother had some truly bad catchphrases, including Barney Stinson’s super overrated, "Legend... wait for it... dary”.
It's used so often on the show that you can see it coming a mile away, and when we realize that he tends to go to the same bar and do the same things all the time, we wonder what exactly is so legendary?
"Bazinga!"
Chuck Lorre Productions & Warner Bros.
Sheldon Cooper's, “Bazinga!" on The Big Bang Theory couldn’t BE more overrated. (Threw a bonus annoying line from Chandler in there for ya. You’re welcome.
This line is understandable in a kids’ cartoon, but the guy was 45 in that final season, and he’s supposed to be a genius.
“Zoinks!”
Warner Media
Speaking of kids’ cartoons…Sorry, Scooby Doo fans.
Maybe it’s just that high-pitch, squeaky Shaggy voice but this one just irks us all the way down our spines.
“Literally”
Rob Lowe's character Chris Traeger from Parks and Rec takes a ton of credit for this one, but from valley girls to almost everyone at this point, it’s been around.
So much so that Webster’s dictionary changed altered the definition of the word “literally” to include “figuratively”.
They even found that Charles Dickens used it figuratively in the mid 1800s.
"Cut… It… Out”
I’m resisting the urge to tell Joey to cut out “Cut it out.”
Here’s a classic sitcom catchphrase that was irritating the first time, and just kept getting worse. Joey Gladstone's "Cut it out" on Full House even came with the hand gestures.
The kids watching the show ate this one up, but didn’t the producers realize the parents would be watching too?!
Tim Allen’s Grunts.
Wind Dancer & Touchstone Television
Let’s play a game. How long can you watch this almost 15 minute video of Every Grunt From Home Improvement?
"Git 'R Done!”
Warner Bros.
The Blue Collar Comedy Tour just wouldn’t be the same without at least a dozen of Larry the Cable Guy’s, “Git ‘R Dones”.
The catchphrase basically defines his act, and has become the hillbilly version of, “did I do that”.
“Did I do that?”
Miller-Boyett & Warner Bros.
You read that in his voice didn’t you?
There was some cutesie, “Did I do thats” and there was some downright life-ruiners, like burning down a burger joint, getting Eddie fired, and damaging pretty much every inch of the Winslow household.
He said “Did I do that?” countless times, and the fact that we can hear his voice when reading the words, make this one of the most annoying phrases of all time.
“Yeah, baby!”
New Line Cinema
We’ll throw in, “Do I make you horny, baby?” and “Shagadelic” too, because Austin Powers had so many lines that were funny the first time we saw it, but got old so quickly.
It didn’t help that everyone from class clowns to professional comedians were doing their take on it for about a decade after the movie came out.
“You Can Do it!”
Touchstone Pictures
Before 1998’s ‘The Waterboy,’ Sandler told him, “You’re not gonna go anywhere without people yelling, You can do it!”
For a little while there, he was right. If you were about to do something, some idiot was there with that line.
It became a running gag in Sandler films, Little Nicky, 50 First Dates, The Longest Yard, Bedtime Stories, and a deleted scene from Click. Too many.
"How You Doin'?"
Possibly the most famous catchphrase from Friends, Joey often uses "How you doin'?" as his pick-up line of choice. In the 90s, Joey was a lovable idiot, but looking back, we can see the sleaze in it.
The saying itself isn’t funny, it just has an, “Oh that’s just Joey out to bang anything that moves again” vibe.
“Allll Righty Then”
Morgan Creek Productions
While we’re at it, let’s throw in, “La-hoo-sa-her” (or however you spell it).
These were so good for a little bit there. We loved them in 1994. But we want to look back on these fondly, so we (as a people) have to agree to stop overusing lines to the point that we start hating them.
Any genuine statement that ends with, “Not!”
It’s like an audible representation of the 90s.
This was probably around before Wayne’s World, but those guys definitely brought this exclamation to the masses. Back then, everyone everywhere was luring someone in, then BOOM! They didn’t really care.
Cus it was the 90s, and caring was for losers.
“Buh-bye!”
NBC & Broadway Video
David Spade’s smarmy little line (and face) has this “I think I’m better than everyone” vibe that everyone used for a while as a way to shut someone down. His “And you are…?” line really helped cement the smarminess.
Helen Hunt helped him drive (fly) it home…
"Whoa!"
On the '90s show Blossom, Joey Russo (Joey Lawrence) was like Joey Tribiani meets Bill and Ted. His line, "Whoa!" is never funny, and is exclaimed every time something surprises his limited brain. Which is a lot.
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Top Image: Bays & Thomas Productions & 20th Century Fox
