Saturday, July 5, 2008

Miscellaneous quotations for everyday use

Last week, in my Newsradio blog, I asked commenters to produce a Newsradio version of the famous A.V. Club feature "Simpsons Quotes For Everyday Use." Since then I've become more acutedly attuned to the quotations from various pop culture sources that have become indispensable around our house. Here are just a few from this summer:

Quote: "Eat a nut. Look at view. Eat a nut. Look at view."
Source: Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
Context: The daily routine of a squirrel who is afraid to leave his tree.
Real-life uses: Description of any monotonous or repetitive process.

Quote: "Directive."
Source: WALL*E
Context: Eve explains to Wall-E why she has collect plants and take them to the captain.
Real-life uses: Whenever you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

Quote: "Great ____, or the greatest _____?"
Source: Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report
Context: Asking interviewees how history will remember George W. Bush.
Real-life uses: Commentary on anything you hear described by the adjective "great."

Quote: "Whatever, mole."
Source: The Mole
Context: A contestant isn't interested in the explanations of another contestant.
Real-life uses: To dismiss anyone, anytime!

What quotations are frequently employed at your house, and for what purpose?

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Quote: "My uncle Jack's dog had that... he died."
Source: My mother (and extended family)
Context Often heard at family gatherings, or around the house
Real-life uses Used whenever someone complains of minor illness, bump, rash, itch, bug bite

Eric Grubbs said...

Quote: "Sneaky Jesus!"
Source: A Chuck E. Weiss song of the same name.
Context: Phonecalls and in-person encounters.
Real-life uses: Part nickname, part substitute way of saying "hello" to me and my friends.

Unknown said...

Quote: "Maybe the dingo ate your baby."
Source: Seinfeld.
Context: Elaine says it to a woman who keeps talking about her "baby." I can't remember if she's Australian or if her husband was supposed to be.
Real-life uses: Said when someone can't find something - usually after someone says, "Where did I put it? I know I had it."

Maureen said...

I'm not entirely sure we speak in anything *but* quotations from tv or movies.

katie j. said...

Quote: "Good Times. Noodle Salad."
Source: Melvin Udall, Jack Nicholson's character from As Good As It Gets.
Context: Nicholson's character is talking about how good other people's lives seem to be, and how that contrasts with how apparently crappy his and the other characters' lives are.
Real-life use: Filling in when you have nothing to say, response to anyone annoyingly trying to make the best of things, just because it's fun to say (try it).