This has been running round my head for weeks. The idea is this, what is the most well known line in history? We can ignore the bible and Shakespeare as they just win instantly. 30 pieces of silver? Judas? To thine own self be true? All the world’s a stage and we are merely players etc etc etc.
So what phrases do you use (or hear) written by somebody else? I quote a lot of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams with a side order of Tolkien. Quoted a bit of Napoleon earlier to a customer’s son who was interrupting me whilst I was giving them discount. Never interrupt your enemy when he’s making mistakes! Mum was in stitches. Maybe not just famous lines, maybe things that you actually use that have cropped up in books / films / history. Not really fleshed this out but as I have a keyboard for 5 minutes, thought I’d ask. Beware Greeks bearing gifts, Trojan horses and thumbs up / down leap to mind.
Like my brain, sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.
Winnie the Pooh.
Apollo 13 just turned up on my Youtube thread, “Houston, we have a problem” I’m sure you get the idea.
Isn’t that Sun Tzu?
I’d say Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 would be up there for me.
Oscar Wilde is eminently quotable as well. He even had something to say on it.
Spinal Tap. Dirty Harry. Taxi Driver. Rocky. Loads of films provide regular quote material.
1 Like
Can you turn that up to 11 please?
It’s generational…
I might say “Here’s Johnny” and half the folk under 30 would have no idea, and half the ones who recognize it would only know 1 of the 2 references and couldn’t tell from the context which of the 2 I was actually referencing.
Anyway, I suspect what we have here is a failure to communicate…
and
No one can eat 50 eggs.
3 Likes
choked on vomit… well it wasn’t his own
One from Rik Mayall or Ade Edmundson cant remember which, I use it a lot -
“Never ever bloody anything ever”
“Nobody wins unless everybody wins” is another.
" Stay out of trouble you crazy kids" from Pulp Fiction.
The greatest line in history - Churchills “We shall never surrender” is up there. and Bill Clintons “I did not have sex with that woman” and finally - “If the glove dont fit you must acquit” from the OJ Simpson trial, all contenders.
1 Like
We’ll fight them on the beaches. Good call.
first in for anything Shankly
for me…
i paraphrase becuase i dont know the exact line
‘will someone rid me of this damn priest’
famous line and one of the biggest ‘oops’ in history. epic fail before epic fail was a thing…
“Remember Folks, Always Make Your Do-Nuts Like Fanny’s”
Bernard Manning when praising the chef Fanny Craddock…
Ok Ok it will never be written into the annals of history, but it makes me chuckle each time
‘Does it count’
‘Smash them, they are shit’
1 Like
Just for fun , does anyone know (without cheating) where this immortal line was uttered ; " I’M A TRAINED ACTOR, REDUCED TO THE STATUS OF A BUM!" ?
1 Like
My recent favourite: Ole’s at the Wheel. 
2 Likes
In vino veritas (In wine there is truth)
2 Likes