Originally I was going to list the best catchphrases in
general, not limiting my choices to single words. But, as we only list five in our The Five posts, I knew early on that
it would be a near impossible task to list only five favorites. So, here we have it, the five best single-word
catchphrases of popular TV characters.1. "Aeyyy!" OK, so technically this isn't a "word," but you can't deny the popularity of the trademark call of coolness from the one and only Fonz of Happy Days.
2. "D'oh!" Do I really need to go into this one? Though I'm a fan of The
Simpsons, I never did understand what "Do'h" was short for, as any diehard fan would jump on me for
forgetting the apostrophe. What's that all about? Anyway, this catchphrase is one that I could see lasting well after
The Simpsons goes off the air (will that ever happen?)
3. "Giggidy!"
Quagmire of Family Guy has said this word both alone and along with several consecutive giggidys. Pretty much
anything having to do with, sounding like, looking like, smelling like or feeling like sex in any way, and somehow,
somewhere, Quagmire will appear jutting out his chin with his words of approval. (Oh wait, I forgot "tastes
like" -- Giggidy!)
4. "Dy-no-mite!" I grew up watching Good Times
for years, and this was one of those words you'd hear kids repeat every so often, mimicking the hilariously lanky J.J..
Who could forget the full-body feety pajamas bearing his trademark shout?
5.
"Zoinks!" Ah, Scooby Do. I have a love-hate relationship with this cartoon. It's remains
among my top five cartoon series of all time, but there are later seasons, spin-offs and, ugh, live-action movies that
have soured it for me. However, I'm not sure there's anyone who hasn't heard this familiar and unique phrase, and I'd g
so far as to say it's my favorite listed here.
Honorable Mention: "Woah!" (Joey on Blossom), "Engage!" (Picard on Star Trek: TNG)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-02-2006 @ 10:58AM
elf said...
Energize.
Norm!
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:06AM
Linda said...
"D'oh" was actually picked up from Laurel and Hardy (heard this on the James Lipton interview of "The Simpsons" cast"). Hardy used to say it.
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:10AM
karsh said...
Jinkies!
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:11AM
johnnymac said...
i've always been a fan of
"Wakka wakka wakka!" - Fozzy Bear
&
Shazbut! - Mork
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:13AM
Douglin said...
Hey Hey Hey! (it's one word..kinda)
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:17AM
Carl Winslow said...
I would have had "Norm!" instead of "Giggidy."
I also really like "Her?" from Arrested Development, but it's no where near as popular as these others.
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:25AM
elf said...
A few more from the world of animation:
Faboo
Narf
And the one I think trumps both zoinks and jinkies:
Spooooon!
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:35AM
Mike said...
Again, not really as popular as the others, but I thought it worth mentioning.
"It's..." Monty Python's Flying Circus
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:36AM
lav said...
you're forgetting the best of all:
Newman!
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:36AM
Angie said...
Bygones~ Seinfeld
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:39AM
Duane said...
I believe "D'oh" is the invention of the voice actor, and that the scripts only ever said "annoyed grunt". Thus it's not really short for anything, unless the actor had something in mind.
The apostrophe is important to pronunciation. It's not "dough", it's "D'oh!" :)
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 11:59AM
Dorv said...
I'm with the previous poster's "NORM!!!!"
I'm just saying ;)
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 12:28PM
Ashley Boyd said...
Im more fond of "Jinkies!" than "Zoinks!" but ah well. Still all good.
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 12:36PM
Bex said...
Giggidy is a part of a phrase- Giggidy Giggidy Goo or Giggidy in a sequence of Giggidies. Quagmire can't control himself with that word. You'd have been better off with Stewie's "Blast!".
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 12:45PM
SamMalone said...
"Nooor-ton!" from the Hooneymooners has been the bane of my existence along with everyone else who shares that last name. Even worse that it had to be explained to me by someone old enough to have seen the show.
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 1:02PM
Tucker said...
Bex: Quagmire does verrrry occasionally throw out a single "giggity." And yes, I spell it with a T.
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 1:05PM
Pat Smith said...
"Ya da, ya da, ya da" from Seinfeld. Has come to mean "on and on and on" w/o actual details.
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 1:29PM
elf said...
Pat, "yada yada yada" referred to boring endless drivel long before it was used on Seinfeld. It was just a regional variation on "blah blah blah."
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 2:12PM
Jennifer said...
Isn't "Bygones" from Richard Fish on 'Ally McBeal'?
Reply
3-02-2006 @ 4:15PM
Willy said...
"Newman!"
Reply