TVSquad

Having grown up in a Star Trek household from way back, I'm fairly familiar with a lot of the catch phrases from the original series, which ran from 1966 to 1969. Here are six that still make their way into conversation around here:

1. "Beam me up, Scotty." Gracing bumper stickers and coffee mugs everywhere, and often followed by "There's no intelligent life down here," this is likely the most recognizable phrase from the series. Here's the thing, though. According to Wikipedia, the exact phrase was never actually spoken in any Star Trek television episode or film. Capt. Kirk comes closest to saying the phrase in the episode, "The Gamesters of Triskelion" ("Scotty, beam us up"); in the animated episodes "The Lorelei Signal" and "The Infinite Vulcan" ("Beam us up, Scotty"); in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ("Scotty, beam me up"); and in Star Trek Generations ("Beam them out of there, Scotty.")

2. "He's dead, Jim." I'd be curious as to how many times Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy said this phrase to Capt. Kirk. I bet the mortality rate was quite high during the years they traveled the universe. An Internet search revealed that he said it in at least 14 episodes, including "The Enemy Within," "I, Mudd," and "Wolf in the Fold." See video at the end of this post.

3. "I've given her all she's got, Captain, and I can't give her no more." Capt. Kirk was always imploring engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott to ramp up the warp factor, and this is the response he usually got. It's amazing that the spaceship held together so well over the years, considering all the power boosts it must have endured.

4. "I'm a doctor, not a [fill in the blank]" Seems like Bones uttered this phrase in just about every episode, with the blank ranging from "miracle worker," "mechanic," "engineer," "moon shuttle conductor," and "country doctor." Spock usually had a response, something like, "Yes, as I always suspected." Those two crazy kids were always going at each other, Bones in his emotional turmoil way and Spock in his highly logical way.

5. "Live long and prosper." This Vulcan salute was accompanied by a hand gesture consisting of a raised hand, palm forward with the fingers parted between the middle and ring finger, and the thumb extended. I can do it if I really concentrate, but it's a challenge. According to Wikipedia, the salute first appeared in the original Star Trek season in the second season opening episode, "Amok Time." In his autobiography, I Am Not Spock, Leonard Nimoy wrote that he based it on the Priestly Blessing performed by Jewish Kohanim. I know it was used many times in the series and movies, but didn't Spock say it when he "died," with just a glass separating he and Kirk? Or was that, "I shall always call you friend." And which movie was that? I could use some help here.

6. "Fascinating." Everything was fascinating to Spock, and it usually had something to do with the weird behavior of the humans he encountered every day. How he ever survived on-board the highly illogical Enterprise without blowing a fuse is a mystery to me. I'm sure there were episodes where Spock's feathers got ruffled, maybe by a Vulcan virus or something, but they aren't coming to me.

Enjoy this montage of "He's dead, Jim." (And a few variations on the theme.)