Some movie quotes have left such a lasting impact that they’ve become part of our everyday language. These memorable lines have transcended the films they came from, showing how cinema shapes the way we communicate. Let’s explore some famous movie quotes that have made their way into everyday speech.
“You talkin’ to me?”
Taxi Driver, 1976
Staring into his own eyes in the reflection, he says “You talkin’ to me?” and looks at himself in an eerily curious way. This profound moment was a complete jazz riff for De Niro and hadn’t planned to be in the script but men of the world still quote it with their finger guns.
“If you build it, he will come.”
Field of Dreams, 1989
Most of us aren’t going to build a baseball field in our backyard, but we still use this phrase when trying to encourage someone to do something. It means “if you do this, the customer/person/etc. will be drawn to it, but if you don’t build it, you will never know.”
“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”
Back to the Future, 1985
At the end of Back to the Future, Doc, Marty, and Jennifer are readying to take a trip to 2015. Marty expresses his concern that Doc isn’t giving himself enough road and Doc responds “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” And then the DeLorean flies off. But of course, we now know there were still roads in 2015—boring, but that doesn’t keep us from this famous line.
“May the Force be with you.”
Star Wars, 1977
Even as one of the rare people who has never watched Star Wars, I can recognize this quote. Star Wars fans everywhere use this to wish someone luck on a difficult task.
“There’s no place like home.”
The Wizard of Oz, 1939
Dorothy entered the land of Oz and, believe it or not, wanted nothing more than to get back to Kansas. At the end of the movie, she clicks her ruby red slippers together and says “There’s no place like home” and ends up back in her bed with Toto. People use this to express the desire to be back home, and they also use “We’re not in Kansas anymore” to express things being different than they’re used to.
“I’m the king of the world!”
Titanic, 1997
A way of expressing a temporary feeling of exhilaration, or a spurious feeling of authority, you pretty much have to throw your hand in the air and shout it like you’re at the front of the ship. Rumor has it, even though people still quote it today, Leonardo DiCaprio didn’t want to say the line in the film.
“As if!”
Clueless, 1995
This may only be quoted by Millennial women who typically use it as a sardonic response to a stated or reported suggestion. This follows Cher’s usage well, whether she is rebutting her teacher’s criticisms or fending off an unwanted advance from a less-than-desirable boy.
“Here’s Johnny!”
The Shining, 1980
As scary as the scene is, to this day, younger viewers might not realize that Nicholson is referencing Ed McMahon and The Tonight Show. This has become a proud proclamation when someone is trying to frighten somebody else by popping into a room unexpectedly.
“I’ll have what she’s having.”
When Harry Met Sally, 1989
This iconic scene had women everywhere wanting the salad Meg Ryan was having. While the sentence would be normal to say in an everyday conversation anyway, it’s the way people say it and the giggles that come after that make it notable.
“Inconceivable!”
The Princess Bride, 1987
Vizzini is famous for saying “Inconceivable!” multiple times throughout his time in the ’80s cult classic The Princess Bride, mainly when his plan goes awry. Inigo tells him, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Vizzini means to say it’s implausible. People now say it ironically when something is improbable but happened or things don’t go their way.
“You can’t handle the truth!”
A Few Good Men, 1992
When Jack Nicholson’s character in the movie A Few Good Men says “You can’t handle the truth,” he is expressing his belief that the other character, played by Tom Cruise, is not emotionally or mentally prepared to confront the harsh reality of the situation. The line has become iconic and is often used to convey the idea of someone being unable to accept a difficult or uncomfortable truth.
“My precious.”
The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, 2002
Tolkien Gateway explains, “Precious, alternatively the Precious, my Precious or his Precious, was a name given to the One Ring by various Ring-bearers. Its use indicated the morbid covetousness induced in holders of the Ring by the Ring itself.” People say it about things they are utterly consumed by or as a joke about a ring.
“Houston, we have a problem.”
Apollo 13, 1995
The 1995 film Apollo 13 used the slight misquotation “Houston, we have a problem,” which had become the popularly expected phrase, in its dramatization of the mission. The phrase has been informally used to describe the emergence of an unforeseen problem, often with a sense of ironic understatement.
“Just keep swimming.”
Finding Nemo, 2003
Clueless Dory sings this song to herself when she forgets what’s going on. The average human uses it as “I’m minding my own business” or as a way to say “Just keep going.” A self-improvement site interprets it as, “Remembering to ‘just keep swimming’ can help us to take steps forward however possible, persevere in the smallest ways, and distract us from the reality of the circumstance.”
“You’re killin’ me, Smalls!”
The Sandlot, 1993
You can find this one printed on cute parent and baby sets, with the baby wearing a onesie that says “Smalls.” Urban Dictionary defines the phrase as “showing extreme frustration towards someone’s ineptitude or cluelessness, sometimes both.”
“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
Dirty Dancing, 1987
Bring on the romance and Patrick Swayze pulling us out of the corner and into the spotlight. Most of us just say it when we sit in the corner of a room and aren’t getting up to show off our dance moves.
“Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”
Dead Poets Society, 1989
“O, Captain! My Captain!” Carpe diem didn’t originate with the Dead Poet Society, but Robin Williams was the one who taught us to seize the day.
“I’ll be back.”
The Terminator, 1984
Turn on your best impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger. “I’ll be back” with a thick Austrian accent is the ultimate “dad joke” way of leaving the room.
“Here’s looking at you, kid.”
Casablanca, 1942
This classic movie has a plethora of great lines and moments. “Here’s looking at you, kid” is still commonly used as a way to say goodbye to someone you cherish.
“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”
The Godfather Part II, 1974
People use this line when they talk about why they spend time with people they don’t like or trust. One example is when your significant other has a friend you think might be trying to steal them from you so you befriend them.
