Movie Quotes That Refuse to Die

Some films win awards, others make millions.

And then there are those movies that have gifted humanity a single line or phrase. Have somehow escaped the cinema altogether and took up permanent residence in our everyday life.

Why do certain movie quotes survive for decades while thousands of others disappear? You know the ones I mean. A character says something once, in a scene, in a movie, and the phrase escapes into the wild. Before long it's being repeated in offices, school playgrounds, pubs, family gatherings and is enjoying life away from the piece of art it was created into.

And I can almost bet, half the people quoting it haven't even seen the film. The quote becoming bigger than the film that gave birth to it.

The Movie Quotes That Escaped Their Films

Take 'Hasta la vista, baby.' From Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Yes, you guessed it. Those words left my teenager's lips the today and I know for a fact she's never watched it. Something I need to rectifiy. But that's just it. Even if you've never watched Terminator 2, chances are you've heard someone say it while dramatically leaving a room or ending a call. And I may have once or twice ended an email that way.

Or what about 'Sanka, ya dead?' 

When Derice checks on his friend Sanka Coffee after a crash in the movie Cool Runnings? And Sanka replies, 'Ya Mon'. Had the entire cinema in uproarious laughter. To this day, if certain people take a little too long to respond to me or if a certain Whatsapp group has gone quiet. Yes you guessed it.

And then there's this phrase 'Tell me about it, Stud.'

I've adopted this one. One I use so often on the younger folks I hang, they think it's my line. Had to make a correction the other day. Enlighten them on the origins of the quote. Let them know its from the 1978 film, Grease. Of course that started an all together other conversation. Most times, I'm simply commenting on something said by saying tell me about it. I'd give that little sentence a second then add. Stud. But always in the voice of Olivia Newton-John.

However, the phrase is, we'll agree top-loaded of confidence, swagger and occasionally completely unjustified self-belief.

You should know, this phrase moved in years ago and has never had to pay rent.

'Here's looking at you, kid.' A phrase from the Movie

Casablanca. Though this one can be argued. Has it stuck as a result of the movie or from that Bertie Higgins song, Key Largo? Because when I have said it, its the song I have in my head but the sentiments echo that of the movie.

Life inspiring art. Art inspiring life.

'Why so serious?'

Heath Ledger's Joker delivered that line in The Dark Knight and instantly created a phrase that escaped the film. Today it's used whenever someone is taking life just a little too seriously. When the now ex saw me with my thinking face on? Except I never knew it was from this movie.

The Phrases Now Part of the Furniture

The fascinating thing is that many of these lines have become detached from the films themselves. For example, 'Say hello to my little friend!'

People who've never sat through Scarface can still quote it perfectly. Usually while holding something that is definitely not a machine gun. A garden hose for example. A baguette. A TV remote.

The phrase has taken on a life of its own. At this point they're less movie quotes and more cultural furniture. They're just... there. Like traffic lights. The jar of jerk seasoning that survived the house move.

Borrowing Movie Phrases Without Realising

Some movie lines have become so embedded in everyday language that we don't even think about where they came from.

Someone says, 'May the Force be with you.'

No one stops the conversation to discuss Star Wars.

It's simply understood.

The phrase now functions as encouragement, good luck and mild geek identification rolled into one.

Likewise, 'I'll be back' has become the most dramatic way imaginable to announce a trip to the bathroom. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Terminator franchise probably didn't see that coming.

Why These Lines and Phrases Stick

Not every memorable quote survives. Thousands of films are released every year, packed with clever dialogue. Yet only a handful of phrases make the leap into everyday conversation.

The survivors however, usually have a few things in common:

They're short. Easy to remember. Fun to imitate and most importantly, they make us feel something.

A little humour.

Buckets of confidence.

Defiance.

Friendship.

Coolness.

Or in the case of 'Sanka, ya dead?' mild concern.

One of my favourite things about these lines is the way in which they create instant connection. You quote a line or phrase. It's recognised. Everyone smiles, no explanation required. Like belonging to a little club. A little club of millions of members and whose primary activity is repeating dialogue written by someone else decades ago.

When you think about it, that's a wonderfully strange human habit.

More Quotes That Refuse to Die

A few honorary mentions that continue to pop up in conversations long after their films left cinemas:

• 'You can't handle the truth!'

• 'Nobody puts Baby in a corner.'

• 'Life is like a box of chocolates.'

• 'Houston, we have a problem.' Haha, this one tends to trend when London Euston Station indeed has a problem.

• 'Here's looking at you, kid.'

• 'Show me the money!'

• 'Wax on, wax off'

• 'To Infinity and Beyond.'

And I'm willing to bet every one of you has at least one personal favourite that didn't make this list.

Perhaps that's the real magic of cinema. Not the box office numbers, the awards or even the reviews. But more the creativity and delivery of a phrase so memorable that decades later we still use it without giving a second thought to where it came from.

Roll Credits

Movies, they come and go. Special effects age. Fashion choices become questionable. Haircuts, criminal evidence. Yet somehow a handful of lines survive everything. Slipping from screen into everyday life and taking up permanent residence.

Years later we may not remember the entire plot. Struggle to recall the actors' names. But we'll still be saying:

'Hasta la vista, baby.'

And everyone will know exactly what we mean.

So question for you my readers: What's the movie quote you use most often in real life? And be honest, have you ever quoted a film you haven't actually watched? Did you know your quote was from a movie?