Phrases That Originated in Films, TV or Literature

[Satchmo Distel]

I've heard my wife use the phrase "a Spaniard in the works" but she didn't know it was the title of John Lennon's second poetry collection, from whence I think it originated.

"Infamy, infamy they've all got it infamy" is Carry On Cleo, wrongly attributed by The Grauniad to Up Pompeii.

[Patrick Thistle]

George Orwell is probably the winner with this. In addition to comparisons to 1984, there are the terms "thought police", "double think", "Room 101", "Big Brother" (both used as titles of TV shows), and "proles". "Orwellian" also became a term. Longer phrases or concepts I've seen referenced include:
"We have always been at war with Eastasia"
"the two minute Hate"
"down the Memory Hole"

Animal Farm also gave us the phrases:
"All animals are equal but some are more equal than others", and
"two legs good, four legs bad"

[ad hoc]

Shakespeare I am sure outdoes Orwell. But, yeah, there are probably millions

[Patrick Thistle]

Shakespeare I am sure outdoes Orwell. But, yeah, there are probably millions

Yes, you're right. And the Bible probably tops Shakespeare.

[Jah Womble]

The Bible isn't 'literature' though. (Well, not in the sense intended here.)

Viz movies, 'groundhog day' now seems more often to reference a continually-repeated experience as opposed to the American tradition of its origination.

[Ginger Yellow]

"Not."

"Inconceivable!"

"Reader, I..."


Maybe this is just me, but "That's just, like, your opinion, man."

[Guy Profumo]

Or popular music?

"I was that soldier…"

[Guy Profumo]

Oh yeah

"played their joker"

[Snake Plissken]

Shakespeare has so many that you don't realise - this is just the list of films and TV shows that have titles taken from him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...om_Shakespeare

[Guy Profumo]

Not to mention "Who Would Fardels Bear?" by Ed Reardon

[Sits]

“I’m Spartacus!”

[Patrick Thistle]

Maybe this is just me, but "That's just, like, your opinion, man."

That gets used. It's a great quote to take the piss out of someone.

[Patrick Thistle]

The Bible isn't 'literature' though. (Well, not in the sense intended here.)

I guess it depends on whether the quote is directly from the language used in the Authorised Version (which probably should count as literature) - the widow's mite being an example. (I found it really interesting to learn that a mite was a Dutch coin in ready use in England at the time the AV was written and worth less than a farthing)

[Patrick Thistle]

Dickens' characters have entered the lexicon, notably Scrooge. However "please sir can I have some more" and "food glorious food" are both phrases from Oliver rather than Oliver Twist.

[Patrick Thistle]

Douglas Coupland popularised the term Generation X.

[Patrick Thistle]

Not sure how many of Burgess's slang words from A Clockwork Orange are commonly used. But the band Moloko took their name from the book.

[Gangster Octopus]

"Infamy, infamy they've all got it infamy" is Carry On Cleo, wrongly attributed by The Grauniad to Up Pompeii.

It was actually written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden for something else, but they gave it to the Carry On team.

[Gangster Octopus]

Not sure how many of Burgess's slang words from A Clockwork Orange are commonly used. But the band Moloko took their name from the book.

As did Heaven 17.

[sw2borshch]

Tarzie for a rope swing over a beck comes from the Tarzan books, films, comics and telly series.

[Auntie Beryl]

Monty Python have contributed a few. Well, I use these reguarly anyway*:

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition
It's just a flesh wound
He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy
Splitters!
Trouble at t'mill
Fuck off, I'm stuffed

* - and I'm a joy to live with.

[Snake Plissken]

Is "Trouble at t'mill" one of theirs? I've never actually known where that came from, I assumed it was from one of the kitchen sink Northern dramas that they were taking the piss out of.

I actually use "Damn you, Kropotkin!" a lot which I realised a long time afterwards is from a Punt and Dennis sketch. God knows how that got absorbed into my brain.

[Patrick Thistle]

"Trouble at the old mill" is from Lassie isn't it? That's usually what's being spoofed when people are trying to communicate with an animal or silly human.

Another Python one is referencing the Judean People's Front / People's Front of Judea as shorthand for people who are all basically the same but hate each other.

The reference to Hugh Dennis has reminded me of a catchphrase that is not longer used, to crossover to another current thread...

[Auntie Beryl]

"Trouble at t'mill" was from a sketch in one of the TV series - and YouTube isn't helping with a link. Quite possible that it was lifted wholesale from a bone fide drama of around that time.

[Patrick Thistle]

There's a few instantly recognisable Star Trek phrases. "Beam me up, Scotty." and "It's life, Jim, but not as we know it."

[Patrick Thistle]

Another sci-fi offering - TARDIS and Dalek have entered the vernacular.

It might be confined to geek culture but "These are not the [insert item here if not saying droids] you're looking for" is commonly referenced. As are "Jedi mind tricks".