While considering the subject of TV sitcom catch phrases I realized I had a hard time coming up with any that are from current shows. On the Big Bang Theory genius Sheldon Cooper frequently uses the term “Bazinga” following a joke or important point. I guess this could qualify as a catch phrase although I’m not sure it has really caught on. Some may recognize the phrase “Suit up!” as the mantra of Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother but I’ve never heard it come up in a real-life conversation.
In contrast catch phrases from the sitcoms I watched as a child quickly became part of our everyday vernacular. I first heard the word “nerd” on Happy Days and still use the term today to describe a particularly studious individual. Happy Days also introduced the proclamation of extreme approval “Aaay!” and the insult “Sit on it!” Another often heard insult of the 1970′s was “Kiss my grits” voiced with the southern intonation of Flo from the sitcom Alice. Yet another sitcom inspired putdown came from Welcome Back Kotter’s group of sweathogs in “Up your nose with a rubber hose!” this time with an extremely thick New York accent.The information party rocks on: Reach Out & Touch Somebody’s Hand…