How Well Do You Know These '70s And '80s TV Catchphrases?
by Carolyn Fleming
CBS
Nothing helps a TV show or ad campaign gain popularity like a good catchphrase. A legit catchphrase takes hold when a character repeats the phrase so often that they become identified with it, and then people start to quote the catchphrase for fun or effect. For example, if someone says, “I pity the fool,” who do you think of? Mr. T, right? Let’s see how many famous catchphrases of the ‘70s and ‘80s you remember.
1: Which fast-food chain inspired people to ask, “Where’s the beef?”
The Wendy’s chain debuted their famous commercial back in 1984. Clara Peller, who starred in the campaign, was 4-foot-ten and 80 years old at the time. She did not appreciate a tiny patty on a huge bun.
2: What show popularized the phrase “Take off!” in the ‘80s?
Bob and Doug McKenzie were recurring characters on the Canadian skit show SCTV. Rick Moranis played Bob, and Dave Thomas played Doug. The characters were brothers who leaned into many Canadian stereotypes, you hoser. Sometimes they told each other to “Take off,” which apparently meant “shut up” or “go away” or something we won’t spell out here, eh?
3: “What you talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?” makes you think of what show?
Diff’rent Strokes is the show that made Gary Coleman a star. His character, Arnold, often said, “What you talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?” to his older brother, played by Todd Bridges. They were two Black boys from Harlem who were taken in by a white Park Avenue businessman after their mother died. The show ran from 1978 to 1986.
4: Remember Hans and Franz? What did they want to do?
Saturday Night Live changes as cast members rotate in and out. When Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon were regulars, they played musclebound Austrian jocks, loosely based on Arnold Schwarzenegger. Their muscles were clearly just padding under their bulky sweatshirts. Hans and Franz first appeared on SNL in the premiere episode of Season 13, in 1987.
5: Do you remember which ‘70s show had a character who said, “Dy-no-mite”?
Comedian Jimmie Walker played J.J. Evans on the family sitcom Good Times. The character was known for his bucket hats and his catchphrase “Dy-no-mite.” Walker was not supposed to be the show’s star, but he stole every scene with his charisma and comedic timing. As a stand-up comedian, Jimmie Walker hired both Jay Leno and David Letterman as writers.
6: Which famous newsman always signed off with the line “And that’s the way it is”?
Walter Cronkite anchored the CBS Evening News for nearly two decades, starting in 1962. Many called him “the most trusted man in America.” Cronkite signed off for the final time on March 6, 1981, saying, “And that’s the way it is.”
7: What band released a song in 1985 that was inspired by a TV slogan?
Dire Straits released a song called Money for Nothing in 1985, about blue-collar workers who thought rock stars got their “money for nothing and the chicks for free.” It features Sting, of the Police, singing “I want my MTV” in the intro and the chorus. “I want my MTV!” was the original marketing slogan for MTV, which launched in 1981. These days, MTV plays very little music.
8: What show gave the world the catchphrase “Who loves ya, baby?”
Telly Savalas starred as the title character Theodopolus Kojak, a cool bald detective in the NYPD. The so-called “lollipop cop” sucked on Tootsie Roll Pops whenever he wanted a smoke, and his favorite line was “Who loves ya, baby?” The show aired from 1973 to 1978.
9: In what year did audiences first hear someone ask, “Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?”
The first iconic Grey Poupon commercial aired in 1981. Two fancy cars driven by chauffeurs pulled up side by side, and one gentleman rolled his window down and asked, “Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?” In a sequel, which aired during the Oscars in 2013, the car whose passenger borrowed the Grey Poupon sped away without returning it, and a chase scene ensued.
10: Which SNL character always ended their segment with the words “Never mind”?
Poor Emily Litella. Each week, she tried to deliver a well-thought-out opinion piece on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, but she never quite hit the mark. She would ask, “What’s all this fuss about … ?” Her topic might be “the deaf penalty,” “violins on television,” or “the Eagle Rights Amendment.” When the anchor corrected her, she would smile sweetly and say, “Never mind.” Gilda Radner was comedy gold as this character.
11: What was Vinnie Barbarino’s catchphrase on Welcome Back, Kotter?
Vinnie Barbarino was one of the Sweathogs on Welcome Back, Kotter, which aired from 1975 to 1979. The Sweathogs were high school students in a remedial class—so remedial that the actors who played the four main Sweathogs were 24, 25, 27, and 29 by the show’s final season. Did you know that Vinnie Barbarino was played by John Travolta during the same era when he made Saturday Night Fever?
12: What did Archie Bunker say to his wife when he wanted her to be quiet?
Archie Bunker was the bigoted head of the family on the show All in the Family, and audiences enjoyed laughing at him, not with him. Archie, played by Carroll O’Connor, often butted heads with his liberal son-in-law, who he called Meathead, played by Rob Reiner.
13: “Book ‘em, Danno,” came from what popular TV series?
Hawaii Five-0 refers to the fact that Hawaii is the 50th state. The show was a police drama, set in Hawaii, obviously, and it ran from 1968 to 1980. The main character, Detective Steve McGarrett, played by Jack Lord, often told Officer “Danno” Williams, played by James MacArthur, to “Book ‘em, Danno.”
14: Before “Heeeeere’s Johnny” was a thing in 1980’s The Shining, what TV show featured the phrase?
Cohost Ed McMahon used to introduce Johnny Carson with those words every night on The Tonight Show during their era, which ran from 1962 to 1992. Often when Johnny took the stage he would do an invisible golf swing for some reason. Jack Paar preceded Johnny Carson; Jay Leno followed him.
15: Which gameshow host popularized the phrase “Survey says … ” from 1976 to 1985?
Family Feud has had several runs, but Richard Dawson was the original charming host who popularized the catchphrase and insisted on kissing the ladies. Families competed to match the most popular answers given by people who took a survey. Other hosts of the show were Ray Combs, Louis Anderson, Richard Karn, John O’Hurley, and, since 2010, Steve Harvey.
16: Which show featured the line “Elizabeth, I’m coming”?
Fred Sanford and his son Lamont were played by Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson, respectively. Fred ran a salvage yard in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Whenever Fred got upset, he would clutch his chest, look to the sky, and tell his deceased wife, “Elizabeth, I’m coming.”
17: What show from the ‘70s was known for its drawn-out goodnights?
All of the Walton clan participated in the goodnights, but we remember John-Boy’s name the most, because, well, he’s called John-Boy. The creator of the show, Earl Hamner Jr, explained that his family used to drag out their goodnights until his father made them stop.
18: Do you remember what product was advertised with the tagline “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing”?
A man sat on the side of his bed and said, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.” His wife, who was trying to get some sleep, responded, “You ate it, Ralph.” He repeated the catchphrase, and she told him to take some Alka-Seltzer. This classic 1972 commercial was followed a couple of years later with a new campaign and catchy jingle: “Plop plop, fizz fizz. Oh, what a relief it is.”
19: What TV character said, “Nanu nanu!”
The show Mork and Mindy, starring a very young Robin Williams, aired from 1978 to 1982. Williams played an extraterrestrial who lived with his human friend, Mindy McConnell. Mork had an egg-shaped spaceship and used phrases such as “Nanu nanu” and “Shazbot.”
20: Do you remember the slogan for Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous?
Robin Leach hosted the show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, which took viewers inside the over-the-top homes of the rich and famous, in an era when opulence was especially coveted. Actress Joan Collins said that the cast of Dynasty watched Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous for inspiration. The show was so popular that Dana Carvey impersonated Leach on Saturday Night Live: “I’m Robin Leach. I’m yelling and I don’t know why.”
