Do you want to remember some ‘80s catchphrases and take a mental trip back into that wild and funky decade? You’re in the right place.

1. Harry Burns: I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes.
2. The best movie quotes of 1988, as voted by visitors to moviemistakes.com.
3. G reat movie quotes become part of our cultural vocabulary,” said American Film Institute director Jean Picker Firstenberg as he unveiled AFI’S 100 Years. 100 Movie Quotes: America’s Greatest Quips, Comebacks and Catchphrases. The AFI list is as comprehensive as it is dull; a mix of the classic (“Here’s looking at you, kid.

Every movie has a quote that stays with you. Find out if one of your favorites made the list in our roundup of these famous, clever & memorable film quotes. Movie quotes from the 80s. The most quotable movies are from the 80s.

Maybe you are heading to an ‘80s themed party and really want to get into character. You will find that some of these phrases came from popular culture such as television and movies, while other sayings just seemed to spring forth from the generation on their own. We've included examples of how the words were used, so you can work them into your own retro vocabulary!

1980s Catchphrases With Sources

For all the oddities that popped up in ‘80s vernacular, there are plenty of catchphrases from that decade that have a known origin, including some catchy slogans.

• This message will self destruct. (Inspector Gadget)
• A-duh! (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
• The actual retail price of the... (The Price Is Right)
• Alvin!!! (Alvin and the Chipmunks)
• Andale! Andale! Arriba! Arriba! (Speedy Gonzales of Looney Tunes)
• And now you know and knowing is half the battle. (G.I. Joe)
• Anybody got any cheese? (Family Matters)
• Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! (Beetlejuice)
• Big money! Big money! No whammies! STOP! (Press Your Luck)
• Bubble yum keeps it poppin'. (Bubble Yum commercials)
• By the power of Greyskull! (He-Man)
• Care bear stare! (Care Bears)
• Clap on! (Clapper ad)
• Cowabunga! (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Da plane boss, da plane! (Fantasy Island)
• Good grief. (Peanuts)
• Did I do that? (Family Matters)
• Gag me with a spoon. (“Valley Girl” by Frank Zappa)
• How rude! (Full House)
• Just say no. (Nancy Reagan, anti-drug campaign)
• I ain't goin on no damn plane, fool! (The A-Team)
• I don't have to take this. I'm going home. (Family Matters)
• I heard that! (You Can't Do That on Television)
• I meant to do that. (Eureka's Castle)
• I pity the fool. (The A-Team)
• I want my MTV! (MTV ad)
• I kill me! (ALF)
• I'll be back. (The Terminator)
• I'm Gumby, damn it! (Saturday Night Live)
• I've fallen and I can't get up! (Lifecall commercial)
• Is it much farther, Papa Smurf? (The Smurfs)
• Meep-meep! (Road Runner of Looney Tunes)
• Missed it! By that much! (Get Smart)
• Never feed him after midnight. (Gremlins)
• Not! (Wayne's World)
• Nothing comes between me and my Calvins. (Calvin Klein commercial)
• Nobody puts baby in the corner. (Dirty Dancing)
• Not the mama! (Dinosaurs)
• Now we do the dance of joy! (Balki of Perfect Strangers)
• Oh, bother! (The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)
• Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon? (Grey Poupon mustard ad)
• Punky power! (Punky Brewster)
• Say hello to my little friend. (Scarface)
• Say what? (Diff'rent Strokes)
• Scooby-dooby-doo! (Scooby-Doo)
• Someone's in trouble! (The Facts of Life)
• Sorry 'bout that! (Get Smart)
• Take off, eh! (Bob and Doug McKenzie of SCTV)
• Talk amongst yourselves. (Saturday Night Live)
• The power is yours! (Captain Planet)
• The word of the day is... (Pee-wee's Playhouse)
• Transform and roll out! (The Transformers)
• Turtle power! (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Well, I bet that the neighbors are just loving this! (Mama's Family)
• Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis? (Diff'rent Strokes)
• Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! (Ghostbusters)
• Whoa, baby! (Full House)
• You got it dude! (Full House)
• You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. (The Incredible Hulk)

Other Popular Words and Phrases of the ‘80s

Sometimes phrases arise without an obvious origin. They might combine common terms (see “butt ugly”) or simply grow popular without a clear explanation.

• Butt ugly - Really unattractive. “Her new perm is just butt ugly.”
• Cheesy - Tacky or in poor taste. “Her chunky necklaces are so cheesy.”
• Dweeb - Geek or nerd. “That dweeb had the nerve to ask me to prom!”
• Grody - Disgusting. Really gross. “My little brother's room is grody to the max.”
• Hoser - Insult meaning loser or jerk. “That dude is such a hoser.”
• House music - Repetitive dance music, with roots in disco. “All they play at Club Eighties is house music.”
• Let's do lunch - Yuppie phrase (see below) for meeting for lunch; sometimes said insincerely. “Mwah. I've missed you. Let's do lunch soon!”
• Not even - A denial. “Do I have a crush on Troy? Not even!”
• Party hardy - To party excessively. “We're gonna party hardy after the last day of school.”
• Phat - Good, cool. “Those shoes are so phat.”
• Poser - A wannabe. Someone who pretends to be part of the in-crowd. “That dude is such a poser.”
• Preppy - Dressing in a collegiate, East coast manner. “That polo and those deck shoes make him look so preppy.”
• Slam dance - A dance form that involved smashing into each other. “I've got bruises from slam dancing last night.”
• Stud - A macho guy. “That surfer is such a stud.”
• Sucks - Unfair or upsetting. “Getting grounded sucks.”
• To the max - To an extreme. “Being grounded sucks to the max.”
• Yuppie - Originally an acronym: YUP for “young urban professional.” “Yuppie” became a mildly derogatory term in the ‘80s, describing an educated, well-employed person but also implying shallowness and materialism. “Did you see those yuppies drive by in their Bimmers?”

For more, take a look at our exhaustive list of ‘80s slang.

Forever the ‘80s

As you can clearly see from this extensive list of ‘80s catchphrases, some of these words, fragments, and sentences remain frozen in time in the 1980s. It is also important to note that some phrases originated prior to the 1980s, but did not become popular catchphrases or weren’t widely repeated until that decade!

However, some phrases have traversed on forward into the 21st century, to the dismay of some and to the joy of others. Ready to explore the vocabulary of other decades? Check out our collections of 1950s slang, 1960s slang and 1970s slang. They’re totally rad.

B.A. English & Theatre

“They’re Heee-eere” – and, I’m now terrified to go near a TV.

Movies in the 80s graced us with some totally righteous and memorable quotes. Many thanks to Like Totally 80s for your most bitchin’ suggestions on Facebook! They were totally helpful as I compiled the following list.

So, how to judge if a movie quote is awesome? If you can remember exactly how the character sounded as he spoke the words AND if you can’t stop yourself from trying to impersonate him, then that quote’s a winner in my book.

So let’s kick things off with some Star Wars Episode V and your best heavy-breathing Darth Vader voice . . .

1980: The Empire Strikes Back

“I am your father.” – Darth Vader.

You can’t blame Luke (Mark Hamill) for being reluctant to face the awful truth. The galaxy’s biggest proponent of the dark side (James Earl Jones) is really his father? NOOOOOO!!!!

1982: Poltergeist

“They’re hee-eere!” – Carol Anne Freeling

Sweet little Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O’Rourke) was the first in her family to sense the deranged poltergeist lurking about. Her innocently creepy observation is one we 80s kids will never forget:

1982: E.T.

Best 80s Movies Quotes

“E.T. Phone Home” – E.T., Elliot, and Gertie

Stranded alien E.T. communicates with siblings Elliot (Henry Thomas) and Gertie (Drew Barrymore) in Steven Spielburg’s mega-hit movie:

1983: Risky Business

“Sometimes you gotta say, ‘What the f*ck.’” – Joel Goodson

High school senior Joel adopts this line from his friend Miles (Curtis Armstrong, better known as Booger from “Revenge of the Nerds”). It’s an idea that he first questions, but then embraces with gusto. Here’s Joel (Tom Cruise) during his Princeton entrance interview, when he’s given the perfect opportunity to rattle off his new motto:

1983: National Lampoon’s Vacation

“Ohh God the dog wet on the picnic basket.” – Ellen Griswold

Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) boogies with Christie Brinkley and a sandwich. He learns from Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) that Aunt Edna’s Dinky was a very bad doggie indeed:

1984: The Karate Kid

“Wax on, wax off.” – Mr. Miyagi

Daniel-san (Ralph Macchio) ended up a karate hero, of course, but his very first lesson from Mr. Miyagi (Pat Norita) involved washing and waxing his car:

1984: 16 Candles

“No more yanky my wanky. The donger need food.” – Long Duk Dong

Exchange student Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe) delivers his classic line to Samantha’s wedding-going family after a night of drinking:

1984: The Terminator

“I’ll be back.” – The Terminator

The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is determined to pay a visit to Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in the police station. He’s denied entrance, but comes up with his own way in:

1985: Back to the Future

“If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits eighty-eight miles an hour, you’re going to see some serious shit.” – Doc Brown

Doc Brown (Christopher Llyod) describes the time-traveling flux-capacitor fueled DeLorean’s capabilities to Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox):

1985: Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

“I know you are but what am I?” – Pee-wee Herman

Pee-wee (Paul Rubens) gives it right back to spoiled brat Frances when the rich kid tries to put dibs on Pee-wee’s beloved bike:

1986: Stand by Me

“Alright, alright, Mickey’s a mouse, Donald’s a duck, Pluto’s a dog. What’s Goofy?” – Gordie

While on a journey to find Ray Brower’s dead body, friends ponder the meaning of life. In addition to deep thoughts like “What is friendship?” and “What will our lives hold?” the boys wonder just what in the world Goofy is. Gordie (Will Wheaton) poses the question that baffles them all:

1986: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

“Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller

Ferris (Matthew Broderick) was everybody’s favorite school-skipping smarty-pants philosopher in this John Hughes film. He delivers his signature line twice, once at the beginning of the movie and once at the end, just to make sure it hits home:

1987: The Lost Boys

“Death by Stereo” – Sam

Sam (Corey Haim) offs one of the vampires who’s after his half-vamp (and totally hot) brother Michael (Jason Patric).

Popular Sayings From The 1980s

1989: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

“Four score and seven minutes ago, we, your forefathers were brought forth upon a most excellent adventure, conceived by our new friends, Bill and Ted. These two great gentlemen are dedicated to a proposition which was true in my time, just as it’s true today. Be excellent to each other, and party on dudes!” – Abraham Lincoln

“Party on, Dudes.”

Abraham Lincoln gamely assists time traveling slackers Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) with their history presentation:

1989: Say Anything

“I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don’t want to do that.” – Lloyd Dobler

When pressed for his career goals by his girlfriend’s dad, Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) is clear on what he DOESN’T want to do. Looks like it’s down to kick-boxing for Lloyd: