With modern cartoon series such as Harley Quinn blazing their own trails, animation fans can’t help but look back fondly on the classic series and the one thing they all have in common: catchphrases. A good quote can go a long way, and some of the most beloved animated characters have a signature quote.
Whether it’s children’s franchises like Scooby Doo or more adult content like South Park, a show’s catchphrases can sometimes be the most memorable part of it. While there are many cartoon catchphrases in the popular lexicon, only the best have become true pop culture staples.
“Jinkys!”
— Velma Dinkley of Scooby Doo cartoon.
Although she is best known as the mastermind of the operation, Velma Dinkley also produced one of the Scooby Doo most famous quotes from the franchise. The nonsensical word “jinkies” is frequently used by Velma whenever she makes a discovery that is an important clue in the mystery the gang is investigating.
Although the phrase existed before Velma first used it, the word has become so synonymous with Scooby Doo that most viewers forget about their backstory. Along with other silly words like “zoinks”, the original Scooby Doo cartoon was not only groundbreaking for its content, but also for its clever use of language.
“Oh, my God, they killed Kenny!”
— Kyle Broflovski from south park🇧🇷
if The Simpsons was a daring show for the early 1990s, south park emerged at the end of the decade and took things even further. The show is notorious for episodes where Kenny stole the show, and it was often his spectacular kills that made him popular.
Because of the repetition of Kenny’s death gag, Kyle’s shocked exclamation that someone killed Kenny instantly became part of south park knowledge. Though the show moved on to other running gags, the first handful of seasons were elevated by Kenny’s death and Stan’s hilarious catchphrase.
“Here I come to save the day!”
– Powerful mouse.
Superheroes have their cool catchphrases, and it was only natural that a clever parody of comic book icons would also have its own notable quote. Mighty Mouse, the titular character of his own animated shorts, was every kind of superhero in one, and his rather generic catchphrase was another part of the joke.
Loudly declaring that he had arrived to save everyone in his trademark bravado, the Mighty Mouse quote is perhaps the most remembered thing about him today. Most popularized by Andy Kaufman’s iconic pantomime in the first episode of saturday night livefans of any generation will likely always remember the rodent hero.
“D’oh!”
—Homer Simpson of The Simpsons🇧🇷
One of the recurring meta-gags of The Simpsons it’s just that the show was marketed to death, and Homer’s iconic pained exclamation certainly found its way onto T-shirts and other merch. His son usually gets all the attention with his string of quotes, but Homer’s relatable simplicity can’t be ignored.
Most catchphrases express a thought or cleverly use words to describe meaning. Homer, on the other hand, relies on his own gut reaction, which makes his repeated “d’oh” cries funny every time it happens.
“Yabba Dabba Doo!”
— Fred Flinstone of The Flinstones.
Despite living in the Stone Age, the titular family in The Flinstones it had trials and tribulations that mirrored modern life. Fred Flintstone was a regular worker, and his most famous quote comes from a declaration of pure joy.
Usually reserved for hanging out at work, Fred’s iconic “yabba dabba doo” harkens back to his primitive roots. What makes Fred Flintstone one of the most iconic Hanna-Barbara characters is that he manages to tell what the audience is feeling through his oft-repeated catchphrase.
“I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat.”
— Tweety from Warner Bros cartoons.
From the entire cartoon franchise to producing famous quotes, the heroes and villains of Looney Tunes seemed to produce more. Tweety Bird was an instant hit when he debuted, and his snappy catchphrase is cartoon comedy gold.
As well known for its content as it is for the silly way it’s delivered, Tweety’s cry of fear has grown to take on a life of its own. Since the premise of Tweety Bird’s cartoons has always been so simple, it made sense that their tagline would be so succinct and effective.
“I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids.”
— Several villains from Scooby Doo cartoon.
Most catchphrases are closely associated with a particular character, but the famous closing line in Scooby Doo was uttered by a number of different villains. Ever coming after the gang thwarted the criminal’s plot, the captured crook couldn’t help but condemn his bad luck because of the meddling teenagers.
While the reveals were always silly and cheesy, it wouldn’t be a properly solved mystery if the villain didn’t say the signature line. The characters of Scooby Doo all produced surprising catchphrases, and most have withstood the test of time.
“Oh my.”
— Charlie Brown from Peanut🇧🇷
Originally debuting as a comic book, the characters of Peanut they soon became animated icons as well. The constantly posed Charlie Brown is essentially the show’s main character, and his exasperated cries of “good grief” perfectly epitomize his plight.
Known for being the only calm character in a sea of hyperactive kids, poor Charlie is often weighed down by the burden of being the normal one of the group. When not solving other people’s problems, Charlie usually has his own to deal with, and his catchphrase is his only way of expressing himself.
“Eat my shorts.”
— Bart Simpsons of The Simpsons🇧🇷
Bart Simpson has a number of great catchphrases, but only a few perfectly capture his rebellious nature. Bart’s repeated demands that people eat his shorts was such a silly and unique insult that fans instantly latched on to it.
While the show has moved away from the hypercommercialization that came in the ’90s, Bart’s lewd catchphrase is all but inevitable in the realm of television. simpsons fan club. While he’s nowhere near as controversial as he’s been in the past, Bart’s iconic line will always represent the best of what the Simpson middle child could be.
“What’s up, doc?”
— Bugs Bunny from the Warner Bros cartoons.
What started out as a parody of the movie It Happened One Night it soon became the most famous cartoon catchphrase of all time. The ever-cheeky Bugs Bunny made his debut in the 1940s, and his catchphrase soon became closely associated with the character.
Always delivered with a dollop of Bugs’ signature sarcasm, the phrase has become so closely associated with the cartoon rabbit that most completely forget its origin. The phrase is seemingly innocuous, but when uttered by Bugs Bunny it becomes a quote for all occasions.
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