50 Classic TV Catchphrases Quiz — Name the Show (With Answers)

Some lines you never had to memorize. They just moved in — somewhere between the TV tray and the good chair, around the second commercial break — and never left. You heard them on a Tuesday night decades ago, and you can still say them today without missing a beat.

Here are 50 of the most unforgettable catchphrases ever to come out of a television set. We give you the line; you name the show (and the character who said it). The answer sits right under each question, so you can test yourself or read them aloud and watch the whole room light up.

Cops, Spies and Crime-Fighters

1. “Book ’em, Danno!” — which island crime drama closed its cases this way?

Hawaii Five-O. Detective Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) said it to his partner, Danno.

2. “Who loves ya, baby?” — which bald, lollipop-sucking NYPD lieutenant?

Kojak. Lieutenant Theo Kojak was played by Telly Savalas.

3. “Would you believe …?” — which bumbling secret agent?

Get Smart. It was the trademark of Agent 86, Maxwell Smart.

4. “Just one more thing …” — which rumpled detective dropped this before cracking the case?

Columbo. Peter Falk played the raincoat-wearing lieutenant.

5. “This is the city …” — which just-the-facts police drama opened with that narration?

Dragnet. Sergeant Joe Friday walked viewers through Los Angeles each week.

6. “I love it when a plan comes together.” — which cigar-chomping soldier of fortune?

The A-Team. It was the signature line of Hannibal Smith.

7. “This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.” — which spy series?

Mission: Impossible. Every assignment arrived on a tape that went up in smoke.

Out of This World

8. “Live long and prosper.” — which pointy-eared science officer offered this blessing?

Star Trek. Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) said it with a raised, split-fingered salute.

9. “Space: the final frontier …” — which captain opened every voyage?

Star Trek. Captain Kirk narrated the opening aboard the starship Enterprise.

10. “Danger, Will Robinson!” — who warned the boy on this castaway-in-space series?

Lost in Space. The warning came from the family’s Robot.

11. “Holy ___, Batman!” — which caped sidekick filled that blank?

Batman. Robin, the Boy Wonder, made an art of it.

12. “To the Batmobile!” — which crime-fighter rushed off with that cry?

Batman. It sent the Dynamic Duo racing to their car.

13. “Na-Nu, Na-Nu.” — which alien greeted Earthlings this way?

Mork & Mindy. Mork from Ork was played by Robin Williams.

14. “You rang?” — which towering butler groaned those words at the door?

The Addams Family. It was Lurch, answering the summons.

The Sitcom Living Room

15. “Baby, you’re the greatest.” — which Brooklyn bus driver?

The Honeymooners. Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) softened at last for his wife, Alice.

16. “Bang, zoom — straight to the moon!” — same bus driver, same show. Name it.

The Honeymooners. One more of Ralph Kramden’s all-bark, no-bite outbursts.

17. “One of these days … pow, right in the kisser!” — which blustering husband?

The Honeymooners. Ralph Kramden again — all talk, heart of gold.

18. “Stifle!” — which Queens loudmouth barked this at his wife, Edith?

All in the Family. Archie Bunker, played by Carroll O’Connor.

19. “Aaay!” — which leather-jacketed cool guy said it with two thumbs up?

Happy Days. Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, played by Henry Winkler.

20. “Dy-no-mite!” — which lanky teenager shouted it each week?

Good Times. J.J. Evans, played by Jimmie Walker.

21. “Up your nose with a rubber hose!” — which Brooklyn Sweathog?

Welcome Back, Kotter. Vinnie Barbarino, played by a young John Travolta.

22. “Elizabeth, I’m coming!” — which junk dealer faked the big one?

Sanford and Son. Fred Sanford, played by Redd Foxx.

23. “You big dummy!” — same junk dealer. What show?

Sanford and Son. Fred Sanford aimed it at his son, Lamont.

24. “What’choo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” — which pint-sized kid made this a national phrase?

Diff’rent Strokes. Arnold Jackson, played by Gary Coleman.

25. “Kiss my grits!” — which sassy diner waitress snapped it?

Alice. The waitress Flo, down at Mel’s Diner.

26. “God’ll get you for that.” — which outspoken, big-hearted liberal lady?

Maude. The title character, Maude Findlay.

27. “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” — which middle sister cried out in jealousy?

The Brady Bunch. Jan Brady, forever in her older sister’s shadow.

28. “Nip it in the bud!” — which excitable small-town deputy?

The Andy Griffith Show. Deputy Barney Fife, over in Mayberry.

29. “I know nothing!” — which heavyset prison-camp sergeant?

Hogan’s Heroes. Sergeant Schultz, who never saw a thing.

30. “Good night, John-Boy.” — which Depression-era family said goodnight in the dark?

The Waltons. The clan signed off one voice at a time.

31. “Norm!” — in which bar did everybody shout a regular’s name?

Cheers. The whole place greeted Norm Peterson on arrival.

32. “Gee, Mrs. Cleaver …” — which two-faced neighbor kid?

Leave It to Beaver. The smarmy Eddie Haskell.

Variety Night, Game Shows and the Evening News

33. “Here’s Johnny!” — who bellowed this before the host walked out each weeknight?

The Tonight Show. Announcer Ed McMahon introduced Johnny Carson.

34. “And that’s the way it is.” — which trusted anchor closed the evening news with it?

The CBS Evening News. Walter Cronkite, “the most trusted man in America.”

35. “Good night, and good luck.” — which pioneering newsman signed off that way?

See It Now. The broadcaster Edward R. Murrow.

36. “Come on down!” — which game show calls contestants out of the audience?

The Price Is Right. Announcer Johnny Olson did the honors.

37. “Sock it to me!” — which fast, flower-powered comedy hour?

Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. The line turned up everywhere — even from candidate Richard Nixon in 1968.

38. “How sweet it is!” — which rotund comedian made this his toast?

The Jackie Gleason Show. Gleason himself, “The Great One.”

39. “Say good night, Gracie.” — which cigar-holding comedian closed the show with his wife?

The Burns and Allen Show. George Burns, to Gracie Allen.

40. “Mom always liked you best!” — which bickering musical-comedy brothers?

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Tommy aimed it at brother Dick.

41. “The thrill of victory … and the agony of defeat.” — which Saturday sports anthology?

ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Jim McKay narrated the famous open.

42. “What you see is what you get!” — which comedian’s sassy female character said it?

The Flip Wilson Show. His character Geraldine Jones.

43. “Smile — you’re on Candid Camera!” — which hidden-camera show sprang the joke?

Candid Camera. The reveal after an ordinary person got pranked.

44. “You’ve got spunk … I hate spunk.” — which gruff newsroom boss?

The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Lou Grant, in Mary Richards’s job interview.

45. “Yabba-dabba-doo!” — which Stone Age cartoon dad yelled it home from the quarry?

The Flintstones. Fred Flintstone of Bedrock.

46. “De plane! De plane!” — who announced the arrivals here?

Fantasy Island. The assistant Tattoo rang the bell in the tower.

47. “Thank you veddy much.” — which sweet immigrant mechanic at a New York garage?

Taxi. Latka Gravas, the lovable grease monkey.

48. “Now cut that out!” — which famously stingy, violin-sawing comedian?

The Jack Benny Program. Benny, perfecting the slow burn.

49. “We’ve got a really big show!” — which Sunday-night host welcomed the Beatles and Elvis?

The Ed Sullivan Show. Host Ed Sullivan, in his own clipped delivery.

50. “Oh, my nose!” — back to the Bradys: which sister caught a football with her face?

The Brady Bunch. Marcia Brady, right before the big dance.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most famous TV catchphrase of all time?

There’s no official winner, but “Here’s Johnny!” — Ed McMahon’s nightly introduction for Johnny Carson — and “Book ’em, Danno!” from Hawaii Five-O land near the top of almost every list.

Did Walter Cronkite really say “And that’s the way it is” every night?

Yes. Cronkite closed the CBS Evening News with that line and the date for years, from the anchor desk that earned him the nickname “the most trusted man in America.”

Which of these catchphrases came first?

Some of the oldest here date to the 1950s — Jackie Gleason’s Honeymooners outbursts and Sergeant Joe Friday’s “This is the city” on Dragnet, which came to television in 1951.

Where can I find more classic TV trivia?

Plenty more where this came from. Try our Andy Griffith Show trivia questions and answers, or test yourself with our classic TV trivia questions and answers.

Sources

• List of catchphrases in American and British mass media — Wikipedia
• Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series) — Wikipedia
• The Honeymooners — Wikipedia

How many did you name without peeking? Play our trivia quizzes and see which show your memory calls up first.