I love trademark phrases because they're so unique and fresh and demonstrate how one feels at the time; the really good ones stay with me for a long time and I chuckle or burst out laughing each time I hear them, or at least after I haven't heard them for a while. Best example is a co-worker whose daily routine was to complain about things, and when he really worked up a routine he called them "dreadful." Dreadful is definitely a word in the English language, but most people say they don't like something, or that it was "terrible," or "regrettable," or some other form, but "dreadful" is rare enough and kind of exaggerates the situation because every time I hear the word I think of someone welling up with dread. I chuckle every time I hear it, and my co-workers and I have caught on. Doesn't hurt that the guy who kept saying that uses the twitter handle "undertaker0818," which is totally against that gentleman's character but evokes images of doom and "dread" as well as the Undertaker from the WWE universe.
I wish I was original enough to come up with original phrases that other people repeat to this day and have a legacy, but alas I use too many cliches to be quoted. I actually quite dislike cliches like "it just wasn't his day," or "he came out of nowhere" or "I have no idea" (REALLY dislike this one because most of the time the person DOES have an idea!) because these phrases or oft repeated and show no artistry, no skill in using the language, no original thought, and for someone who likes the use of language (foreign languages included) and artful use, I try to stay away from cliches like the plague (there, I just used one there).
I don't think the power of unique phrases can be understated. Sure Donald Trump has a number of things he can be quoted about, but even presidents, when they've retired and years have gone by, will be known by, and can be summed up by, some memorable quotes. "I am not a crook." "Read my lips, no new taxes." Sometimes the only thing a famous person is known for is what they said. Derek Anderson, an otherwise underwhelming and forgettable QB, is famous for saying, "I take this SH*T serious!" when someone questioned his dedication. "I'm a man! I'm 40!" is from a Oklahoma State football coach. Some of these become viral sensations and are aided by the internet, but the words themselves and the strangeness of the soundbyte and how it characterizes what that person believes in is what makes the phrase stand out.
MJ and I have plenty of phrases that we'll say when we're in a good mood (and I try to say when we're fighting to try to lighten the mood, with mixed results).
"Uncomfortable!"
"Chincha nice!" ("Chincha" means "really" or "extremely" in Korean, and it's a funny Korean-English mixed word that some Koreans say.)
"It's collapsing!" - originally about a chocolate cake that we were all eating but I messed up, and I explained why I wasn't eating it anymore: "It's collapsing!" even though I was the one who made it to collapse.
"Micheosseo???" Are you crazy? in Korean.
I find that the more time I spend with someone, the more likely it is to come up with phrases. My co-workers and I have so many that we sometimes keep a list and email back and forth adding them periodically as new ones come along.
Favorite phrases:
1.) He thinks he's all that.....AND a bag of chips (to mean someone is full of himself)
2.) The goggles! They do nothing!- Simpsons quote
3.) Heyyyyyyyy Roooooobert, do you want a batch? I can get you a batch.
4.) "It is what it is."
5.) INSTANTLY stops hitting- a quote I uttered in complete dejection while studying for the bar in 2011 but also managing my fantasy baseball team, as one after one each player that I picked up to help my team instantly stopped hitting.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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