Top 10 Funniest Insults on The Big Bang Theory
#10: Red Sweater Photo
“The Itchy Brain Simulation”
Top 10 Funniest The Big Bang Theory Episodes
In the episode “The Itchy Brain Simulation”, Leonard takes a walk in Sheldon’s metaphorical shoes, when he agrees to wear a very itchy sweater until he resolves the problem of an unreturned DVD. The itchy sweater here is the metaphorical equivalent of Sheldon’s itchy brain when things go unresolved. Unfortunately for Leonard, returning the long overdue DVD isn’t as easy as he initially assumed it would be and the sweater is taking a toll on his skin and his mental well-being. Penny implores him to take it off when Sheldon isn’t around, but he refuses. So, Penny tries to help him get a refund on his expensive education instead.
#9: The Kardashians of Science
“The Relationship Diremption”
Top 10 Science Lessons We Learned from The Big Bang Theory
Most of the insults hurled on the show are thrown by the members of the gang at each other. But in this case, the jab’s target is a branch of science. When Sheldon begins looking for a new field of study to pursue, he’s shocked to discover that they have a geology book in the apartment, which is a branch of science he has no respect for. When Penny questions him as to the problem with geology, Sheldon comes back with a dig at the earth science that also throws some shade on America’s most famous reality show family.
#8: The Donkey Kong Comparison
“The Misinterpretation Agitation”
Top 10 Funniest Penny Moments on The Big Bang Theory
Besides the “Howard doesn’t have a PhD” jokes, the most common jabs on the series might have been the ones focused on how Leonard gets Penny given how much more attractive she is than him. Sheldon also liked to poke fun at Leonard’s size - how many of us can credit him with teaching us the term “Homunculus”? And so, when Leonard reveals his love for the Donkey Kong video game, Sheldon gets in a great dig by pointing out the similarities between the game's characters and his odd shape and pursuit of Penny.
#7: Bernadette Gets Theoretical
“The Parking Spot Escalation”
Top 10 Best Howard & Bernadette Moments on The Big Bang Theory
The show did a good job of not falling into the easy trap of catty insults with their female characters. However, in season six when Sheldon and Howard get into it over a parking spot, their female partners also get into it in defense of their beefing boys. And while Amy does get a good shot in regarding Howard and his attachment to his mother, it’s Bernadette that wins the war of words with her comparison of Sheldon’s theoretical work in physics to his similarly theoretical work in the bedroom. Even Penny can’t hold back her appreciation for Bernadette’s major burn.
#6: Penny Pokes Fun at Howard’s Private Life
“The Cushion Saturation”
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Until Howard met Bernadette, he didn’t have much success with the ladies - at least with those he didn’t have to pay. That being said, one can understand Penny’s shock when, during dinner one night, Howard gets a phone call and is happy to declare it means he’s going to have sex later. At the time, she doesn’t know that Howard has started a ‘friends with benefits’ relationship with Leslie Winkle. So, when she hears that he’s going to be getting some later, the most obvious explanation is that it was his right hand on the phone.
#5: Is Sheldon an Alien?
“The Large Hadron Collision”
Top 10 Times Sheldon Was a Savage on The Big Bang Theory
Sure, Sheldon is a little different from most, but we’re almost 100% sure he isn’t an alien. Although, that is a direction his friends sometimes like to go when it comes to their insults. Leonard has had fun with it on occasion. But back in season three, it was Penny's turn to get in a witty alien jab. And she got her opportunity when Sheldon attempts to convince her to let him go to Switzerland in her place, so he can visit the Large Hadron Collider. When he shows up in the laundry room asking her if she knows why he has come to see her, she doesn’t hesitate.
#4: Howard’s Cowboy Hat
“The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation”
The Big Bang Theory's Howard Impressions vs the Actual Person
From his dickeys to his ridiculously tight pants, Howard’s clothes were always good for a few laughs. But one of the best jabs at what he was wearing came from Raj and involved an item that wasn’t part of the standard, everyday Howard wardrobe. When the guys go to Texas to get Sheldon, Howard - in an attempt to blend in - purchases a red cowboy hat. However, the hat, along with his yellow shirt, are the complete opposite of blending in, which Raj hysterically points out via a quick-witted Pixar movie reference.
#3: Zack & SpongeBob
“The Justice League Recombination”
Top 10 Hilarious The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Running Gags
Zack Johnson was Penny’s on again off again boyfriend. And although he was a, to quote Penny “perfectly nice guy”, he was also a perfectly not very smart guy. This led to plenty of mocking whenever he was around the Big Bang geniuses. And while this did give us plenty of insults to pull from, it was Sheldon who got in the best dig on the season four episode, “The Justice League Recombination.” When Zack sits down to talk science with the ‘science dudes,’ he brings up an interesting fact he learnt about starfish on the Discovery channel. He doesn’t get the facts just right though, which leads to Sheldon questioning what channel he was actually watching.
#2: Sheldon Doesn’t Think Leonard Has a Chance
“Pilot”
Top 10 Best Leonard & Sheldon Moments on The Big Bang Theory
In the “Pilot” episode, Leonard, completely infatuated with new neighbor Penny, declares that their babies will be “smart and beautiful.” In fact, in the show’s final episode, Sheldon mentions this moment during his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. However, while the line has become an iconic quote in the history of the series, what many might forget is that, in that pilot, Leonard’s quote was followed by a nice put-down from his good friend Sheldon. Like everyone else around Leonard, Sheldon assumed that his relationship with Penny would forever remain a fantasy.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Tall, Pale & Awkward, “The Occupation Recalibration”
Raj Does Make a Good Point
Leonard’s Work Does Seem Complicated, “The Gorilla Experiment”
Sheldon Gets in a Good Jab at Leonard Even When He Isn’t There to Hear It
Penny Gets in on the ‘Howard Doesn’t Have a PhD’ Joke, “The Roommate Transmogrification”
Just Because She Never Graduated Doesn’t Mean Penny Can’t Join In
Sheldon Doesn’t Turn Penny On, “The White Asparagus Triangulation”
And He’s Totally Okay with That
Traffic Court Insult, “The Excelsior Acquisition”
Insulting the Judge Is Never a Smart Idea
#1: Sheldon Mocks Penny’s Education
“The Prestidigitation Approximation”
Top 10 Penny & Sheldon Moments on The Big Bang Theory
When Zack isn’t around, Penny is usually the one on the other end of the you-aren’t-super-smart insults (besides of course, Howard). Not only does Penny lack a PhD, but she also lacks a degree from the community college she attended. And it is that time at community college that Sheldon uses as the basis of his insult towards her in a funny moment of frustration in season four. When Sheldon finds himself getting more and more aggravated at not being able to figure out Howard’s card trick, he doesn’t take too kindly to Penny telling him that [“not knowing is part of the fun.”]
