Top 10 Hilarious Golden Girls Running Gags

You simply can’t get anything past Sophia Petrillo. No matter how discreet the ladies try to be, you can almost guarantee that Sophia is somewhere listening in on their conversations. From pressing her ear up against the door to stealthily picking up the phone in another room, this fiery matriarch knows all the tricks to get the gossip. And even if the ladies don’t catch her in the act, her wry comments usually give her away anyway. No one’s secrets are safe when Sophia is around. Perhaps the other ladies don’t find this particularly endearing, but we think it’s absolutely hilarious.

In a lot of ways, the show was rather progressive when it came to the subject of sex. However, the others often mocked Blanche for her active sex life and she was frequently slut-shamed. One of the most recurring gags, however, surrounds her many ‘first-time’ stories. Anytime the topic comes up, she seems to have a different account. At one point she even confuses herself over whom it was with. And on another occasion, the ladies recall the previous tales she’s told them. We may never know which one is the “definitive” truth, but we know we’re always in for a great story.

Sophia’s purse is instantly recognizable, and she’s hardly ever seen without it. It’s iconic both for its appearance, and for what it represents for this character. However, the funniest reason is because of the hilarious array of items that often find their way inside. From food to dishware and even contraband, Sophia placed a surprising amount of unusual items into her purse over the years. Estelle Getty actually bought the bag from a thrift shop, and explained how the purse was a symbol of independence for the older lady. Apparently, it’s also somewhere to hide your Brussel sprouts when you’d rather not eat them.

A lady never reveals her age, and this is a golden rule that Blanche Deveraux lives by. No matter how hard her friends might try — and, boy have they tried — this is one secret Blanche plans to take to the grave. Throughout the series, she enjoys making a point of how much younger she is than the other women, but no one’s really buying it. In reality, Rue McClanahan was actually about a decade younger than her co-stars, so it’s certainly possible. Anyway, the untold secret of Blanche’s age often makes plenty of humorous moments that never cease to make us laugh.

Who doesn’t love Sophia’s dry and often wicked sense of humor? The Sicilian matriarch is known for her direct and cutting comments, which have provided so many humorous moments over the years. However, sometimes her timing is a little too on the nose and it’s up to Dorothy to stop her. This could be through covering her mouth, putting food in it, or simply telling her to stop talking. Perhaps at that moment, it works... however, we all know that, if Sophia wants to say something, nothing is really going to stop her. Well, maybe one thing, but more on that later.

Rose means well but sometimes her naivety simply grates on the others. Her input in conversations isn’t always the most insightful, or relevant and she has a tendency to go off on tangents. When these moments occur, her friends waste no time in shutting her down. It happens so often that it only takes a look from her friends and Rose takes her cue to stop talking. We guess everyone has a daily ditziness tolerance and for some, the threshold is lower than for others. Poor Rose, she’s told to shut up so often... but it always gets a good laugh.

When Sophia’s retirement home burned down in a fire caused by a faulty heater, she moved in with Dorothy and her friends. We never actually get to see the retirement home properly but from what Sophia shares, Shady Pines was not a nice place to live nor were the staff particularly kind. So, anytime Sophia annoys Dorothy, the latter casually threatens to send her back to the home. Out of all of the show’s running gags, this one might be the darkest but there’s no denying that it's rather amusing too. After all, no one knows how to check Sophia quite like her own daughter.

Whether someone is sad, happy, angry, unable to sleep — or, it’s just a Tuesday — there’s always time for cheesecake. There’s seemingly no problem these ladies can’t solve when they’re sharing this much-loved dessert. Supposedly, the actors ate over 100 cheesecakes throughout the show’s seven-year run. Although they couldn't recall why they initially chose it, the creators clearly thought that it was the ultimate comfort food. However, apparently, Bea Arthur wasn’t even a fan of the dessert, and would often just push it around her plate. Cheesecake was practically the fifth Golden Girl and we wouldn’t be surprised if some fans have adopted this problem-solving strategy, too.

No matter what’s going on in their lives, Rose always seems to have a hometown St. Olaf story for every occasion. And you’d be hard-pressed to come by a single episode where we aren’t treated to one of her hilarious and often irrelevant, anecdotes. Over the years we learn quite a lot about its eccentricities, including its residents (both human and animal), bizarre festivals, unusual customs, interesting history and uh, unique language. And, who could possibly forget the tale of the Great Herring War? These tales often leave her friends exasperated, but there’s nothing we love more than a good ol’ St. Olaf story.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Sophia Takes Money From Dorothy
What’s Family for if Not to Lend a Buck?

Dorothy Hits Rose With A Rolled-Up Newspaper
She Dishes It Out But She Sure Can’t Take It

Stan Announces His Arrival
This Gives Dorothy Plenty of Warning to Slam the Door in His Face

Stan’s Toupée
The Ladies Constantly Roast Dorothy’s Ex Over His Hair Piece

Stan the “Yutz”
Sophia Starts This Trend, but It Soon Spreads to the Others

Although the ladies are often subject to Sophia’s wisecracks, she’s also often the one they turn to for advice. As with Rose, her advice usually comes in the form of an anecdote, but with an easier-to-deduce moral. You know you’re in for a great story whenever she says “Picture it…”. Over the series, Sophia is always sharing more details about her colorful past, and never passes up the opportunity to shamelessly name-drop. After all, she claims to have had many a rendezvous with some pretty significant historical figures. Sophia really knows how to paint a story, which she builds up until a grand reveal at the end.