Top 20 Hilarious Elaine Moments on Seinfeld

Elaine has a stubborn streak, and this quality gets her in trouble in this third-season episode. When she wants to attend a Yankees game with George, Elaine lies to get out of attending a bris for the son of her boss, Mr. Lippman. However, the plan backfires, as her refusal to remove her cap advertising the Baltimore baseball team gets her entire group thrown out. To make matters worse, she then must prevent Lippman from seeing her photo in the newspaper sports section. Elaine doesn’t quite get off scot-free, and this moment encapsulates the cheeky attitude (and terrible luck) that make her so entertaining to watch.

This is one of Elaine’s most downright ridiculous storylines, but also one of her funniest. Thinking that her name is Susie, Elaine’s coworker Peggy complains about her to her face. This spurs their boss J. Peterman to organize a meeting with both Elaine and Susie present. Elaine often shoots herself in the foot, and her refusal to simply correct Peggy’s error spins hilariously out of control. Her subsequent tale about Susie’s death leads to a funeral for the fictional employee that she herself must attend. It’s a classic case of mistaken identity, but her desperate attempts to keep her lie going lead to some truly unique situations. But the best moment of all has to be when Elaine bizarrely takes ownership of her new name.

Elaine’s relationship with her erratic boss, and her status at work, take an unexpected turn in Season 8. While Elaine pitches a downright terrible product idea, a distracted J. Peterman takes off to Myanmar and leaves her to run his namesake catalog. Kramer’s story of gaining confidence at his karate class inspires Elaine — until she discovers his opponents are children. Seeing Elaine transform from an anxiety-riddled cog in the machine to a way overconfident authoritarian is hilarious — mostly because we can tell it’s fleeting. But the most memorable part of this storyline is her ill-conceived “urban sombrero” that she places on the publication’s cover.

Much like her friends, Elaine just can’t help but to share her opinions. After seeing the titular romantic war drama, Elaine finds herself punished for disliking it. To stay in her boss’s good graces, she claims she hasn’t seen it, but gets roped into yet another screening. It’s truly side-splitting to see Elaine absolutely lose it in the theater and get fired for it. Her relationship with the eccentric J. Peterman is one of the show’s funniest, and this episode sums it up well. The fact that he’ll rehire her only if she visits the film’s Tunisian setting is somehow both outlandish and totally on-brand.

One of Elaine’s major arcs focuses on her work life, and finds her at the mercy of multiple fickle bosses. In the sixth-season premiere, her attempt to channel Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis inadvertently lands her a personal assistant gig with a publishing executive. He turns out to be a stickler, and even the task of buying him socks is an absolutely maddening affair. Elaine has sizable career ambitions, and often seems to be on the path to success. But in classic “Seinfeld” fashion, her breakthroughs often turn out to be setbacks — and this moment captures that painful pattern particularly well.

Whether at work, at an important function, or just relaxing with her friends, Elaine’s social graces aren’t exactly her strong suit. This comes to the fore in this episode in which the gang attends a performance by George’s pianist girlfriend Noel. Jerry mischievously places one of the iconic candy dispensers on Elaine, and for some reason, she finds it just hysterical. In the midst of the emotional recital, Elaine bursts into laughter and must flee the theater. It’s an incredibly cringe-worthy moment, and of course, it forces George to hide her identity from his girlfriend. But almost as funny as the outburst itself is Elaine and Jerry’s speculation about the culprit in Noel’s dressing room.

Elaine is not unlike Kramer in going to sometimes ridiculous lengths to satisfy her desires. In this eighth-season episode, she tries to circumvent a restaurant’s delivery boundaries. She finally finds an empty utility closet to disguise as her apartment, and her friends even join her in the tiny space. Although she can get her flounder, she’s also forced to keep up appearances as the building’s custodian. The fact that she’ll stop at nothing to get her fish delivered is both wacky and not all that surprising for Elaine. And seeing her take on another job — and even another home — for this sole purpose makes this episode unforgettable.

Elaine’s storyline in this Season 5 episode doesn’t take up much time, but it’s nothing if not memorable. Jerry decides to set her up with one of the best guys he knows, Phil Totola. The date is great until the very end, when Phil takes things in a very inappropriate direction. Although it’s horrible to see Elaine endure this skeezy interaction, her debrief with Jerry is an absolutely unforgettable moment. It’s not the only instance of the show skirting around lewd topics, but it is one of the funniest. If the situation weren’t painful enough, Kramer stops by Jerry’s apartment and provides a truly hare-brained explanation for the unexpected flash.

This eighth-season episode is famous for taking as its focus the titular filler phrase. George’s girlfriend Marcy uses the line to omit unimportant events from her stories, and at first he takes a liking to it. But soon enough, he’s worried that she’s hiding a sexual tryst with her ex — and we don’t blame him. Although she’s not directly implicated in the storyline, Elaine hilariously weighs in the topic of skipping over sex. In an episode already full of wit and wordplay, this line is one of the funniest. But Julia Louis-Dreyfus also deserves credit for her delivery of the subtle yet brutal roast.

Elaine? Moody? Never. This beloved character doesn’t always keep it together, and this is especially the case in this Season 3 episode. George brings her and Jerry to a party on Long Island, only to later run off with the latter’s car. Sadly, everyone else at the party is extremely dull, and although Elaine and Jerry devise an S.O.S. signal for boring conversations, it doesn’t help. When another guest prattles on about her own fiancé, Elaine becomes so agitated that she can’t help but retort. With a reference to an Australian tragedy from the year 1980, the line is definitely strange. But her delivery is so gleefully rude that it somehow feels like the sickest burn we’ve ever heard.

Elaine’s storyline in this sixth-season episode involves disguising a coworker’s sexual identity, but her funniest moment actually centers on a development in George’s life. With a new hairpiece boosting his confidence, George is shocked to find that his blind date is as bald as he. Ever our heroine, Elaine steps in to bring her friend back down to earth in the most hilarious way. Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays this moment with true ferocity, and the lines she spits at George are priceless. For all of Jerry and George’s unfair judgement of women, we’re thankful that Elaine has her head screwed on straight… sometimes.

Elaine is no stranger to embarrassing herself, and when she teams up with Kramer, it’s practically a recipe for disaster. In this episode, Elaine takes up her friend’s offer to shoot her Christmas card. In a tragic mishap, she doesn’t discover that the photo reveals her nipple until after the greetings are sent. Elaine experiences numerous misfortunes in the series, but seeing her experience the fallout of this gaffe is particularly tough. It’s a truly iconic Elaine plotline, and to top it all off, she practically attacks George when he complains about not receiving one of the infamous cards.

As great friends as they are, Jerry and Elaine have a relationship that is sometimes haunted by their romantic past. In the fifth-season premiere, George is concerned with his sexual chemistry with a girlfriend. To her friends’ shock, Elaine reveals that she faked it while dating Jerry. It’s clear that she relishes dropping the bomb at least a little bit, and it’s hilarious to watch. The admission leads to such tension between the pair that they later decide to give it another go. But thanks to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s expert delivery, the episode’s highlight is undeniably their banter just after the initial confession.

The characters in “Seinfeld” are flawed, to say the least. One of Elaine’s main foibles is her sometimes vindictive nature, and this takes center stage in this Season 5 episode. In an iconic scene, Elaine asks her restroom neighbor to spare some tissue, but the latter refuses. It turns out the selfish stranger is Jerry’s girlfriend, and once Elaine finds out, suffice to say she gets her revenge. The back-and-forth between stalls is truly outlandish, and we only need to see the women’s feet to know exactly what’s going on. And with Elaine stopping at nothing to get back at her new nemesis, she completely steals the show in the episode’s last moments.

If TV shows are to be believed, making the trip from New York to Florida is challenging enough on its own. But Elaine encounters additional obstacles while accompanying Jerry on a visit to his parents’ place. Not only is she a sweaty mess thanks to no A/C; her sleep on the Seinfelds’ pull-out couch also seriously screws up her back. If watching Elaine’s night time tantrum isn’t funny enough, we then get to see her way too hopped up on muscle relaxants. This episode shows the character in extremes, from fuming in agony to giddily impersonating Marlon Brando in “A Streetcar Named Desire” — and both are pure entertainment.

Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine all get fantastic storylines in this transit-themed episode. But the latter’s subway ride is particularly nightmarish. First, she’s chatted up by a bigoted woman who doesn’t take Elaine’s role as best man at a lesbian wedding kindly. Things only get worse when the train abruptly stops and Elaine is overcome by feelings of claustrophobia. It’s hilarious to hear such a neurotic character’s inner thoughts as she contemplates spending the rest of her life in the car. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s performance in the later part of the episode is a masterclass in body language, and it makes for both cringe-inducing and side-splitting viewing.

“Seinfeld” satirizes the struggles of air travel in this episode, and of course we see this experience through Elaine’s eyes. While Jerry scores a seat at the front end of the plane, Elaine’s behavior towards an airport employee gets her luggage sent to Hawaii. Then, she suffers through a brutal trip in the economy section thanks to an inconsiderate neighbor, a stinky bathroom, and a no-nonsense flight attendant. Although we can understand Elaine’s frustration, it’s hilarious to see her get so worked up over the minutiae of flying coach. Her trials and tribulations are especially funny contrasted with Jerry’s lavish first-class experience.

This isn’t the only “Seinfeld” episode where Elaine seeks revenge, but it’s certainly one of the most memorable. The gang visits a stand that offers amazing soup but enforces draconian rules. Elaine’s flippant attitude gets her banned from the shop. But thanks to Kramer, she inadvertently ends up in possession of the vendor’s prized recipes. This discovery leads to one of the show’s most iconic conclusions, as Elaine returns to the store and tells the Soup Nazi his career is over. The venom in her voice as she recites his own catchphrases is shocking and yet couldn’t be funnier.

Elaine’s storyline in this seventh-season episode memorably hinges on the topic of birth control. After Kramer informs her that her brand of contraceptive sponges is being taken off the market, she must use her stockpile wisely. This conundrum leads to multiple funny moments. She decides to completely buy out a local pharmacy and denies George access to her stash, even though his personal life with Susan Ross depends on it. Even better, though, is her rigorous interview with boyfriend Billy about his “spongeworthiness.” Although there’s nothing wrong with having high standards, it’s truly amusing to see Elaine’s ultra-formal approach to such an intimate activity.

When it comes to defining moments for this “Seinfeld” character, simply nothing compares to her demonstrating her iconic dancing skills — or lack thereof. Elaine finds herself alienated from her colleagues after a work party, and of course, she assumes it’s George’s fault. In fact, her absolutely cringe-worthy dance floor moves are to blame. To get an objective view, Elaine records herself over a bootleg film tape, but she becomes infamous after the video is distributed. For all of her lovable traits, this character seriously lacks self-awareness — and this plot captures that fact in a truly unique way.