Top 10 British Comedy Catchphrases

As arguably “The Fast Show”s best known characters, Ken and Kenneth are the sex-obsessed tailors with an innuendo for everything. And the rampant repetition of this famous catchphrase always comes just as they’re awkwardly encroaching into a customer’s personal space. “Fast Show” superfan Johnny Depp even appeared in the sketch for the farewell episode, playing subject to the tailors’ uncomfortable sales technique. Away from the show the phrase works as both double-entendre and a genuine compliment. Very versatile.

Of all the awkwardly unforgettable moments, this might just be “The Inbetweeners” lasting legacy. First coined when Will, Simon and Neil learn of Jay’s mate from football tryouts, it’s a relentless wind-up always served with sincere sarcasm and a hearty thumbs up. Ultimately, the lads take the mick so much that poor Jay spectacularly snaps... But this one has definitely burrowed into the general British lexicon since then.

Thanks to the unique style of the show, “Red Dwarf” has gained quite the cult following throughout the years - with multiple series and revivals all suitably stacked with smeg. And while the ingenious insult always seems to sound best whenever it’s coming from Lister’s mouth, and especially if it’s aimed directly at Rimmer, it’s definitely a word that “Red Dwarf” fans deliver on the daily. A flexible term, “smeg” can be adapted for most situations, but “smeg head” is a ‘suits all’ stonker!

The resident idiot throughout the show, Baldrick is usually the butt of Blackadder’s jokes. So, naturally, he’s the last person you’d expect to have anything close to an even vaguely “cunning plan”. But this baseless phrase is so regularly used by the character that it becomes his calling card. And, more often than not, even though Blackadder mocks Baldrick’s ideas, he winds up utilising them anyway. It’s about time this guy got the credit he deserves!

Mid-2000s sketch show “Little Britain” is absolutely loaded with comedy catchphrases. Between king of camp Daffyd Thomas, super chav Vicky Pollard, and Fat Fighters leader Marjorie Dawes there are so many to choose from. But Lou and Andy claim their place on this list, with an everyday utterance that became a slogan for the show. Lou’s sweet disposition in caring for Andy helped to make the characters popular. But Andy’s mischievous mutterings are what truly put them on the pop culture map.

In another sketch show classic that’s built on instantly recognisable turns of phrase, Catherine Tate’s Lauren Cooper became an antagonistic archetype for high-schoolers everywhere. Blatantly defiant of everything and everyone, Lauren always ends up yelling at her teachers about something or other, usually rounding her rants off with this couldn’t-care-less question; “Am I bovvered?”. Sure, her portrayal of a British teenager is more than a little exaggerated but, are we bothered though?

Famed for his fez and trademark trickery, Tommy Cooper’s an undisputed icon of British comedy. And despite being a pretty successful magician, his act usually revolved around failed magic tricks - typically topped off with these three little words. He cracked “just like that” so often that it became not only his catchphrase, but the go-to saying for anyone searching for something to underline a recent achievement. And it became so closely associated with Cooper that it’s now the name of several tribute shows to the legend.

Seeing as this classic sitcom seems to be forever on repeat on British TV, here’s one classic catchphrase that’s definitely here to stay. Even if you haven’t watched the wheeler dealer series from start to finish multiple times, everyone knows that Rodney Trotter is the plonker in question, and that this particular insult sounds best when spoken with Del Boy’s thick cockney accent. Special mention for “Lovely Jubbly”, the universal saying for whenever something’s going well, but we’d be the plonkers if we missed this one out!

Early retirement should bring about a peaceful and carefree existence. But not for Victor Meldrew. The hilariously cantankerous character may just be the unluckiest man alive, and it’s really no surprise that he has anger issues. But, on the plus side, it’s really easy to do a spot-on impression of him. Just randomly yell anytime you’re annoyed, use the word ‘bloody’ whenever you can, and generally try your best not to believe anything. Meldrew’s iconic incredulity is instantly recognisable, whether you’re a fan of the show or not.

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

“You Stupid Boy!”
“Dad’s Army” (1968-77)

“I Shall Say This Only Once”
“‘Allo ‘Allo!” (1982-92)

“This is a Local Shop for Local People”
“The League of Gentlemen” (1999-2002)

Peter Kay’s served up more than his fair share of memorable moments in British comedy. But this simple shout out to seasoned ciabatta still stands as his most-quoted line. At the centre of a memorable scene from Kay’s cult sitcom “Phoenix Nights”, it’s also food of choice for a famous routine during his stand-up shows. Today, any mention of garlic bread in a British household, and someone’s going to bring out their best Bolton accent to repeat the words back to you. And why shouldn’t they? ‘It’s the future’, after all.