Talking in Quotes

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I find I'm often doing this, assuming that people know what show I'm quoting from. But I think sometimes they don't know and think I'm insulting them or just being weird.

e.g. I often quote from The Princess Bride, or Star Wars, or Father Ted, assuming everyone knows quotes from there.

Such as 'Inconceivable' 'I killed your father, prepare to die' 'I've got a bad feeling about this' 'that would be an ecumenical matter' 'Will you have a cup of tea? Aw go on, you'll have some. Go on go on go on go on go on go on go on go on GO ON!"

The other day I quoted a very famous advert which said 'make sure you get to the pool before the Germans' and someone thought I was being racist. I was just quoting an advert!

What do people think?

sometimes I quote things for effect, like Bill & Ted's goofy "Excellent!" "Elementary, my dear Watson," Draco Centauros (Puyo Puyo)'s "Why me?!" but I don't do it to the level of Mrs. Who in A Wrinkle in Time.

I always wondered why people didn't know what I was talking about but it seems I should be more careful about quoting

I'm always tempted to say "sppppoons" like Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, as well as his wife's catchphrase "Oh I know".

I tend to use favourite movie or TV show quotes with my buddy when we both know what I'm referring to as not everyone knows or remembers these sort of things.

"This is the way"

Yes I'm gradually learning to only use quotes with people I know well i.e. my husband. Other people just take offence.

Quotes from Friends are generally safe, I find.

Could that BE more (whatever)

We were on a break!

Joey doesn't share food

How YOU doin'?

I *know*!

etc.

"I don't believe it!!" is a safe and well known phrase from One Foot in the Grave. Just don't say it to Richard Wilson himself as he grew weary of it!

Yes maybe using safe quotes like that is the answer. Not from weird shows that I like.

I'll remember that when I next meet Richard Wilson then

DO NOT say to a student on the way to an exam "you shall NOT pass!!" in Ian McKellen's most authoritarian voice...

Yes I used to do that sometimes, but I seem to have mostly learned that not everybody knows the quotes I know.

Those about the only two universally understood quotes mentioned in this thread so far.

Everyone knows Sherlock Holm's "elementary..."(though there is an irony in this), and even if they dont know the movie "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" most folks would kinda 'get' that you're spoofing a goofy surfer dude type character when you say "excelleeeent". I use it myself at work sometimes. So both are acceptable in public.

The irony about the first thing is that...in NONE of the Sherlock Holms novels or short stories did Arthur Conan Doyle ever actually have his character utter the phrase "elementary my dear Watson". So it isnt really a "quote". Like they say that Capt. Kirk never actually said "Beam me up, Scotty." during the entire Star Trek series.

Its safe to quote something "high brow" like Shakespeare or the Bible because then it doesnt matter if the other person "knows the quote" or not because - it will make you look smarter than them if they dont know it!

Doyle came close to using the phrase but P. G. Wodehouse coined the phrase.

If I didn't use quotes I'd have very little to say It's a form of echolalia.

The only ones I know in this thread are from FRIENDS.

*crawls back under rock*

I didn’t know any of the ones from Friends. I never got into that show.