There are many, many amazing quotes in the movies but when it’s just one word, it’s perhaps even more iconic. One word that stirs the emotions as much as whole sentence? That’s powerful. Here are some of the most memorable one-word lines in Hollywood history:
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1. Excellent
The clue is very much in the title with this one, “excellent” being the favored quote for Bill and Ted as they have an Excellent Adventure.
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2. Bada-bing
GoodFellas has some great one-liners, with Joe Pesci’s “bada-bing!” being one of the most memorable.
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3. Inconceivable!
The Princess Bride is an absolute genre-spanning classic with some great quotable dialogue.
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4. Ni!
The first word that comes to mind when anybody mentions Monty Python and The Holy Grail? Ni!
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5. Mo-o-o-o
Apparently James Dean was only fooling around when he made his famous mooing noise in Rebel Without A Cause, but it stuck!
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6. Bumsen
Though the music is what really makes Cabaret so great, Liza Minnelli perfectly pronouncing the German word for screwing is priceless!
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7. Adrian
Who can think about Rocky without picturing Sylvester Stallone shouting at the top of voice “Adriaaaann!”
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8. Bonjour
The visuals in The Exorcist are what stay in the mind, but poor possessed Regan greeting the priest with a sinister ‘bonjour’ is chilling!
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9. Attica
With a simple scream of one word from Al Pacino, the plot in Dog Day Afternoon goes to the next level.
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10. Toga
The late great John Belushi immortalizes National Lampoon’s Animal House with his party line of “To-ga!”.
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11. Schwing
It might be immature, but it sure is still funny all these years later! Thank you Wayne’s World.
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12. La-dee-da
Diane Keaton has loads of memorable lines in Annie Hall, but “la-dee-da!” is probably one of the most memorable.
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13. Redrum
One chilling word always comes to mind when I think about The Shining. Redrum! Redrum! Redrum!
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14. Mother
Nobody can ever forget Norman Bates, or his chilling cry of ‘Mother!’ upon discovering Janet Leigh’s body in Psycho!
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15. Indians
Jack Nicholson blurts out a whole host of hilarious words and phrases when he gets drunk in Easy Rider, it’s hard to pick just one!
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16. Ha!
When you tell someone you love them, you definitely do not want to be greeted with a single “Ha!’, but that’s what happens in All About Eve!
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17. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
It sure is a tongue twister, but Mary Poppins wouldn’t be the same without it.
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18. Arthur
George Harrison’s answer to a reporter in A Hard Day's Night asking what he would call his haircut? A short and sweet, “Arthur”!
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9. Home
One of the best movies of the 80s, E.T. can be summed up by his desire to do one thing;, get “home”.
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20. Rosebud
Arguably the most iconic single word in any film in cinematic history, as heard in Citizen Kane.
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21. Freedom
I will always remember Braveheart for one thing - Mel Gibson’s emotional cry that stirred an army to fight for its country.
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22. Stella
Marlon Brando’s exclamation of “Stellaaa!” in A Streetcar Named Desire has been parodied in almost everything from Seinfeld to The Simpsons.
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23. Bueller
Ben Stein’s hilarious deadpan delivery of the line “Bueller?” provides one of the most memorable moments in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
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24. Fiddle-dee-dee
Scarlett O’Hara’s flippant used of the phrase “fiddle-dee-dee” perfectly encapsulates her character in Gone With the Wind.
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25. Ssssssmokin!
In The Mask, one of Jim Carrey’s most love films, he produces one of his most loved lines.
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I know it hasn't reached iconic status yet but my vote is that it will do in the years to come. What am I referring to? The single utterance of "always" by Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. Which single word in the movies has left an indeible impression on you?
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