History Main / SubvertedCatchphrase

A character appears to be setting up their CatchPhrase, but instead says something completely different. Almost always a comedy trope, where the humour comes from subverting the audience's intentions.

* This is common on ''{{Pokemon}}'', where quite often, Team Rocket will set up as though they're going to say they're usual catchphrase, then replace it with a variation or completely different wording.

** "Aren't you a little old to be building a fort?" "No, no I'm not. Shut up."
*** "Aren't you a little old to be a heavyweight boxer?"
*** "Aren't you a little young to be toy designers?" "No, I don't think so."
** "CURSE YOU, INADEQUATE IMMUNE SYSTEM!"
*** "CURSE YOU, MOTOR-VEHICLE CODE!"
*** "CURSE YOU, PERRY THE PLATYPUS BALLOON!"
*** "BLESS YOU, PERRY THE PLATYPUS!"
** "PERRY THE BANJO-PLAYING PLATYPUS!"
*** "PERRY THE PLATYPUS BALLOON!"
*** "PERRY THE TEENAGE GIRL!"
** "Norm, I know what we're going to do today!"

** Also, Hermes in "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back": "Sweet... something... of... someplace". This counts as a subversion as well as a LampshadeHanging, since it's the only time where it doesn't rhyme, and one of the only times when the "something" isn't an animal.

* In ''TwoBestFriendsPlay: [[CaptainAmerica Captain America: The First Avenger]]'', Matt spends the entire video avoiding his "'''AMERICA!'''" catchphrase despite Pat's goading, to the point where he even avoids saying Cap's ''name''. [[spoiler:[[BigWordShout Until the very end, that is.]]]]

* In ''TwoBestFriendsPlay: [[CaptainAmerica Captain America: The First Avenger]]'', Matt spends the entire video avoiding his "'''AMERICA!'''" catchphrase despite Pat's goading. [[spoiler:[[BigWordShout Until the very end, that is.]]]]

* In ''TwoBestFriendsPlay CaptainAmerica: The First Avenger'', Matt spends the entire video avoiding his "'''AMERICA!'''" catchphrase despite Pat's goading. [[spoiler:[[BigWordShout Until the very end, that is.]]]]

* In ''TwoBestFriendsPlay CaptainAmerica: The First Avenger'', Matt spends the entire video avoiding his "'''AMERICA!'''" catchphrase despite Pat's goading. [[[[spoiler:BigWordShout Until the very end, that is.]]]]

* ''LastActionHero'':
-->'''[[ArnoldSchwarzenegger Jack Slater]]:''' I'll be back! Ha! You didn't know I was gonna say that, did you?

* Fez of ''That70sShow'' is prone to saying "Good day," to which another character protests, "But, Fez..." and he replies, "I said, 'Good day,'" and storms off. On a few occasions, however, he subverts the expectation by either not responding to the "but" line in the same manner, or else replacing "good day" with another phrase, often [[TrademarkFavoriteFood something to do with candy]] or women.

** NC has gotten a lot of use out of a clip of M. Bison turning around and shouting "OF COURSE!" whenever mention is made of taking over the world. When he dons Bison's trademark outfit in ''{{Kickassia}}'', Chris Larios asks if he's planning to take over the world, and he turns and shouts, "NATURALLY!" [[DoubleSubversion However]], after a few more tries, Larios does get him to deliver the line he wanted.

* On an episode of ''RegularShow'', Muscle Man subverts his "MY MOM!" catch phrase:

* In the ''PinkyAndTheBrain'' episode "That Smarts", the Brain's attempt to make Pinky smarter eventually leaves them both stupid. They attempt their usual SoOnceAgainTheDayIsSaved:

* In episode 10 of ScoobyDooMysteryInc, Scooby is locked up in an animal asylum, framed for attacks made by a robotic lookalike. Shaggy is despondent, so Velma attempts to cheer him up by wolfing down a sandwich and saying "Relma Delma Doo!"
* PhineasAndFerb does this almost OnceAnEpisode.

* Contestants on other shows have to be reminded that they're ''not'' on ''Jeopardy!'' ({{Gambit}}, WinBenSteinsMoney}} after answering a question in the form of a question. Ben Stein makes a causer of this infraction wear a dunce cap.

* [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] sometimes subverts "Because poor literacy is kewl!" by swapping "kewl" for another word or phrase.

* {{Futurama}} sometimes does this with Farnsworth's "Good news, everyone", instead having him say something like "Bad news, noone" or "Good news, noone".

** "CURSE YOU, HIGHWAY TRAFFIC CODE!"

*** "PERRY THE TEENAGE GIRL!"

* WebOriginal/TheNostalgiaCritic does this a lot. Every once in a while, instead of his normal catch phrase ("I remember it so you don't have to."), he'll say something else instead, generally indicating the covered work is '''really''' bad instead of just plain old bad. One example comes at the end of his review of ''A Kid In King Arthur's Court'', where he hits himself with a book in an attempt to forget the awful movie. As a result, he finishes by saying "I remember it so you don't Blue's Clues."

* [[WebOriginal/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] sometimes subverts "Because poor literacy is kewl!" by swapping "kewl" for another word or phrase.

* On an episode of ''RegularShow'', Muscle Man subverts his "MY MOM!" catch phrase:
--> '''Benson:''' Muscle Man, have you seen Pops at all today?
--> '''Muscle Man:''' Yeah, and you know who ''else'' has seen Pops today?
--> '''Benson:''' (''dryly'') Who, your mom?
--> '''Muscle Man:''' I wasn't gonna say that! Why does everyone always think I'm gonna say "my mom"?
** And a DoubleSubversion, when asking if they know who taught High Five Ghost his mechanic skills:
--> '''Muscle Man:''' You know who taught him? My Uncle John. He's a mechanic[…]You know who taught him? MY MOM!
* At least once on ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', Finn and Jake have subverted their "What ''time'' is it?" "[[TitleDrop Adventure time]]!" exchange.
* Occasionally done for laughs on ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' when someone hits a Daily Double. Instead of saying the typical "I'd like to make this a true Daily Double", one contestant said, "[[WheelOfFortune I'd like to solve the puzzle.]]" The requirements for answers being a question have also been abused for jokes, such as "What be ebonics?"
* Fez of ''That70sShow'' is prone to saying "Good day," to which another character protests, "But, Fez..." and he replies, "I said, 'Good day,'" and storms off. On a few occasions, however, he subverts the expectation by either not responding to the "but" line in the same manner, or else replacing "good day" with another phrase, often [[TrademarkFavoriteFood something to do with candy]] or women.

* In the ''PinkyAndTheBrain'' episode "That Smarts", the Brain's attempt to make Pinky smarter eventually leaves them both stupid. They attempt their usual SoOnceAgainTheDayIsSaved:
-->'''Pinky:''' What are we gonna do tomorrow night, Brain?\\
'''Brain:''' The same thing we do every night, Pinky... I have absolutely no idea.\\
'''Pinky:''' [[VerbalTic Poit.]]\\
'''Brain:''' [[BorrowedCatchPhrase Narf.]]
** There are also two or three occasions when Pinky actually is [[AreYouPonderingWhatImPondering pondering what Brain is pondering]], instead of giving his usual response of "I think so, Brain, but..."
* In episode 10 of ScoobyDooMysteryInc, Scooby is locked up in an animal asylum, framed for attacks made by a robotic lookalike. Shaggy is despondent, so Velma attempts to cheer him up by wolfing down a sandwich and saying "Relma Delma Doo!"
* Barney from ''Series/{{How I Met Your Mother}}'' did this once.
-->'''Barney:''' You are legen- wait for it - daddy, [[TitleDrop legendaddy]].

* Barney from {{How I Met Your Mother}} did this once.

* {{Linkara}} sometimes subverts "Because poor literacy is kewl!" by swapping "kewl" for another word or phrase.

* TheNostalgiaCritic does this a lot. Every once in a while, instead of his normal catch phrase ("I remember it so you don't have to."), he'll say something else instead, generally indicating the covered work is '''really''' bad instead of just plain old bad. One example comes at the end of his review of ''A Kid In King Arthur's Court'', where he hits himself with a book in an attempt to forget the awful movie. As a result, he finishes by saying "I remember it so you don't Blue's Clues."

** Also, Hermes in "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back": "Sweet... something... of... someplace".

* Occasionally done for laughs on ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' when someone hits a Daily Double. Instead of saying the typical "I'd like to make this a true Daily Double", one contestant said, "[[WheelOfFortune I'd like to solve the puzzle.]]" The requirements for answers being a question has also been abused for jokes, such as "What be ebonics?"

A character appears to be setting up their CatchPhrase, but instead says something completely different.