Stock Phrases - Television Tropes & Idioms

Taggart: Hold up, men! We'll head 'em off at the pass!
LaMarr: "Head them off at the pass"? I hate that old cliché! (shoots Taggart in the foot)

— Blazing Saddles

Stock Phrases are a line of dialogue which get repeated very often in different fictional works, but always carrying the same meaning each and every time they're used. In many cases, they will only be uttered in a specific situation, and often with the same exact words each time. In lampshade-heavy works, may be followed with "I Always Wanted to Say That".

If the phrase is a signature line closely associated with a single character or specific work, it becomes their Catch Phrase.

Closely related to the Stock Parodies. When you've heard the entire conversation before, it may have degenerated into a Cliché Storm. See also Stock Quotes, which can be attributed to a single source but get quoted over and over in the same way each time.

For "stock phrases" whose meaning is exclusive to Troper wiki culture, see the index of Predefined Messages.

As of mid-2011, No New Stock Phrases may be created.

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