History CatchPhrase / Literature

** Constant Vigilance!

* In Literature/TheBible, anytime an angel shows up, it's almost guaranteed that the phrase "Fear not" will appear.

* ''Literature/SongAtDawn'': Emerganda is fond of the phrase 'Tort-n’avetz', i.e. "You are wrong." This is acknowledged in-universe.

* In ''{{Literature/Wonder 2012}}'', Summer's is "cool beans".

--->'''Eddie:''' Ka-ka.

* [[Literature/CaptainUnderpants TRA-LA-LA!]]
** [[Literature/CaptainUnderpants Awww, man!]]

* Literature/SherlockHolmes's BeamMeUpScotty is: "Elementary, my dear Watson", a line never found in the novel series. Then there's "The game's afoot!" which is actually a Shakespeare quote that Holmes utters ''once'' in the original stories. He does, however, have at least one genuine catchphrase: "You know my methods. Apply them!" This phrase or variations on it are used maybe six or seven times in the canon, but it hardly ever shows up in adaptations.
* ''{{Tarzan}}'': Averted by way of BeamMeUpScotty; "Me Tarzan, you Jane" is not found in the Tarzan novels.
* Garion's catchphrase in Creator/DavidEddings's ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', which the other characters quickly become tired of, is "[[IJustWantToBeNormal Why me?]]" Eventually answered as "Would you have trusted anyone else to do it?", but not before various other characters have taken it up briefly. In one scene Belgarath (who's TheObiWan, and usually the one being asked and not answering), says it, much to everyone's amusement.
** Silk's is "Trust Me" (which you actually shouldn't) and Errand receives his name because for a while "Errand" is the only word he can say.
* A handful of ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' characters have catchphrases:
** Rincewind: "[=OhshitohshitohshitI'mgoingtodie=]!"
*** Bonus points because this one was also uttered, on request, in "[[CanisLatinicus Wizard Language]]".
** Granny Weatherwax: "If you ain't got respect, you ain't got a thing," "I can't be havin' with this," "Blessings be upon this house", and of course written, rather than spoken: I ATEN'T DEAD.
** Death: [[AC: There's no justice. There's just me.]] Which in ''Mort'' became [[AC: There's no justice. There's just us.]]
** [[HonestJohnsDealership Dibbler's]] "That's cutting me own throat", along with the variants used by his [[InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals counterparts]].
** Vimes inverts this by asking "What's the thing I'm always saying?".
** Captain Carrot: "As Mister Vimes Says... "
** Lord Vetinari: "Don't let me detain you..."
** {{Lampshaded}} with Moist von Lipwig:
--->"Trust me."\\
"You use that phrase an awful lot, Mr. Lipwig."
** Foul Ole Ron's "Millenium Hand and Shrimp."
** Sergeant Jackrum has "Upon my oath, I am not [[MadLibsCatchPhrase an X]] man", where "X" is something he's currently being (violent, dishonest, etc.), and "[[AFatherToHisMen You are my little lads]], and I will look after you."

* Creator/KurtVonnegut, as author/narrator of ''Literature/SlaughterhouseFive'', punctuates everything involving death with the phrase "So it goes."
* In the ''Literature/{{Mash}}'' novels, Hawkeye has "Finest kind!" as a Catchphrase. This made it to the movie, and appeared in some of the earliest episodes of the TV series, but was eventually forgotten or abandoned. Hawkeye and Duke together share the Catchphrase "We're the Pros from Dover".
* Characters in Creator/StephenKing novels often have catchphrases shared between each other as in-jokes or references to past experience. For example:
** ''Literature/{{Dreamcatcher}}:'' "SSDD", "No bounce no play".
** ''Literature/{{It}}:'' "Beep-beep, Richie."
** The short story "Riding the Bullet" had the slightly philosophical phrase "Fun is fun, and done is done."
** In ''Literature/TheStand'', Tom Culleen has "My laws!" and "M-O-O-N, that spells (any word)".
** In ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' Roland's use of "Ka" to describe virtually any event beyond his control. Becomes a form of running gag between him & Eddie Dean in the later novels in the series.
--->'''Eddie:''' Ka?
--->'''Roland:''' Ka.
--->'''Eddie:''' Ka-ka.
* The ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series has Hermione's catchphrase "I read about it in ''Hogwarts: A History''."
** Harry's trademarked "Expelliarmus!" could also count (but also doubles as a SignatureMove)
** Constant Vigilance!
** "Bloody hell!" is Ron's catchphrase in the films, but is a BeamMeUpScotty as far as the books go.
* Scarlett O'Hara of ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' fame has "Fiddle-dee-dee!", "Great balls of fire!" and (in the book) "God's nightgown!"
* Gollum's "My prrrecious..." from ''Literature/LordOfTheRings''.
* Literature/HonorHarrington has the phrase 'Let's be about it', which she adopted from her first Captain, and which several of her subordinates have begun using.
* In Creator/DanAbnett's Literature/GauntsGhosts novels, Beltayn, Gaunt's adjunctant and vox officer, says "Something's awry" to report any kind of problem. Up to and including imminent disaster that could kill them all -- a fact LampShaded in the books.
** Abnett also uses this with Aemos in ''Literature/{{Eisenhorn}}'' whose favourite phrase is 'Most perturbatory'. It's even his last words.
* From Robert Jordan's ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' -
** Mat: "It's time to roll the dice." Also, "Blood and bloody ashes!" and "I am not a bloody lord!" (This last leading to wonderful {{Irony}} when Mat finally [[spoiler: marries Tuon and becomes the Prince of Ravens.]]
** Perrin: "I'm just a blacksmith." (More {{Irony}},as of [[spoiler: Book 13, Perrin is officially recognized by the monarchy of Andor as the Lord of the Two Rivers.]]
** Moirain & Siuan (and to a lesser extent, all Aes Sedai): "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills"
** Lan: [[TheStoic ...]]
** The Aiel get a few: "I have ''[[HonorBeforeReason toh]]''" and "[[TryNotToDie Sleep well and wake]]" are the most common, though the "to spit in Sightblinder's eye" speech and "Wash the Spears" come up on occasion.
*** Also, anything to do with 'water and shade' or 'shade of my heart'.
** Borderlanders: "Peace!"
** Woolhead... EVERYBODY.
* ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'':
-->"[[BandOfBrothers One for all, and all for one]] [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench (un pour tous, tous pour un)]]"
* From the Literature/VorkosiganSaga: Emperor Gregor Vorbarra has "Let's see what happens," used after making unconventional decisions.
** And Ivan Vorpatril often protests, "It's not my fault."
** Miles Vorkosigan's motto is "Forward momentum."
*** Also, "If I can do it, you can do it." The scary part is how often that ends up being true.
* The titular character in Creator/JohnBrunner's ''The Traveller in Black'': "I have many names, but a single nature"; "You may call me Mazda, or anything you please"; and, of course, "As you wish, so be it".
* [[Literature/{{Dragaera}} "Shut up, Loiosh."]]
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has Harry's "Hell's bells!" and "Stars and stones!"
** As well as Thomas Raith's "Empty night!"
*** Furthermore, ''Word of God'' has said that those three phrases will also be the titles of the Apocalyptic Trilogy that ends the series. In Butcher's own words, "there's a reason those are curses."
* ''Literature/SeventhSon'' has:
--> '''Kilroy 2.0''': "Kilroy 2.0 is here. Kilroy 2.0 is ''everywhere''."
* [[Creator/HarryTurtledove Into the Darkness]], King Swemmel of Unkerlant is inordinately fond of 'efficiency' in all things.

* Pseudonymous Bosch's ''Literature/SecretSeries'' (''The Name of This Book is Secret'' and sequels) has Max-Ernest. How 'bout that?
* Rumo, a minor character in ''Literature/TheThirteenAndAHalfLivesOfCaptainBluebear'', at one point tells the eponymous character that he's not good with words when trying (and failing) to explain a situation. When he becomes the main character in the following book, ''Literature/RumoAndHisMiraculousAdventures'', "I'm not good with words" has become his catchphrase, said whenever he's asked to explain or elaborate on something.
* Creator/HermanMelville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener" practically never says anything other than "I would prefer not to."
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'': "Mouse dung!" as an exclamation of frustration.

* The Literature/JeevesAndWooster stories have plenty:
** Bertie is practically a catch phrase arsenal. "This is a bit thick!" "Rally round!" "Right-o!" "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party", etc.
** [[TheJeeves Jeeves]] has "Very good, sir" and "I endeavor to be of assistance."
** Bingo Little: "We were at school together!" (As a way to get Bertie to [[ExtremeDoormat cave in and help him yet again]]. It always works.)

* [[Literature/WinnieThePooh Winnie-the-Pooh]]:
** "Bother!"
** Christopher Robin: "Silly old Bear!"
** Various characters/the narrator, "A bear of very little brain".
* Matteo of ''Literature/SomeoneElsesWar'' has "Inshallah" and "God is good."
* [[Literature/CaptainUnderpants TRA-LA-LA!]]
** [[Literature/CaptainUnderpants Awww, man!]]
* In the third book of ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', Peeta often asks "Real or not real?" thanks to the [[spoiler:MindRape he suffers at the hands of the Capitol]]. Haymitch also calls Katniss "sweetheart", mostly to annoy her.
* A frequent comment of Mrs. Bird in Michael Bond's Literature/PaddingtonBear series was "Bears always land on their feet."
* In Clint [=McCullough=]'s ''{{Literature/Nevada}}'', the main character, Meade Slaughter, when surprised by something, says "I'll be damned" so much that after it's his only response three times in a row, his daughter in law [[LampshadeHanging lampshades it]]: "Meade, if that's your only input, I might as well be talking to the wall."

* In Literature/TheBible, anytime an angel shows up, it's almost guaranteed that the phrase "Fear not" will appear.

-->'''Arya Stark:''' Fear cuts deeper than swords. ''(appropriated from her swordfighting instructor)''

-->'''Shagga, son of Dolf:''' I will chop off your manhood and feed it to the goats. ''(later appropriated by Tyrion Lannister)''

-->'''Daenerys:''' It is true that I am only a young girl, and do not know the ways of war.

-->'''Arya Stark:''' Fear cuts deeper than swords.

-->'''Shagga, son of Dolf:''' I will chop off your manhood and feed it to the goats.
-->'''The Dothraki in general:''' It is known.

-->'''Jaime Lannister''' (internal dialouge) She's been fucking Lancel, Osmund Kettleback and Moon Boy for all I know..

* ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'': Averted; a case of BeamMeUpScotty and MemeticMutation has resulted in "bah, humbug!" becoming the CatchPhrase of Ebenezer Scrooge. "Bah, humbug" is only spoken twice in the novel, though "humbug" comes up a few more times by itself. At that time, "humbug" meant "hoax" or "jest", so Scrooge was just dismissing Christmas as a fraud in the lingo of the day.
* SherlockHolmes' BeamMeUpScotty is: "Elementary, my dear Watson", a line never found in the novel series. Then there's "The game's afoot!" which is actually a Shakespeare quote that Holmes utters ''once'' in the original stories. He does, however, have at least one genuine catchphrase: "You know my methods. Apply them!" This phrase or variations on it are used maybe six or seven times in the canon, but it hardly ever shows up in adaptations.

* Garion's catchphrase in DavidEddings' ''The {{Belgariad}}'', which the other characters quickly become tired of, is "[[IJustWantToBeNormal Why me?]]" Eventually answered as "Would you have trusted anyone else to do it?", but not before various other characters have taken it up briefly. In one scene Belgarath (who's TheObiWan, and usually the one being asked and not answering), says it, much to everyone's amusement.

* ''ASongOfIceAndFire'':

* In LloydAlexander's ''TheChroniclesOfPrydain'',

* KurtVonnegut, as author/narrator of ''SlaughterhouseFive'', punctuates everything involving death with the phrase "So it goes."
* In the ''Literature/{{Mash}}'' novels, Hawkeye has "Finest kind!" as a CatchPhrase. This made it to the movie, and appeared in some of the earliest episodes of the TV series, but was eventually forgotten or abandoned. Hawkeye and Duke together share the CatchPhrase "We're the Pros from Dover".

** ''{{It}}:'' "Beep-beep, Richie."
** The short story ''Riding the Bullet'' had the slightly philosophical phrase "Fun is fun, and done is done."
** In ''TheStand'', Tom Culleen has "My laws!" and "M-O-O-N, that spells (any word)".

* Scarlett O'Hara of ''GoneWithTheWind'' fame has "Fiddle-dee-dee!", "Great balls of fire!" and (in the book) "God's nightgown!"
* Gollum's "My prrrecious..." from ''LordOfTheRings''.

** Abnett also uses this with Aemos in {{Eisenhorn}} whose favourite phrase is 'Most perturbatory'. It's even his last words.
* From Robert Jordan's ''TheWheelOfTime'' -

* [[{{Dragaera}} "Shut up, Loiosh."]]
* ''TheDresdenFiles'' has Harry's "Hell's bells!" and "Stars and stones!"

*** Furthermore, ''Word Of God'' has said that those three phrases will also be the titles of the Apocalyptic Trilogy that ends the series. In Butcher's own words, "there's a reason those are curses."

* [[HarryTurtledove Into the Darkness]], King Swemmel of Unkerlant is inordinately fond of 'efficiency' in all things.
* ''CiaphasCain'': "If I had known (X) was going to happen, I would have shot (Y) myself."

* HermanMelville's ''Bartleby, the Scrivener'' practically never says anything other than "I would prefer not to."

* {{Dinotopia}}: "Breath deep, seek peace" or the Skybax riders' variant. "Breath deep, fly high, seek peace" or simply "Fly high, seek peace".
* ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' has plenty:

** Ling uses "[[OsamuTezuka Tezuka]]" in place of God, lending new meaning to CreatorWorship.

* [[CaptainUnderpants TRA-LA-LA!]]
** [[CaptainUnderpants Awww, man!]]

* In ''TheFirstLaw'' there's "Say one thing for Logen Ninefingers, say he's X" and Glokta asking himself "Why do I do this?"

* In Literature/TheBible, anytime an angel shows up, it's almost guaranteed that the phrase "Fear not" will appear.

* SherlockHolmes' BeamMeUpScotty is: "Elementary, my dear Watson", a line never found in the novel series. Then there's "The game's afoot!" which is actually a Shakespeare quote that Holmes utters ''once'' in the original stories. He does, however, have at least one genuine catchphrase: "You know my methods. Apply them!" This phrase or variations on it are used maybe six or seven times in the canon, but it hardly even shows up in adaptations.

* SherlockHolmes' BeamMeUpScotty is: "Elementary, my dear Watson", a line never found in the novel series. He does, however, like to address Watson as "my dear Watson".
** He also uses "You know my methods." quite often.

* Apart from a few [[BeamMeUpScotty false ones]], SherlockHolmes does also have at least one genuine catchphrase: "You know my methods. Apply them!" This ''exact'' phrase only appears twice in the books, but slight variations on it occur at least six or seven times.

** Vimes inverts this by asking "What's the thing I always repeat to you?".

** ''Dreamcatcher:'' "SSDD", "No bounce no play".

* A frequent comment of Mrs. Bird in Michael Bond's Paddington Bear series was "Bears always land on their feet."

* [[Literature/WinnieThePooh Winnie-the-Pooh]]: "Bother!"

* The ''HarryPotter'' series has Hermione's catchphrase "I read about it in ''Hogwarts: A History''."

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' is littered with these:
--->'''Tyrion:''' "A Lannister always pays his debts"
--->'''Ned Stark:''' "Winter is coming."
--->'''Ygritte:''' "You know nothing, Jon Snow."

* In TheBible, anytime an angel shows up, it's almost guaranteed that the phrase "Fear not" will appear.

** In ''TheDarkTower'' Roland's use of "Ka" to describe virtually any event beyond his control. Becomes a form of running gag between him & Eddie Dean in the later novels in the series.

* In DanAbnett's GauntsGhosts novels, Beltayn, Gaunt's adjunctant and vox officer, says "Something's awry" to report any kind of problem. Up to and including imminent disaster that could kill them all -- a fact LampShaded in the books.

* [[DeathStar Lieutenant Villain Dance]] has a strong tendency to think or say "Never happen!", as in "it will never", when he considers failing in his duty or being shot down.

* ''{{Tarzan}}'': Averted by way of BeamMeUpScotty; "Me Tarzan, you Jane" is not found the Tarzan novels.

--> "A Braavosi" Just so.
--> "Jaime Lannister" (internal dialouge) She's been fucking Lancel, Osmund Kettleback and Moon Boy for all I know..