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One-Liner, Name... One-Liner

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Mitchell: You love scrapbooking.
Cameron: Do I, Mitchell? Do I?
Mitchell: No, stop. Don't do the double-question-thing to prove a point. I hate it when people do that.
Cameron: Do you, Mitchell? Do you?
— Modern Family

Have you ever noticed how sometimes, a character emphasises a dramatic line by ending it with the addressee's name, and repeating the line?

I sure have, Tropey. I suuure have.

Often used as a dramatic bookend before the credits or commercial break, or a cliffhanger ending. A variant common enough to get its own trope is "I don't know, Billy... I just don't know."

Not to be confused with One-Liner Echo, where a different character repeats the line. Compare Call-Back, where a line is echoed much later — this is when the line is echoed straight away. See also The Name Is Bond, James Bond. This is like Anaphora, but the repeated section is a complete phrase all by itself. It might overlap if played with enough.

Please note that this trope only works in English — sometimes will work in other languages like French or German as well, but don't expect any examples in languages with radically different grammar from English, like Japanese.

Examples, Troper. Examples

    open/close all folders 

    Advertising, Troper. Advertising 
  • Enterprise Car Rentals has a narrator that does this at the end of their commercials. The driver of a car says something along the lines of "I can get used to this." The narrator replies, "Indeed you can, business person. Indeed you can."

    Comics, Troper. Comics 

    Fan Works, Troper. Fan Works 

    Films, Troper. Animated Films 

    Films, Troper. Live-Action Films 

    Literature, Troper. Literature 
  • Gaunt's Ghosts: "Sure as sure, Tanith. Sure as sure."
  • The Outsiders: "Stay gold, Ponyboy... Stay gold..."
  • "The Adventure of the Lost World", a Sherlock Holmes parody in which Holmes disguises himself as a one-legged man, much to Watson's confusion:
    "Ah, Watson", said Holmes in a voice of immensely pleased conceit, "you have been making the assumption all the time that I had two legs to begin with."
    "But Holmes", I protested. "I have seen you run, and jump!"
    "Have you, Watson? Have you really?"
  • In one essay, David Sedaris says that in his family it was considered "queer" to do this.
  • The Lord of the Rings: "Yet we may, Mr. Frodo. We may."
  • Adaptations of Emma tend to include the phrase "It was badly done, Emma. Badly done." In the original book, it's just "It was badly done, indeed!"
  • From the Earth to the Moon: "White all, Barbicane, white all!"note 
  • Harry Potter:
    • In Prisoner of Azkaban Fudge says "we shall see, Snape, we shall see..."
    • In Goblet of Fire, Moody says "constant vigilance, Potter. Constant vigilance".
    • In Half-Blood Prince:
      Riddle: Sir, I wanted to ask you something.
      Slughorn: Ask away, then, m'boy, ask away...
This later gets a Call-Back:
Harry: Sir, I wanted to ask you something.
Slughorn: Ask away, then, my dear boy, ask away...

    Live-Action TV, Troper. Live-Action TV 
  • Doctor Who: "Everybody lives, Rose! Just this once, EVERYBODY LIVES!"
  • Downton Abbey: Once you notice it, you don't go an episode without hearing one. Julian Fellowes is a HUGE fan of this.
  • Grey's Anatomy Season 6, Episode 16. Dr. Webber tells Dr. Shepherd, "I had to pee in a cup today, Derek. I had to pee in a cup."
  • Horatio Hornblower: The characters seem to use it all the time.
    • Jack Simpson has a rather weak one when he accepts one lieutenant's invitation to drink and a game of cards.
      Jack Simpson: Gladly, sir, gladly.
    • Captain Pellew likes this "speech pattern", and it is even more popular in Fan Fiction for his character. He delivers a memorable repeated one liner, lampshading his Improbable Aiming Skills when he shoots Midshipman Jack Simpson.
      Master Bowles: [enthusiastically] Exceptionally fine shot, sir! If I may say so.
      Captain Pellew: You may, Mr Bowles. You may.
    • When Horatio returns to the "Indy" after his successful capture of Papillon and saving them from French corvettes, Pellew welcomes him with this:
      Captain Pellew: Timely, Mr Hornblower, timely.
    • In "Mutiny", Mr Bush seems unable NOT to mention Mr Wellard in front of the captain. Even though every time he says his name, Sawyer remembers Wellard is his new whipping boy.
      Captain Sawyer: I am obliged to you, Mr Bush... Much obliged.
  • In How I Met Your Mother, Barney does this so frequently that the other characters see it coming a mile away.
    Barney: ...and call him I will, Ted.
    Ted (stage-whispering to Robin): He's going to say it again really slowly.
    Barney: Call...him...I...will!
  • M*A*S*H: In "As You Were," Radar is trying to get shelling near the compound stopped or at least diverted. He's on the phone when another round of shellfire goes off...closer than ever.
    Radar: I said west, Tony. West!
    • At the conclusion of "Smilin' Jack," Hawkeye asks Potter which of the three campaigns he's been in was the worst when word comes in that France suffered 500 casualties in an attack.
      Potter: Every last one of them, Hawkeye. Every last one of them.
  • Lampshaded in an episode of Modern Family:
    Mitchell: You love scrapbooking.
    Cameron: Do I, Mitchell? Do I? (exits)
    Mitchell: No, stop. Don't do the double question thing to prove a point. I hate it when people do that.
    Cameron: (holding baby Lily around the door, in a falsetto) Do you, Mitchell? Do you?
    Mitchell: Lily!
    • And invoked by Luke:
      Luke: When I want Dad to leave me alone, I just say "Do you. dad? Do you?" He gets real quiet and then I can walk away.
  • Monty Python's Flying Circus plays this in the Oscar Wilde sketch.
    Whistler: There is only one thing in the world worse than being witty, and that is not being witty. (fifteen seconds of restrained laughter)
    Oscar Wilde: I wish I had said that.
    Whistler: You will, Oscar. You will. (more laughter)
  • Run, Joe, Run was a live action drama on NBC's Saturday morning line-up in the 1970s. It was about a German Shepherd falsely accused of an attack, so he takes it on the lam for thirteen episodes.
    • Run, Buddy, Run was a CBS comedy of the 1960s about a man on the lam after running afoul of the mob.
  • In a Saturday Night Live skit, a group try to give their friend (Darrell Hammond) a surprise party in his apartment, and wind up finding more about him than they wanted to know. As they're leaving one of the friends (Tim Meadows) says, "We saw the letter to Urkel, man, we saw the letter to Urkel."
  • On Seinfeld Kramer says that every story a proctologist tells ends like this - "It was a million to one shot, Doc. Million to one." That line is later repeated word for word by Frank Costanza when he's at the proctologist's office.
  • Star Trek: The Original Series:
    McCoy: I could've saved her! Do you know what you just did?
    Spock: He knows, Doctor. He knows.
    • And again:
      McCoy: Can he do it?
      Spock: If he has the time, Doctor. If he has the time.
  • Used to convey scheming on Three's Company. A friend of Jack's (who really wants to take over Jack's restaurant) has set Jack up for humiliation in front of his boss. When Jack says he can't wait for what he thinks is a party, evil friend says, "Neither can I, Jack. Neither can I."
  • Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, the Chrimbus Special: "I think it was, Doc. I think it was."
  • The Wire: Final line of Season 1.
    Omar: It all in the game, yo. It all in the game.

    Music, Troper. Music 

    Radio, Troper. Radio 
  • Susan Calman on The News Quiz, on a rant about the government stance on pig monitoring:
    Let the pigs run free, Nick! Let them run free!
  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1978) had Magikthise and Vroomfondl protesting against Deep Thought computing the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything.
    Vroomfondl: We'll go on strike!
    Magikthise: That's right, you'll have a national philosophers' strike on your hands.
    Deep Thought: Who will that inconvenience?
    Vroomfondl: Never mind who it'll inconvenience, you box of blacklegging binary bits. It'll hurt, buster, it'll hurt!

    Theater, Troper. Theater 
  • Carousel:
    • "Give it to 'em good, Carrie, give it to 'em good!"
    • In the second act: "Tell it to her good, Julie, tell it to her good!"
  • 1776: "Not well John, not at all well."
  • Anything Goes has a song called "Blow, Gabriel, Blow". This is later parodied in Urinetown with Run, Freedom, Run, however this example does not fit the trope.
  • Hamlet:
    Ophelia: You are keen, my lord, you are keen.

    Video Games, Troper. Video Games 
  • A background character in a Guild Wars mission does this twice in a fairly short conversation, with a third instance only averted because he doesn't say "son" before he repeats himself.
  • One of the lines added to go with the Team Fortress 2 soldier's Tin Soldier outfit (a crude robot costume made primarily from cardboard boxes and dryer vent hose) is "Beep boop, son, beep boop."
  • A line in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which many players heard over and over again because it's uttered every time you fail Zero's "Supply Lines": "Curse you, Berkley! CURSE YOOOOOUUUUU!"
  • Vergil says this after winning against Dante in Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3:
    Vergil: Foolishness, Dante. Foolishness.
  • In The Curse of Monkey Island there's this exchange between Guybrush and King André when the former tries to get a diamond from him:
    Guybrush Threepwood: The Diamond belongs in a museum!
    King Andre: So do post-impressionist paintings, Mr Threepwood. So do post-impressionist paintings.
    Guybrush Threepwood: What the heck is that supposed to mean?
    King Andre: Some day you will understand.
  • A mildly horrifying version at the end of the prologue of Detroit: Become Human, if you get the most successful outcome. Context (spoilers)
    Daniel: You lied to me, Connor. You lied to me...
  • Burgerpants from Undertale gives a couple of these in the No Mercy run.
    Burgerpants: Par for the course, little weirdo. Par for the course.
  • When moving towards the room H29 in "Episode 0: Allocation" of Code 7, you hear strange whispering, while warnings about it being a trap flash on the screen. If you ask your partner Sam if she heard that, too, she doesn't seem to get your message, and someone else answers on her behalf.
    Alex: What the fuck... did you hear that whispering?!
    ???: She didn't, Alex. She didn't.
  • The Simpsons Hit & Run:
    Milhouse: You better get outta here, Bart. Principal Skinner's looking for everyone that skipped school today. And when you're caught, it's expulsion, Bart! Expulsion!

    Webcomics, Troper. Webcomics 
  • Ansem Retort: "That'll do, Fangirl, that'll do."
  • Sluggy Freelance:
    Kiki: Stay good, Character X, stay good!
  • 8-Bit Theater, has it here, when Black Belt declares that he and White Mage have successfully reunited the Light Warriors:
    White Mage: But we didn't do anything.
    Black Belt: Oh, didn't we, White Mage? Didn't we?
  • Skin Horse, when Jonah Yu first encounters Nick's profanity filter in what was presumably a Cluster F-Bomb:
    Nick: What the mosaic-tiled poolhouse floor do you think you're flipping gingerly, panther? Like I ain't got opal circles tossed up, some secret Mayan astronaut gotta eat the magic fudge? Sahara!
    Jonah: What the hell?
    Nick: Easy for you to say, gorilla-watcher. Easy for you.
  • In The Order of the Stick, Elan apologises for the early strips where his silliness made things more difficult, and Roy says it was just a random Dungeon Crawl and they didn't know it was going to turn into a mission to Save the World. The Genre Savvy Elan isn't having it:
    Elan: We were a ragtag band of unlikely heroes with unresolved issues who didn't see eye-to-eye. I should've known, Roy. I should've known.

    Web Original, Troper. Web Original 
  • The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, episode 55, Lizzie to Charlotte.
    Lizzie: Low blow, Lu, low blow.
  • Welcome To Nightvale ends most episodes with a Dada Ad for what comes on after and then:
    Cecil: Good night, Night Vale. Good night.
  • Homestar Runner:
    • "Wireless Bizness" was a brief attempt at the Brothers Chaps to use Wireless Application Protocol to make text-only episodes of Strong Bad Email for viewing on early mobile phones. One of these, which got adapted to the preview on the TV Time cartoons menu for Strong Bad email, involved a fan named Stu sending in an email saying "I drank way too much salty plum soda." This is Strong Bad's response:
      Strong Bad: No such thing, Stu. No such thing.
    • In "No Hands On Deck!", Homestar remarks that he might just write a musical about the deck he's planning to build, and Coach Z offers to play the role of "The Orphan".
      Homestar: That's a good one, Coach. A really... really... good one.

    Western Animation, Troper. Western Animation 
  • Family Guy:
    • Peter quotes the example from Babe ("That'll do pig, that'll do") when talking to Meg.
    • Also in the trailer for Passion of the Christ 2, Chris Tucker: "You crazy, Jesus! You crazy!"
    • A cross-dressed Stewie to Brian: "I feel right, Brian. I feel right."
    • Two episodes that reference The Honeymooners include the line "One of these days, Alice, one of these days!". This is actually a blend of two different catchphrases: "One of these days, one of these days..." and "To the moon, Alice!"
  • The Simpsons: According to the DVD commentary for "Bart Gets an Elephant", this trope was a favorite of executive producer James L. Brooks.
    • In "Bart the Elephant", Homer screams out the window, "That wasn't part of our deal, Blackheart! That wasn't part!"
    • Groundskeeper Willie's "That'll do, snake... that'll do."
    • When Lisa thinks she's losing her intelligence, Milhouse wonders if Bart will pick up the slack. "Maybe I will, Milhouse. Maybe I will." He doesn't.
    • When Bart states he is going to help the family save money by give up smoking (despite not actually STARTING), Homer expresses pride and gives Bart a dollar. When Lisa points out he didn't actually do anything, Homer hits Lisa with "Didn't he, Lisa? Didn't he?" before realizing it himself and taking the dollar back.
    • When Principal Skinner reveals that "Scotchtoberfest" — which Groundskeeper Willie is celebrating in full Scottish regalia — isn't a real holiday but rather a ruse to bait Bart into bad behavior, Willie is devastated and furiously shouts, "Ya used me, Skinner! Ya used me!"
    • From "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer":
      Ralph: Wait, mister! You're drinking a candle! You don't wanna get wax in your mouth, do you?
      Homer: Maybe I do, son. Maybe I do...
    • The fifth season episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" ended with the group spontaneously reuniting to sing on a rooftop, causing a huge crowd of fans to gather. Chief Wiggum (who was expelled from the group before they became famous) and Officer Lou have this exchange...
    Lou: Pretty, huh, Chief?
    Wiggum: It sure is, Lou. It sure is. [brandishes a nightstick] Get the tear gas.

  • Drawn Together ("That will do, bitch. That will do")
  • In Invader Zim: "Dumb like a moose, Dib. Dumb like a moose!"
    Dib: Reign of terror, Gaz! Reign of terror!
  • At the end of the American Dad! episode "Dope & Faith":
    Stan: Brett, you're a Satanist! I could only be friends with you if you believed in...
    Brett: Believed in what?
    [Beat]
    Stan: Whatever you want, pal. Whatever you want.
    • Earlier than that, at the end of the episode 'Lincoln Lovers,' where Stan hugs his son Steve:
    Steve: ...This doesn't make me gay, does it, dad?
    Stan: Only if you get a boner, son. Only if you get a boner.
    • The faux Honeymooners quote from Family Guy mentioned above is referenced in "Stan of Arabia": "One of these days, Francine, one of these days!"
  • Futurama
    Fry: I'll kill you too, buddy. I'll kill you too.
  • Sealab 2021 might count in the early "Predator" episode (after Stormy suggests that he and [white] Debbie may have to repopulate the species together):
    Debbie: That's disgusting!
    Stormy: Is it, Debbie? (long beat)... Is it?
    Debbie: YES!
  • The Ren & Stimpy Show: "There, there, Ren... there, there."
  • Skipper from The Penguins of Madagascar likes to do this often.
    "Cute and cuddly, boys. Cute and cuddly."
  • Clone High: "Stupid, Joan. Reeeeeal stupid."
  • On Archer, when Krieger remembers his pig-boy.
    That'll do, Pigly... that'll do.
  • At the end of Adventure Time, "Web Weirdos":
    Jake: Circle of life, Finn. Circle of life.
  • From the South Park episode "More Crap":
    Stan: "You don't understand, Mom. You just don't understand."
  • The Mr. Men Show: Mr. Small has this as one of his catchphrases. The Phrase Catcher is always Mr. Nosy, whom Mr. Small refers to as "Nose" when he uses it.
    Mr. Nosy: I can't believe henote 's not going to stay for the free breakfast pastries.
    Mr. Small: Some people are a mystery, Nose. Some people are a mystery.
  • Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers:
    Monterey Jack: You bet it is, boyos! You bet it is!
  • Regular Show:
    "Yes dude! Yes!"
  • Hey Arnold!: A catchphrase Gerald would often say to Arnold:
    "You're a bold kid, Arnold. A bold kid."
  • 'Go, Speed Racer, go!'
  • "Help, Cecil! Help!"
  • When Bugs Bunny gives Red Hot Ryder a telegram from the Masked Marauder (Bugs):
    Ryder: (reading telegram) "Roses are red, violets are pink, flowers smell good but you sure do s..."(last word is obscured with "Censored") I sure what???
    Bugs: (full volume) STINK, YOU FOOL!!! STINK!!!
  • The Dick Tracy Show: After Hemlock Holmes busts a gut rescuing the Retouchables from Stooge Viller and Mumbles, he finds them waiting in the car.
    Hemlock: (sarcastically) Gee, Tracy...do you think it was worth it?
    Tracy: (dryly) I wonder, Hemlock. I wonder. (grins to the camera)
  • The very last line of The Transformers, after Galvatron declares Cybertron to be his:
    Zarak: "We shall see, Galvatron. We shall see."
  • Ready Jet Go!:
    • When Sean comments on Bergs' coffee consumption in "Comet Fever".
    Sean: You have enough coffee for an army.
    Dr. Bergs: An army of one, my friend. An army of one.
    • When Sean is excited to lead a human mission to Mars in the future in "Ain't No Mars Mountain High Enough"
    Jet: Dream big, Sean-zo. Dream big.
    • When Jet and Carrot talk about Sunspot in "The Grandest Canyon".
    Carrot: You ever get the feeling there's something he's not telling us?
    Jet: All the time, dad, all the time.
  • Inspector Gadget: Big Bad Dr. Claw, whenever foiled once again, was prone to swearing vengeance like this.
    Claw: I'll get you next time, Gadget! Next time!
  • The Motormouse & Autocat cartoon "What's The Motor With You?" concludes with Autocat, having had his butt literally kicked in a foiled plan, getting a lift home from Motormouse. Autocat is standing on the exhaust pipe of Motormouse's motorcycle and he has a pillow tied to his bottom. When Motormouse asks why he doesn't sit down:
    Autocat: I've got my reasons, Motormouse. I've got my reasons.
  • An attempt to give Paul a catchphrase on The Beatles cartoon late in the run was not successful:
    Paul: It's too much, man. It's too much!
That's all there is, Tropey. That's all there is.

 
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The Doctor Dances

"You want moves Rose? I'll give ya moves!" The Doctor shows his moves to cure the Empty Child's victims after he's been cured, and he's happy that for once, everybody lives in a Doctor Who story.

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The Doctor Dances

"Fortune and Gl...