'Wayne's World' at 25: 13 of Our Favorite Catchphrases (No Way! Way!)
Wayne-speak or Wayne-glish; call it what you will. After the release of Wayne’s World in 1992, Wayne-isms wormed their way into the culture — and some of them have never left. Here are 13 of the best.
Not! Interjection. A “reversing addendum, or pseudo-Gallic negative,” according to legendary linguist William Safire, used to undercut a previously uttered declarative statement. Example: When a panicky Garth is left stranded on-air: “I’m having a good time…not.”
No Way! Exclamation. Used to convey disbelief.
Way! Exclamation. Used as rejoinder to “way.”
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Excellent! Adjective; exclamation. A variation on the theme from 1989’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, which turned “Excellent” into something of a cottage industry, breakfast cereal included.
Shyeah, Right! Exclamation. Used to convey extreme unlikeliness; akin to “as if,” used in 1995’s Clueless. Example: “Shyeah, right! And monkeys might fly out of my butt!”
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We’re Not Worthy! Exclamation. Most effective when prostrating oneself at the feet of one’s rock god or idol, such as Alice Cooper.
Schwing! Exclamation; verb. Denotes an attractive member of the opposite sex; often accompanied by a pelvic thrust. Example: “She’s a babe! Schwing!”
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That’s What She Said! Phrase; joke; original meme. A reply that turns an otherwise innocuous comment into a sexually charged one. Example: Garth, holding up a photo of buxom blond model Claudia Schiffer: “Are you through yet? ‘Cause I’m getting tired of holding this.” Wayne: “Shyeah, that’s what she said.” See clip below, in combined usage with “Schwing!”
Spew Verb. To vomit. Synonyms: hurl; honk; blow chunks. Example: See scene in which Garth offers a tiny Dixie cup to a nauseated friend. “Hey Phil, if you’re gonna spew, spew into this.”
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Asphinctersayswhat Joke. A mumbled vulgar phrase that baits the target to repeat it, unknowingly stepping into a trap. Example: Wayne uses it to publicly embarrass his show’s greedy corporate sponsor, Noah Vanderhoff: “I’d have to say, ‘Asphinctersayswhat?” Noah Vanderhoff: “What?” Wayne: “Exactly.”
Babe-raham Lincoln Noun. A hot girl, like Cassandra. Synonyms: fox, robo-babe, babia majora. Example: Garth, talking about Cassandra: “If she were a president she would be Babe-raham Lincoln.”
Extreme Close-Up Noun. A shaky-cam shot filmed at close range, often accompanied by subjects’ screaming. Also: the title of the all-but-forgotten 1992 Wayne’s World tie-in book.
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Scooby-Doo Ending Noun; narrative device. An alternate ending featuring a big reveal. Origin: Scooby-Doo, the popular, animated TV series in which the “meddling kids” typically would unmask the villain in disguise at episode’s end. Example: Wayne: “Let’s just see who you really are, Mister.”
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