I don’t believe it! Grumpy Meldrew tops catchphrase poll
TV favourite Victor Meldrew’s catchphrase: “I don’t believe it!” has been voted the nation’s favourite.
The famous line from One Foot In The Grave beat “Seemples” – by the meerkats of the Compare the Market ads – into second.
And “Don’t panic!” exclaimed by Lance Corporal Jones in Dad’s Army took third.
In a survey of 2,000 adults, more than half thought the most popular expressions come from TV programmes, with a fifth highlighting reality shows as effective producers of a pithy phrase. Two Love Island quotes made their way onto the list – “It is what it is” and “Chill your Heinz Baked Beans” which appeared in this year’s series.
And “It is what it is” was voted the catchphrase most likely to gain traction over the next 12 months.
And “beermunch,” a term to describe a snack you would have with an alcoholic drink, is also among the phrases people believe will see more regular use.
Almost a third said the pub is the place where they are most likely to use a catchphrase with friends, where 46 per cent will enjoy some beermunch over a pint.
Tony Thorne, language consultant at King’s College London, said: “Catchphrases are a key component of popular culture.
“They connect the world of entertainment and consumption with the everyday concerns of real people. ‘I don’t believe it!’ expresses a mix of exasperation, world-weary resignation and fatalistic humour that will be familiar from many people’s experience.
“Some catchphrases – ‘it is what it is’, for example – mimic a philosopher or sage expressing universal truths in a simple way.”
The study also found that on average, adults use three catchphrases a day.
Three in 10 feel they have a compulsive habit of peppering them into normal conversation and some 42 per cent admitted to using one, only for the reference to go over the other person’s head.
The research revealed the ideal catchphrase needs to be four words long and be heard four times in order to stick. It also needs to be clever, funny and easy to say.