Test your knowledge of famous literary phrases
Writers often rely on common language constructions to excite and enthrall readers. However, do they always know where these phrases come from?
Many PR pros have a love-hate relationship with language.
We love to discover new words and new meanings; yet, there are many words we would wish away if we could. Many of these unwanted words and catchphrases have been around for decades and are here to stay.
Catchphrases come from a variety of sources: TV, movies, sports, politics or advertising. Some catchphrases might be so familiar, that you don’t think twice about where they came from. For example, I never knew the menacing phrase “It’s 10 o’clock. Do you know where your children are?” came from PSAs that aired after news broadcasts in the 1960s.
Catchphrases are now so catchy that there are TV game shows and board games designed to test participant’s knowledge of cultural touchstones such as “I pity the fool!” or “You talkin’ to me?”
For this post, let’s go in a different direction and test your knowledge of catchphrases from fiction and literature. So, make your English teacher proud and match these famous snippets with their original works. (Check your answers at the end.)
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
