The best-known 70s quotes and sayings include movie lines such as “May the Force be with you” (Star Wars, 1977) and “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” (Jaws, 1975), TV catchphrases such as “Dy-no-mite!” and “Sit on it,” and everyday sayings like “Have a nice day” and “Keep on truckin’.” Below they are grouped into movie quotes, TV catchphrases, slang and sayings, each with where it came from, so you can use them for a 70s party, a caption, a costume or a trivia round.
Famous 70s Movie Quotes
These lines all come from 1970s films on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest movie quotes.
- “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” – Love Story (1970)
- “You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” – Dirty Harry (1971)
- “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” – The Godfather (1972)
- “Soylent Green is people!” – Soylent Green (1973)
- “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” – The Godfather Part II (1974)
- “Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown.” – Chinatown (1974)
- “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” – Jaws (1975)
- “Attica! Attica!” – Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
- “You talkin’ to me?” – Taxi Driver (1976)
- “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” – Network (1976)
- “Yo, Adrian!” – Rocky (1976)
- “Is it safe?” – Marathon Man (1976)
- “May the Force be with you.” – Star Wars (1977)
- “La-dee-da, la-dee-da.” – Annie Hall (1977)
- “Toga! Toga!” – National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)
- “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” – Apocalypse Now (1979)
70s TV Catchphrases
- “Sit on it.” The put-down from Happy Days, which began in 1974, created by the show’s producer and writer Bob Brunner.
- “Ayyy!” Fonzie’s signature greeting on Happy Days, usually with two thumbs up.
- “Dy-no-mite!” J.J. Evans’s catchphrase on Good Times (1974), often as “Kid Dy-no-mite!”
- “Up your nose with a rubber hose.” The Sweathogs’ put-down on Welcome Back, Kotter (1975), popular enough to become a board game.
- “Whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” Arnold’s line on Diff’rent Strokes (1978).
- “Na-Nu Na-Nu.” Mork’s greeting on Mork & Mindy (1978), along with his all-purpose exclamation “Shazbot!”
- “The devil made me do it!” Popularised by Flip Wilson on The Flip Wilson Show (1970).
70s Slang Words and Phrases
- Far out: excellent, amazing. “You got tickets? Far out!”
- Groovy: cool, great. Popular in the 1940s and again in the 1960s and 1970s.
- Right on: I agree, well said.
- Can you dig it? Do you understand, do you like it?
- Jive turkey: a fool or a phony; a put-down coined in the 1970s.
- Bogart: to hog something instead of sharing it. “Don’t bogart the popcorn.”
- Foxy: attractive, stylish.
- Bummer: a disappointment. “Rain on the picnic? What a bummer.”
- Outta sight: fantastic, beyond belief.
- Catch you on the flip side: see you later, borrowed from the B-side of a record.
Classic 70s Sayings
- “Have a nice day.” Paired with the yellow smiley face, it became a defining cultural emblem of the 1970s.
- “Keep on truckin’.” From Robert Crumb’s underground comix motif; it ended up on posters, patches and shirts.
- “Let’s boogie.” Let’s go, or let’s dance.
How to Use 70s Quotes and Sayings
- Party signs and invitations: “Let’s boogie” or “Have a nice day” with a smiley face sets the theme instantly. Pair them with our 70s themed activities for adults.
- Trivia: read a movie quote and ask for the film and year.
- Captions: “Far out” and “Outta sight” are short enough for a photo of a retro outfit or record collection.
- Costumes: go as Fonzie, J.J. or Mork and use the catchphrase all night.
For more mood-board lines, see our 70s aesthetic quotes, and for the everyday life behind the slang, the iconic habits of the 70s.
Final Thoughts
The 1970s gave us some of the most quoted movie lines ever, a run of TV catchphrases that played in every schoolyard, and slang that still sounds fun today. Mix one from each group and your 70s party, card or caption will feel right on.
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