8 Friends Quotes Everyone Still Uses Today

Friends is one of the most quotable sitcoms of all time, and some of its lines were so iconic throughout its 10-season that they’re still used today. Running from 1994 through 2003, Friends is a sitcom that needs no introduction. Spanning the course of 10 seasons, the series had a cultural impact all over the world. As the world has shifted and changed, Friends still resonates despite parts of the series being out-dated. Despite old technology or fashion, the core comedy of each episode tends to hold up, and the actors’ performances make the show endlessly quotable, even after decades.

Following the lives of six friends living in New York City, the series starred Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Courtney Cox as Monica Geller, Lisa Kurdow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller. With sitcom elements that helped define the era of the genre throughout its run, Friends has become a cultural touchstone through the years, and its writing is at the core of that impact. From lines that run through the series and provide callbacks to hilarious moments to one-off moments, Friends has some tremendously quotable moments.

8

“No uterus, no opinion.”

– Rachel Green

Friends spanned such a long stretch of time that the characters got the chance to go through some tremendous life changes as the series went on. By Friends season 8, Rachel was pregnant with Ross’ baby, and the pair were working on figuring out how to co-parent together as they got closer to her due date. In season 8 episode 14, “The One with the Secret Closet”, Rachel begins having Braxton Hicks contractions, which leads to an iconic line.

Though Joey brings Rachel to the hospital to have her checked out, Ross meets the pair there after she’s already been seen. When Ross finds out the contractions are Braxton Hicks, he tries to downplay it by sharing that most women don’t feel them. Rachel’s quick retort of, “no uterus, no opinion,” has become a heavily used phrase for women, especially in recent years whilst navigating women’s rights.

7

“I’m hopeless and awkward and desperate for love.”

– Chandler Bing

Throughout Friends run, the core six cast members weren’t the only characters that viewers got used to seeing. Some incredible guest stars and recurring cast members wound up becoming a massive part of the Friends universe, including one of Chandler’s ex-girlfriends, Janice Hosenstein (Maggie Wheeler). While Janice had some quotable moments of her own, one of Chander’s most-used quotes comes from a moment where he was bearing his soul to Janice, only to find her unmoved.

In Friends season 3 episode 4, “The One With the Metaphorical Tunnel”, Chandler is pursuing Janice after her separation from her first husband. After cooking her dinner and coming to the realization that he’s far more open to commitment than he ever thought he could be, he starts talking about their future and finds himself spooking Janice, who’s not ready for something so serious. In hopes to reverse his fortune, Chandler shouts, “I’m hopeless and awkward and desperate for love!” While it doesn’t help his situation, it makes for a great moment.

6

“Joey doesn’t share food!”

– Joey Tribbiani

Joey is one of Friends’ quirkiest characters, known for his one-liners and his ability to deliver the same joke in a different way time and time again. While he’s best known for his iconic catchphrase, Joey has far more quotable lines than audiences probably think throughout the series. One of Joey’s most well-known traits is that he doesn’t often commit to relationships, which sees him on his fair share of dates throughout the series.

During Friends season 10 episode 9, “The One With the Birth Mother”, Joey’s been set up on a date with one of Phoebe’s friends, Sarah. While he tells Phoebe it was a good date otherwise, he has a tough time with the fact that Sarah ate some fries off of his plate, explaining that “Joey doesn’t share food.” While Phoebe convinces him to try another date with her friend, the line, which is repeated in several inflections throughout the episode, immediately took on a life of its own with viewers.

5

“Oh. My. God.”

– Janice

As one of the most recognizable characters outside of the core cast in the Friends’ universe, Janice has a catchphrase of her own that people often quote in her exact inflection. One of the most important parts of Janice’s character is her nasal inflection. While Wheeler, who plays Janice, doesn’t sound quite as congested as the character she plays on the series, the voice and laugh became a trademark of the series throughout its run, with Janice appearing every season.

With each appearance, Janice develops new quirks, but there’s one thing that sticks around from the beginning of her time on Friends until the very end. Every time that Janice is on screen, she delivers an iconic, “Oh. My. God.” to mark her time on the show. A calling card of sorts, Janice’s iconic line is commonly used outside of the show, but Friends fans often use it with her delivery, as well.

4

“We were on a break!”

– Ross Geller

One of the fundamental plots that runs throughout the course of Friends is the relationship between Ross and Rachel. The pair, who knew each other from their younger years, get together in the first few seasons of the series after re-establishing their friendship, but things don’t work out easily. When Rachel suggests they take a break, simply wanting some time apart to think, Ross thinks she means they’re taking a break from their relationship, and sleeps with someone else.

In Friends season 3 episode 16, “The One With the Morning After”, Ross realizes that he made a massive mistake and tries to make it clear that the thought he and Rachel were broken up, not just taking a break from one another for the night. While it’s not the only time he says the line by far, Ross exclaims that “we were on a break” to try and defend himself. For episodes throughout the rest of the series, the phrase is brought back up and remains one of Friends’ most iconic.

3

“See? He’s her lobster.”

– Phoebe Buffay

Throughout the run of Friends, Phoebe’s tangents and stories quickly define her as one of the most quirky of the group. Often coming from an innocent place and over-sharing with her friends, Phoebe’s quotes run the gamut throughout the duration of the series, ranging from silly to sincere. In one of her best moments, early on in the run of the show, Phoebe’s logic helps define a relationship. During Friends season 2 episode 14, “The One With the Prom Video”, Ross is still trying to get Rachel to forgive him after he made a pros and cons list about her

Phoebe explains to Ross that Rachel is his lobster, saying that lobsters fall in love and mate for life. When Rachel discovers that Ross was going to step in to take her to prom years ago when she thought her date had stood her up, she forgives Ross, and kisses him as Phoebe, looking on, says, “see? He’s her lobster.” The quote is now used far and wide, typically by couples in defining their own relationships.

2

“PIVOT”

– Ross Geller

Though Friends is known for its comedy overall, the physical comedy of the series is often overlooked for its more intellectual bits. One of the show’s most iconic moments of physical comedy also birthed one of its most famous quotes. During Friends season 5 episode 16, “The One with the Cop”, Ross purchases a couch and decides to go without professional delivery, as the furniture store is only a few blocks away from his house.

When Ross and Rachel aren’t able to get the couch up the narrow stairwell in his apartment building, Chandler comes in to help. While maneuvering the couch, Ross tries to implement a plan he drew up, shouting directions to Chandler and Rachel. As he screams to “pivot” several times, Ross birthed a whole new quotable line for Friends fans, who almost always deliver the line with his hilarious inflection.

1

“How you doin’?”

– Joey Tribbiani

Credit: NBC

Heard in what feels like every episode of Friends, Joey’s most iconic catchphrase is one of the best of the show’s run. As Joey’s known to be someone who’s constantly with a different woman, his flirtatious ways are something that the series establishes quickly upon its start. With his signature opening line, “how you doin’?”, Joey establishes his character quickly and then uses the phrase to his advantage all series long.

While Joey changes significantly throughout the run of Friends, his line almost always makes appearances in moments where it’s not necessarily appropriate. The inflection with which LeBlanc delivers the “how you doin’,” isn’t always the same, but it always feels like one of the most charming-yet-ridiculous choices for the moment. As Friends most iconic line, fans quote it frequently, always using the Joey swagger.

Release Date

1994 – 2004

Showrunner

Marta Kauffman