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2022 marks the 60th anniversary of the official James Bond series. There are many reasons the series has been going strong for so long, and the iconic James Bond one-liners are among the biggest. Anytime anyone thinks of Bond, one or two legendary 007 quotes are sure to come to mind. Whether it is an intentional bit of annoyance to a colleague or an iconic introduction, there are plenty of instances of James Bond showing off his wit. With this being the franchise’s 60th anniversary and the search for a new Bond underway after Daniel Craig’s last outing No Time to Die, now is a great time to revisit the series and re-live these great quotes. There are countless James Bond one-liners to choose from, but here are 10 of the wittiest and best known,007 quotes.
10. “Positively Shocking” – Goldfinger
The third film, Goldfinger, is where many believe the series truly began to hit its stride with the late Bond girl Honor Blackman and of course the witty 007 quotes. This is proven in the cold opening when Bond says one of his most classic one-liners. During a fight with a would-be assassin, Bond flips the henchman into a bathtub full of water. 007 then knocks a lamp into the water, electrocuting the man to his death. While putting on his jacket, Bond takes a look at the aftermath and states, “Shocking, positively shocking.” While the cheesiness of the line is humorous enough, what adds to it is the fact that nobody was in the room with him meaning he simply said it for his own amusement.
9. “Good Squeeze” – Goldeneye
X-Men star Famke Janssen plays the deadly and comedically named Xenia Onatopp in Pierce Brosnan’s first outing. Onatopp is an assassin who uses her looks and sultry nature to lure her targets into the bedroom. Once there, she squeezes the men to death as an Anaconda would. Unsurprisingly, James is put on her list after she is hired by Alec Trevelyan. Equally unsurprising is Bond isn’t as easy to kill as her other victims. After several encounters throughout the film, she attacks Bond from above after leaping from a helicopter. After a struggle, her parachute gets tangled in the blades of the chopper, and she is crushed against a tree. Showing little sympathy for his foe, Brosnan delivers the classic James Bond one-liner, “She always did enjoy a good squeeze” alluding to her preferred method of assassination.
8. “But of course you are” – Diamonds Are Forever
A running joke throughout the series is some of the ladies having not-so-subtle innuendos as names such as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. Another prime example is Plenty O’Toole from Diamonds are Forever. The writers didn’t even try to hide the nature of her name, as Bond acknowledges it outright. While Bond is trying his luck at a casino, Plenty approaches him and introduces herself. After stating “Hi, I’m Plenty!”, Bond simply states, “But of course you are.” The mocking of her name doesn’t end there. After revealing her surname of O’Toole, Bond says, “Named after your father no doubt.” This is an example of a 007 quote that is dirty, but hilarious.
7. “Quite Titillating” – The Man With The Golden Gun
The James Bond one-liners began to go into overdrive with the sillier Roger Moore era. There are plenty of examples from this time, but here is one that is so ridiculous, one can’t help but laugh. The film’s titular villain’s real name is Francisco Scaramanga. Along with being a legendary marksman with a unique weapon, Scaramanga has another defining feature. The assassin has three nipples. When Bond goes undercover as Scaramanga, he applies a fake third nipple to trick those around him that he is a real deal. Things of course go south, prompting Bond to say “He found me quite titillating.” The third nipple plays little part in the plot outside of this scene, so one wonders if this was added in just for the silly line.
6. “Nice Little Nothing”- Diamonds Are Forever
In the early Bond films, women weren’t exactly treated with dignity, and the 007 quotes support this. With few exceptions, most of the time even the ones that are supposed to be independent end up being demeaned in some way. This is the case with Tiffany Case in Diamonds are Forever. While Bond is undercover in her apartment, she enters the room in an ensemble that leaves little to the imagination. While having her dress like this makes no real sense, it does lead to a humorous line. Upon seeing her, Bond states “That’s a nice little nothing you’re almost wearing.”
5. “Print Anything”- Tomorrow Never Dies
Pierce Brosnan’s second James Bond movie features a plot involving a newspaper mogul. The 007 quotes write themselves, and for pun lovers, they don’t disappoint. The best of them come at the end as every great James Bond one-liner should, after defeating a bad guy. When Bond finally bests the main antagonist, he sends him over a railing into a newspaper press. The villain, named Elliot Carver, is gruesomely crushed between the presses and is reducing to nothing more than bloodstains on the paper. In typical Bond fashion, he simply looks at the carnage and jokes. “they’ll print anything these days.” is the joke chosen for this occasion.
4. “Blew Their Mind”- No Time To Die
Daniel Craig’s turn as 007 is darker and more serious than Bonds of the past. Because of this, he doesn’t have as many one-liners in his arsenal. When he does have them, they are top-notch. He was a bit more laid back in No Time to Die, which led to some James Bond one-liners reminiscent of the past. One such comes towards the end during the lengthy staircase battle. Earlier in the film, Q gave Bond a watch that, in typical Q fashion, does a bit more. In this case, the watch emits an electromagnetic pulse. Bond puts the watch up this foe’s head, and the EMP destroys his fake high-tech eye, blowing up his head in the process. When checking in with Q, he says “I just showed someone your watch. It really blew their mind.”
3. “No, For Me”- Goldeneye
The main villain of Goldeneye is Alec Trevelyan. Trevelyan is a personal foe of James’ as he is not only the former 006, but he was close friends with James before he faked his death. A line Trevelyan frequently makes throughout the films is, “For England, James?” referencing the fact James will do anything for queen and country. He says this in the opening flashback before James, in Alec’s eyes, leaves him for dead. He says it a few more times including at the end right before James finishes him off. After he gave the line James says, “No, for me.” before dropping him to his death. this personal vendetta is one of several reasons Goldeneye is one of the best Bond movies.
2. “Shaken, Not Stirred”
Even those who have never seen a Bond film likely know this line. When Bond orders a drink, he usually requests is “Shaken, not stirred.” The line first appeared in Goldfinger, which was also the first appearance of Bond’s famous Aston Martin. While the line doesn’t appear in every movie, it is present in a majority of them, and for good reason. the line just oozes smoothness and fits perfectly with the character. There are many theories as to why he takes his drink this way, with the most popular being it is harder to poison his drink when it isn’t stirred.
1. “Bond, James Bond”
There is nothing that can be said about this line and do it justice. To call it iconic is an understatement. The line is one of the most famous in film history and is perhaps the most famous thing about the movies next to the gun barrels. The first time Bond is seen on screen in the first film, Dr. No, he is saying the line. This is the part that many look forward to, and cheers are given when it is said. Perhaps the best use of it is at the very end of Casino Royale. Daniel Craig doesn’t say the line at any point until seconds before the screen fades to black. This is one of the defining characteristics of 007, and fans love it each time it is uttered. There is no doubt this is the best of the James Bond one-liners.