I Love Lucy Quotes

Context

The 1950s: back when you could have a totally racist catchphrase and no one thought anything of it.

Desi Arnaz played Ricky Ricardo, a humorous—but, let's face it, pretty overblown and racist—depiction of a Cuban immigrant. His wife, Lucy, was always getting into thorny predicaments, and Ricky would generally walk in just as the living room was filling up with chocolate pudding or the apartment had become overrun by howler monkeys.

So he would waggle his finger and shout something like, "Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!" in a greatly exaggerated accent. Without fail, it would elicit riotous laughter from the studio audience. It was apparently funnier than what we would probably consider the more PC, "Lucy, you have some explaining to do."

But here's the thing…he never actually said it. There were slight variations of it, but, like the oft-misquoted "Play it again, Sam," it was invented somewhere along the line. So, while Arnaz's character may not have been entirely PC, he can't be accused of ever uttering this particular quote.

Where you've heard it

You've probably heard this quotes everywhere except the place it supposedly comes from, really.

You may have spotted some version of it in various entertainment articles or political conversations.

Heck, there's even an entire Pinterest board devoted to it. 

If you're a quote, that's when you know you've made it.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Broad parody is nearly the opposite of pretentiousness, so we're going to give this one a pass.