Stock phrases
A question here for film buffs, theatre enthusiasts or fans of the written word - or all three. Can anyone come up with any 'stock' lines of a certain genre that are so commonly quoted/referenced/parodied that no-one remembers where the original line came from? It's perfectly okay for these lines to be incredibly stereotypical (to the point of being cliché, even) or strongly linked with one particular plot, so long as the source itself is uncertain or not generally known by the public.
As an example of what I mean: something along the lines of "they said I'd be insane to try it... but I'll show them! I'LL SHOW THEM ALL!" instantly conjures up images of mad scientists conducting ill-advised experiments, but I have no idea where it comes from. (Although having said that, I now have this paranoid sensation that maybe it comes from some old classic that I should be ashamed not to have seen/read, and now I've just betrayed my ignorance all over the internets.) Another possibility might be the overly-dramatic, cradling-the-dying-teammate "it should have been me who [was fatally wounded by whatever you were fatally wounded by]!" speech from war movies, but that one might be a bit tenuous.
There is a reason for this question, though I'm reluctant to go into it right now because a) it would take too long to explain and b) I suspect it would make me sound a bit mental. Moreso than usual.
As an example of what I mean: something along the lines of "they said I'd be insane to try it... but I'll show them! I'LL SHOW THEM ALL!" instantly conjures up images of mad scientists conducting ill-advised experiments, but I have no idea where it comes from. (Although having said that, I now have this paranoid sensation that maybe it comes from some old classic that I should be ashamed not to have seen/read, and now I've just betrayed my ignorance all over the internets.) Another possibility might be the overly-dramatic, cradling-the-dying-teammate "it should have been me who [was fatally wounded by whatever you were fatally wounded by]!" speech from war movies, but that one might be a bit tenuous.
There is a reason for this question, though I'm reluctant to go into it right now because a) it would take too long to explain and b) I suspect it would make me sound a bit mental. Moreso than usual.