While it’s been over 30 years since Friends first premiered, the nostalgia-inducing show, which ran from 1994 to 2004, has managed to withstand the test of time thanks to its many laugh-out-loud-worthy lines recited by the original squad—that is, Joey, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe, of course.
What’s more, throughout its ten-season, 236-episode run, there have been dozens of famous Friends TV show quotes (see: “Can I be wearing any more clothes?,” “We were on a break!” and so on) that are still relevant and frequently mentioned in popular culture today. Ahead, we’ve rounded up 25 of the best Friends quotes from the show that’ll leave you in stitches—and may or may not inspire you to watch re-runs of the classic sitcom.
“Could I be wearing any more clothes?”
In season three, episode two, “The One Where No One’s Ready,” Joey says this to Chandler after the former barges into Monica and Rachel’s apartment, playfully mocking him as revenge for hiding his underwear.
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“See? He’s her lobster!”
This Phoebe Buffay quote is among the series’ most iconic—and romantic. She recites this line in reference to Ross and Rachel since lobsters mate for life. (While Ross is allergic to lobster, it’s the sentiment that counts!)
“We were on a break!”
Any Friends fan knows that Ross has recited this line several times throughout the series in reference to his and Rachel’s on-again, off-again (and finally on-again!) relationship.
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“Pivot!”
This famous Friends quote dates back to season five, episode 16 (“The One With The Cop”) when Ross, Chandler, and Rachel try to move a couch up a narrow, steep staircase. He repeats the line several times, and it only gets funnier as the scene continues.
“Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re gonna love it.”
This Monica quote has withstood the test of time. She says this to her old friend Rachel in the series’ very first episode, aptly titled “The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate.”
“Joey doesn’t share food!”
Rachel first exclaims that “Joey doesn’t share food” when chatting with him and Phoebe about a date he had with Phoebe’s friend. Joey vows not to call the girl again after expressing frustration over her taking a few fries from his plate. A few seconds later, Joey repeats this phrase with even more emphasis.
“No uterus? No opinion.”
After Rachel experience Braxton Hicks contractions in season eight, episode 14 (“The One With the Secret Closet”), she goes to the hospital. And when Ross finds out they were “just” Braxton Hicks, she (rightfully!) puts him in his place by delivering this iconic line.
“I honestly don’t know if I’m hungry or horny.”
In the pilot episode, Ross recites this quote to Joey and Chandler while lamenting his divorce. Then, Chandler quickly and cheekily responds, “Stay out of my freezer.”
“How you doin’?”
“How you doin’?” has become Joey’s most famous line in Friends history. In fact, he says it over a dozen times throughout the series’ 236 episodes.
“What’s not to like? Custard, good. Jam, good. Meat, good!”
In the season six episode “The One Where Ross Gets High,” Rachel accidentally makes a Thanksgiving dessert that’s half English trifle, half shepherd’s pie due to a mishap (two cookbook pages were stuck together). While Ross is disgusted by the concoction, Joey clearly doesn’t mind!
“If he doesn’t like you, this is all a moo point. … Yeah, it’s like a cow’s opinion. It just doesn’t matter. It’s moo.”
Joey says this to Rachel after interjecting on her conversation with Phoebe and Monica, in which she asks them how soon is too soon to make a move on someone who has recently broken up with their partner. While Phoebe suggests waiting a month—while Monica advises three to four—Joey jumps in with his two cents: A half hour!
“I’m not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?”
Chandler says this witty, LOL-worthy quote to Rachel in the season eight episode “The One With the Tea Leaves” after she vents to him about being afraid of losing Joey as a friend after he had expressed romantic feelings for her.
“I’m fine!”
In the second episode of season ten, “The One Where Ross is Fine,” Ross says this to Rachel and Joey, who were in a relationship at the time. (However, in the same season, Rachel jokes that they only dated for a week.) Despite trying to plan it cool, his voice gradually gets higher.
“Here come the meat sweats.”
Following an indulgent Turkey-fueled Thanksgiving feast, Joey experiences—you guessed it—the meat sweats. The best part? He’s wearing Phoebe’s maternity pants!
“I wish I could, but I don’t want to.”
After Ross invites her over to set up new furniture along with Joey and Chandler, Phoebe bluntly expresses her honest thoughts while Rachel politely declines. Suffice to say, Phoebe is all of us when asked to do something we don’t want to do.
“I’m Chandler. I make jokes when I’m uncomfortable.”
Bumping into an ex can be…uncomfortable, to say the least. After Monica and Chandler run into her ex, Richard (played by Tom Selleck), and his new girlfriend, Chandler makes an awkward joke and follows up with this line.
“I’m hopeless and awkward and desperate for love!”
Chandler recites this quote in conversation with his on-again, off-again girlfriend Janice. He scares her off by mentioning the thought of them moving in together and yells out this (very relatable) line to stop her from leaving altogether.
“So it seems like this Internet thing’s here to stay.”
Chandler was ahead of his time when he said this to the crew while everyone—that is, except him—was reading in Central Perk. “It’s okay not to talk,” Monica replied swiftly.
“Hey, come on, I say more dumb things before 9 a.m. than most people say all day.”
This is yet another famous funny Chandler quote. The character blurts this out after Monica mocks him for making a punny joke about Phoebe knocking over a cereal box, calling her a “cereal killer.”
“Unagi is a total state of awareness.”
In the aptly named episode, “The One With Unagi,” Ross mansplains to Phoebe and Rachel that “unagi” is a “state of total awareness.” However, the latter two quip back that unagi is freshwater eel that’s especially tasty in sushi.
“Well, maybe I don’t need your money. Wait, wait! I said, ‘Maybe!’”
An iconic line from the pilot, Rachel says this while on the phone with her dad, still clad in her wedding dress after leaving her would-be-spouse at the altar.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did my back hurt your knife?”
In season two, Rachel lets out this funny one-liner to Monica to express her jealousy after the latter goes shopping with Ross’ new girlfriend, Julie.
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“You know what? I just shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions anymore.”
Rachel pokes fun at her (questionable) decision-making skills to Phoebe in “The One With All The Kissing” (season five, episode two). Phoebe’s response is, in a word, hilarious: “Oh… No, I did that for someone once, and I’m not comfortable having that kind of power and control over someone’s life.”
“I’m very wise, I know.”
Phoebe says this to Joey in the season seven episode “The One With All The Cheesecakes.”
“I don’t even have a ‘pla.'”
This very relatable Phoebe quote dates back to season one, episode four. It perfectly encapsulates the character’s free-spirited vibe.
