Like pretty well any Mike Myers movie, Austin Powers is full of hilarious quotes. Many of these sayings have since become catchphrases, repeated over and over again over the years by fans, and anyone who enthusiastically exclaims “Yeah, baby!” is quoting the iconic ‘60 character from the series, along with other popular lines like “one million dollars” (pinky finger held to the corner of the mouth). But these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to pulling the best sayings from the Austin Powers franchise, and the overall series is highly quotable.
Lusting for life and love and always up for a good time, the highly sought-after International Man of Mystery is initially called upon after being cryogenically frozen for 30 years. Powers and his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil (also played by Myers), deliver the absolute best one-liners and witty retorts across the three films. However, throughout the movies, there are plenty of great Austin Powers quotes from other characters, some minor and some recurring. In fact, it’s hard to pick just one since there are so many great lines, comments, and retorts.
“Shagadelic, Baby!”
Austin Powers – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
While this Austin Powers quote originated in the first movie, Austin Powers repeated it throughout. It is one of his many catchphrases, after all. Used to express intense, positive emotion about something, he uttered these words often in a very enthusiastic tone. Whether it was a party, a fun situation, or meeting beautiful women, The Mike Myers character loved to say this phrase. The line, in fact, has become a pop culture phenomenon of sorts, with people continuing to use it to this day, albeit ironically, to express joy.
“Throw Me A Frickin’ Bone Here.”
Dr. Evil – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
Dr. Evil often loved to use the word “frickin'” to express his frustration, which was his way of swearing without actually swearing. In this best Austin Powers quotes, he was particularly upset that his team thought it was impossible to deliver on his demand for acquiring and using sharks with laser beams on their heads to take down enemies. In Dr. Evil’s mind, this was a simple request that they should have had no problem handling, and it remains one of Dr. Evil’s best sayings from Austin Powers.
“Oh, Behave!”
Austin Powers – Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
This Austin Powers quote actually starts off with the spy lamenting that his beloved Vanessa was a fembot all along, and it perfectly personifies Austin Powers’ mentality. He says, “I can’t believe Vanessa, my bride, my one true love, the woman who taught me the beauty of monogamy, was a fembot all along. Wait a tick, that means I’m single again! Oh, behave!” While he would easily fall in love with a particular woman in every movie, he was a womanizer who loved the ladies. He was initially taken aback and upset that he had been tricked, but he was quickly ready to mingle once again.
“You’re Not Missing Anything, Believe Me.”
Felicity Shagwell – Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
This Austin Powers quote was Felicity’s funny way of explaining what Austin missed while being literally frozen in time, skipping over several decades. “The ’70s and the ’80s? You’re not missing anything, believe me. I’ve looked into it. There’s a gas shortage and A Flock of Seagulls. That’s about it.” Heather Graham’s Felicity references one big issue experienced through the decade and a particular band that was indicative of the music of the time period. Of course, he missed much more than that. But she wanted to make him feel better, after all, about having skipped over some fabulous decades that he would have fit perfectly into.
“So, Shall We Shag Now, Or Shall We Shag Later?”
Austin Powers – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
When it comes to Austin Powers, getting intimate with a woman was always on his mind, to the point of obsession. Any time he met a beautiful woman, he instantly intimated that she would want to sleep with him. In his eyes, no woman could resist his charms. And he was often right. This was part of what made the movies so funny. While Austin, a parody of James Bond, was an awkward man who didn’t fit the conventional handsome mold, he had loads of confidence and charm and women fell for it every time.
“I Love Gold.”
Goldmember – Austin Powers In Goldmember
It wasn’t so much these Austin Powers sayings from Goldmember, real name Johan van der Smut, but rather how he said them. He emphasized “goooold” in a way that fans loved to quote. A villain in the movie, Goldmember was yet another character who was played by Mike Myers in costume and with a funny accent. Goldmember made it very clear that what he sought was gold and lots of it. He didn’t just like it, he loved it, and the villain would do whatever was necessary to get his hands on the valuable treasure.
“Are Those Frickin’ Sharks With Frickin’ Laser Beams Attached To Their Heads?”
Dr. Evil – Austin Powers In Goldmember
At least one of Dr. Evil’s best Austin Powers quotes came true. In the first movie, he asked for sharks with laser beams attached to their heads. Unfortunately, all his group could afford was killer sea bass. It wasn’t until Goldmember that his request came to fruition thanks to his son, Scott, and it was an opportunity for Scott to show his worth. But although he was initially grateful, Dr. Evil shifted his attention elsewhere.
“What We Swingers Were Going Against Were Uptight Squares.”
Austin Powers – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
The Austin Powers trilogy had some poignant moments that clicked with viewers. One of these was Austin Powers’ quote to Dr. Evil in the first film. He admitted that the sexual revolution was crazy. However, Austin Powers countered it with a statement about freedom. “We were innocent, man. If we had known the consequences of our sexual liberation, we would’ve done things much differently.” It was as important to say in the 1990s as it is today. There’s a deeper meaning to his point – the revolution was about people taking control of their lives and enjoying the freedom to be happy and express themselves.
“Mama Cass Deceased, Ham Sandwich.”
Austin Powers – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
Another poignant moment in the first film was right after Vanessa told him off. Walking the Las Vegas Strip, Austin realized he was an anachronism — a man with different values stuck in a much different time. While alone, he tries to cram several decades of history into one night. This is when he looks up musicians of the late-1960s who are no longer with us, like Jimi Hendrix. “Jimi Hendrix deceased, drugs. Janis Joplin deceased, alcohol. Mama Cass deceased, ham sandwich.” Of course, the rumor that Mama Cass died after choking on a ham sandwich came up. Actually, the great singer died in 1974 of a heart attack.
“You Don’t Even Have A Name Tag. You’ve Got No Chance.”
Nigel Powers – Austin Powers In Goldmember
Where does Austin get his moves and his drive? From his super-spy father, Nigel Powers. Michael Caine was the perfect choice to play the senior Powers in Goldmember. Not only for his suave ways with the women but also for his fighting skills. Not many spies can defeat a cadre of evil henchmen on a submarine with a single judo chop. Then, when only one man is left, he’s defeated by Nigel asking him to fall down. It’s why the older Powers remained an Officer of the Queen for so long.
“I Like To Give My Undercarriage A Bit Of A ‘How’s-Your-Father.’”
Austin Powers – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
Austin Powers quotes don’t usually mince words. He believes every woman he lusts after is lusting after him as well, and he’s often right. That’s what makes it all the more hilarious when every overtly direct, suggestive thing he says is eaten up like candy by absolutely beautiful women. “How Do You Like To Do It? Do You Like To Wash Up First? “Top and tails? A whore’s bath? Personally, before I’m on the job, I like to give my undercarriage a bit of a ‘how’s-your-father.’” The films are meant as parodies of 1960s spy films, but even Bond couldn’t have been able to pull such a quote off.
“You Might Be A Cunning Linguist, But I’m A Master Debater.”
Austin Powers – Austin Powers In Goldmember
Austin Powers can turn even the most mundane topic or conversation into a sexual one. When filling out a form and the person asks him for his sex, what’s his reply?” “Yes, please!” In this quote, delivered to Beyonce’s character Foxy Cleopatra, Powers cleverly sexualizes a conversation about language. When she reveals that she can speak Japanese, in an effort to add some humor to the conversation, and potentially fuel Austin’s ego knowing that this woman is clearly much smarter than him, he uses this line to insert sexual innuendo into the chat.
“No, This Is Me In A Nutshell: HELP! I’m In A Nutshell!”
Austin Powers – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
Of all the best Austin Powers sayings, this one is more hilarious when actually picturing the scene. During pillow talk, Powers takes Vanessa’s (Elizabeth Hurley) comment that he’s described himself in a nutshell, to then act out what he would actually look like if he were stuck in a nutshell. It’s the kind of goofy sense of humor that draws so many gorgeous women to the character. With his hands and legs in the air, he mimes as though he is actually stuck in a nutshell and can’t get out, leaving Vanessa in stitches.
“You’re The Diet Coke Of Evil. Just One Calorie. Not Evil Enough.”
Dr. Evil – Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Dr. Evil is immensely disappointed that his son Scott is a seemingly normal young man with a good head on his shoulders and no desire to be evil like his father. Here, he lays out his disappointment by comparing his son to a calorie-free Diet Coke. In other words, Scott Evil (Seth Green) is devoid of all the good stuff (which is, in reality, the stuff that’s bad for you). It’s an interesting look at the father-son dynamic and equivalent to a father telling his son he isn’t good enough, even if, by Dr. Evil’s standards, Scott needs to be villainous and mean in order to be good.
“They ARE After My Lucky Charms!”
Paddy O’Brien – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
Poor Paddy O’Brien just can’t catch a break. As Dr. Evil’s henchman, he has a signature move: every time he makes a kill, he places a charm from his charm bracelet onto the dead body. However, when he tells people that Scotland Yard are “always after my lucky charms” in a voice that’s a dead ringer to that of the leprechaun from the Lucky Charms commercials, he can’t quite understand why people find it so funny. The scene makes an obvious stereotype of the Irish and the Lucky Charms cereal, but it’s so absurd that it’s funny as it’s obvious it is not to be taken seriously.
“He Would Make Outrageous Claims Like He Invented The Question Mark.”
Dr. Evil – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
This Austin Powers quote comes from a long monologue that Dr. Evil delivers about his father, and the entire speech is downright funny. Dr. Evil discusses everything from his dad’s “low-grade narcolepsy” and accusations that chestnuts were lazy to his sex worker mother’s webbed feet and springs spent as a child making meat helmets. But he also claimed to invent the question mark. It’s no wonder Dr. Evil is so messed up. Everything in the quote is nonsensical, which is precisely what makes it so funny. It’s also what makes Dr. Evil one of the most ridiculous ’90s movie villains.
“I Don’t Kiss And Tell. “I Shag And Brag, Baby!”
Austin Powers – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
Typical of Austin Powers quotes, he makes his own witty sayings that take expectations to a whole new level. So rather than kiss and tell, for him, he gets right to the point and dials things up to 11. After all, with as many conquests as Austin has, it’s not a hobby. It’s a way of life. So, while the statement initially sounds like Austin is all about being discreet, he is anything but. He doesn’t just kiss and tell, but he goes all the way and then boasts about it to anyone who would listen.
“I’m The Boss. I Need The Info.”
Dr. Evil – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
Delivered alongside one of Dr. Evil’s most-used words, “frickin,'” he parodied not only typical villains with this line, but also bad bosses, declaring they need to know every detail about what’s going on. He said this line when he felt his team wasn’t sharing every little detail with him, as he believed they should. He is the boss, after all, and needs to have all of the “info,” regardless of what that “info” is. It wasn’t so much the line that was so funny but the way he delivered it, pursing his lips and shifting to the side to showcase his anger and disgust at the fact that he wasn’t kept in the loop.
“I’m Not Saying It’s Hot, But I’m Pretty Sure The Thermometer Reads ‘Satan’s Balls.’”
Dr. Evil – Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
This is just one of many times Dr. Evil used his signature finger quotes to emphasize part of what he’s saying. This was also seen when he discussed turning the moon into what he decided to call a “Death Star”. Needless to say, Dr. Evil got his point across here in this hilarious quote. Clearly, he wanted to make it clear that he had the power to do just about anything, including making something as hot as the Devil himself, and his privates. This mention of the Death Star has to be one of the best references to Star Wars movies in pop culture.
“Get In My Belly!”
Fat Bastard – Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
To this day, when someone sees a piece of food that looks appealing, they might jokingly shout this hilarious Austin Powers saying. The line comes straight from the mouth of the character Fat Bastard (also played by Mike Myers in the movie comedy), uttered when he sees some delicious ribs that he can’t help but get his fingers on and devour. It’s the best and most well-known of the Austin Powers quotes from the hilariously yet oddly lovable, Shrek-like character. The line was preceded by the first part of this quote, where he declared that he wanted his “baby back, baby back, baby back ribs,” declaring it thrice to make the point all the more clear, and uttering it in a sing-song way.
