The 10 Best Quotes From ‘A Christmas Story’

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Since its release in 1983, the Christmas comedy A Christmas Story has become a beloved holiday tradition for millions. The film follows Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his determined efforts to receive a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Throughout the story, he repeatedly tries to convince his mother, teacher, and even Santa Claus that this is the perfect gift, but faces constant opposition. Along the way, the adventures of his friends and encounters with the neighborhood bully add to the fun, making it a must-see every year.

Throughout the run time of A Christmas Story, many lines stand out from the characters. From Ralphie’s constant pleas for a gift to his father’s grumpy behavior and memorable lines from other characters, there are plenty of quotes that could be considered the best. Here’s a list ranking the top ten most iconic quotes from the movie. Let’s see which one comes out on top!

10
“Over the years, I got to be quite the connoisseur of soap.” – Ralphie


MGM

Today’s younger generations might not remember being punished with soap in their mouths for swearing, but it was a common threat during childhoods like Ralphie’s in A Christmas Story. After Ralphie accidentally says a curse word while trying to help his dad change a tire, his mom makes him wash his mouth out with a bar of red Lifebuoy soap as a lesson.

While Ralphie is enjoying his bubble bath, his thoughts (narrated by Jean Shepherd) reveal he became something of a soap expert. He preferred Lux, but also liked Palmolive, describing its taste as a lively, yet smooth, after-dinner treat.

Right after Ralphie says the bad word, his mom wants to know who taught it to him. Ralphie thinks of his dad, but ends up blaming his friend Schwartz. This gets Schwartz in trouble with his mom, even though he didn’t actually say the word himself.

9
“My father wove a tapestry of obscenity…” – Ralphie


MGM/UA Entertainment Co.

One of my favorite parts of ‘A Christmas Story’ is when Ralphie gets grilled by his mom about a bad word – and we instantly understand where he learned it! The movie brilliantly shows us the moment his dad lets loose while trying to fix the furnace. It’s hilarious – he’s down there wrestling with the thing, and just starts dropping F-bombs! The whole family is stunned, and Ralphie’s narration perfectly captures the scene: he describes his dad “weaving a tapestry of obscenity” so powerful it’s still echoing over Lake Michigan. It’s a genuinely funny and memorable bit of physical comedy paired with some perfect voiceover work.

The scene is especially funny because it happens shortly after Ralphie gets in trouble for swearing. It’s surprising his mom doesn’t realize he likely learned that language from his dad!

8
“Mommy’s little piggy.” – Mrs. Parker (Ralphie’s Mom)


WarnerBros./MGM

While the movie mainly centers on Ralphie, his younger brother Randy (played by Ian Petrella) has some memorable scenes too. There’s a funny moment at dinner where Randy refuses to eat, even though his mother tries to convince him. She then playfully tells him to pretend he’s a pig eating from a trough, encouraging him to eat by saying, “This is your trough. Show me how the piggies eat. Be a good boy. Show mommy how the piggies eat.”

Okay, so the scene opens with Randy absolutely destroying his dinner – we’re talking face-first into the mashed potatoes and meatloaf. His dad is clearly horrified, but Mom finds it hilarious, affectionately calling him “Mommy’s little piggy.” The cute moment doesn’t last, though, because the infamous leg lamp package arrives, thankfully interrupting the feeding frenzy. Honestly, I was more distracted by how much food actually made it into his mouth versus just being smeared all over his face. It was…a lot.

7
“I shot my eye out.” – Ralphie


WarnerBros./MGM

Throughout A Christmas Story, Ralphie repeatedly hears that a BB gun is too dangerous for him – everyone warns he’ll shoot his eye out. Ralphie doesn’t believe it’s actually dangerous and thinks he’d be careful. So, he’s shocked when he finally gets one from his dad and, while trying it out, a BB ricochets off something and actually hits him right under the eye.

Ralphie is shocked at first, exclaiming he’s shot his eye out. But once he collects himself, he realizes he’s okay, though he can’t find his glasses. He thinks the BB gun must have broken them, and while looking for them in the snow, he accidentally steps on them. To avoid trouble with his parents and his mother’s inevitable “I told you so,” he pretends to cry and tries to change the subject.

6
“Oh fudge.” – Ralphie


MGM

Everyone remembers Ralphie getting soap in his mouth, but let’s talk about what led to that punishment. After the Parker family got their Christmas tree, they had a flat tire on the way home. While his dad was changing the tire, Ralphie offered to help and was asked to hold the bolts. Unfortunately, his dad accidentally bumped into him, causing the bolts to scatter into the road. Ralphie then exclaimed, “Oh fudge!”

Even though Ralphie says “fudge,” the narration makes it obvious he actually used a much stronger swear word. He even clarifies, admitting he said “the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words!” After his father confirms what he heard, Ralphie is sent to the car. Interestingly, many people still playfully say “oh fudge” instead of using the actual curse word.

5
“I can’t put my arms down.” – Randy


WarnerBros./MGM

The movie A Christmas Story takes place in a cold Midwestern winter, so it makes sense that Mrs. Parker wants to make sure her kids are warmly dressed. She’s particularly careful with her son Randy, and there’s a funny scene where she bundles him up so completely for school that only his face is visible. He begins to protest, but his mother has to remove layers of scarf to actually hear what’s wrong, at which point Randy complains that he can’t move his arms.

The mom tried several times to lower Randy’s flailing arms, but he wouldn’t let her. As the school bus came into view and Ralphie urged them to hurry, Mrs. Parker told Randy, “Just put your arms down when you get to school.” She quickly re-wrapped the scarf around his head and sent him out the door with Ralphie.

4
“He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny.” – Mr. Parker/ The Old Man (Ralphie’s Dad)


WarnerBros./MGM

It’s Christmas morning, and Ralphie and his brother Randy rush downstairs to see what Santa brought. Ralphie is eager to find his Red Ryder BB gun, but his mom asks him to open a gift from Aunt Clara first. When he opens it, he’s immediately disappointed to find a pink bunny suit. His mom wants him to go upstairs and try it on, but Ralphie really doesn’t want to. However, his mom insists he do so.

As soon as Ralphie was in the bunny suit, he came back out, though he clearly wasn’t thrilled about it. Mom immediately started gushing over how adorable he looked, and Randy just lost it laughing. Dad, though, he just said Ralphie looked like a crazy Easter Bunny! Mom tried to argue, but Dad insisted he looked like a “pink nightmare!” And honestly? He wasn’t wrong. It was a pretty terrifying bunny costume!

3
“You’ll shoot your eye out.” – Mrs. Parker, Miss Shields, and Mall Santa


Warner Bros.

Everyone remembers the line, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” – it’s repeated constantly throughout A Christmas Story. You’d think it would be the most famous quote, right? Actually, I’d argue there are two other lines that have really stuck with audiences more. It all starts with Ralphie asking for that Red Ryder BB gun, and his mom being the first to deliver that now-iconic warning.

The phrase appears again on Ralphie’s Christmas wish list homework assignment. His teacher, Miss Shields, grades his essay with a C+ and writes, “You’ll shoot your eye out.” Ralphie is shocked and instantly pictures both his mother and teacher repeatedly saying those words to him.

The most disheartening moment for Ralphie in his quest for a BB gun likely comes during his visit with the Mall Santa, Jeff Gillen. After stumbling over his words and accidentally telling Santa he wants a football, Ralphie quickly corrects himself and asks for the BB gun. Unfortunately, Santa’s only reply is the dreaded, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.” Discouraged, Ralphie is then dismissed.

2
“I triple dog dare ya.” – Schwartz


WarnerBros./MGM

For many fans of A Christmas Story, the movie perfectly captures the classic playground dare in a memorable scene. Ralphie and his classmates are outside in the cold, wondering if a tongue will freeze and stick to a flagpole. Schwartz believes it will, while Flick thinks it won’t.

Schwartz and Flick playfully challenge each other, with Schwartz repeatedly daring Flick to lick a pole. Flick initially avoids the dare, even when it’s escalated to a “double dog dare.” However, when Schwartz issues a “triple dog dare,” Flick feels pressured to prove his courage and reluctantly licks the pole. Unfortunately, Schwartz was right – the pole was stuck, and Flick needed the fire department to get him unstuck. The whole situation served as a lesson for everyone: be careful when a challenge reaches the level of a “triple dog dare.”

1
“Aaah! Fra-gee-leh. It must be Italian.” – Mr. Parker/ The Old Man (Ralphie’s Dad)


MGM/UA Entertainment Co.

The most memorable item in the movie is definitely the leg lamp that the Old Man receives. When it’s delivered in a wooden crate, the family is surprised by its contents. Looking at the crate, he notices the word “fragile” and playfully mispronounces it as “Fra-gee-leh,” pretending it’s an Italian word. Luckily, his wife quickly corrects his pronunciation.

Even though it’s a quick line, the father’s funny mispronunciation always gets a big laugh from fans of A Christmas Story. It’s instantly recognizable and comes from a specific scene in the movie. The quote is made even more famous by what happens just moments later: the Old Man opens a crate to reveal the infamous, slightly naughty leg lamp, which he proudly displays in the front window – much to his wife’s annoyance. By the way, the word ‘fragile’ is spelled ‘fragile’ in Italian!

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2025-11-23 23:09