Larry David is the driving force that makes his brilliant TV show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, so darn funny. Every episode is an in-depth look at Larry and the things that irk him in modern society. He’s never afraid to speak his mind, which is why audiences can’t get enough of his pervasive attitude. He’s the hero of cringe comedy.
Larry is notorious for his catchphrases and snarky delivery. Consistently silly and often times correct about things, Larry’s persistent penchant for trouble is comedic gold. A few of his quotes stand out as remarkable examples of why Curb Your Enthusiasm is one of the funniest shows ever.
Updated March 10, 2022 by John Charron: The world would be a much less funny place without Larry David and his incredible comedy show, Curb Your Enthusiasm. The show has lasted since 2000, seemingly living off of Larry’s contempt for modern society and the people who inhabit it. Every season, Larry manages to screw things up for himself and those who manage to stomach being around him. An exemplary example of cringe comedy, Curb Your Enthusiasm straddles the line between crass humor and smart storytelling. Every plot line weaves together a tapestry of Larry’s worst moments. At the end of the day, Larry is the man audiences love to hate, but that said, he still has some of the funniest lines and sayings in modern TV.
15 “Yeah, It’s A House. It’s New. I Get It. It’s Nice.”
Larry might be a jerk to people, but he also speaks to the eviler side of audiences. When Susie tries to show Larry their new house, he couldn’t even be bothered to even take a tour, instead simply spouting off this line.
He gets it, he’s been there and done that. A new house is a new house. Larry’s biting sense of humor is one of the reasons fans love Curb Your Enthusiasm so much and why it is such a quotable show.
14 “I Don’t Like Talking To People I Know, But Strangers I Have No Problem With.”
Larry is always finding himself in tough spots when it comes to strangers, as he tends to rub people the wrong way. Yet, he still seems drawn to strangers, and he isn’t afraid to get involved in the affairs of random Los Angeles residents.
Perhaps this line best sums up his attitude towards people on the show: once he gets to know them, he dislikes them. However a stranger is blissfully unaware of just how nutty Larry David really is.
13 “They Don’t Deserve Candy.”
After some trick or treaters vandalize Larry’s house, he is quick to administer these harsh words. Larry versus children is a common theme in Curb Your Enthusiasm, remarkably a fight Larry is in usually once a season.
It’s amazingly funny to watch Larry try and convince others that he is the victim against children, especially given his track record. Maybe one day he will learn that’s a fight he will never be able to win.
12 “Okay. Okay.”
A staple of Larry David's vocabulary, he mutters these words to himself after “scoping out” someone to see if they are lying, something he does often.
Whenever Larry suspects he is being deceived, he gets close to the person’s face and squints his eyes in suspicion, as if trying to see the lies in their eyes. He follows up by uttering this now classic quote, usually with an aura of disbelief in his voice.
11 “Can I Apologize For The Apology?”
This quote from Curb Your Enthusiasm seems to perfectly sum up Larry David and everything he ruins. He can’t even apologize without ruining the moment. Larry has to actually apologize for how insincere his apology was.
It’s incredible how deep a hole Larry digs himself, but at least he is confident enough to admit his faults and strong enough to go in for another apology. All the more power to him.
10 “Kinda Skimping On The Cashews A Little Bit.”
Larry just can’t let things go. Anything really. While working with David Schwimmer on a stage production of The Producers, Larry decides to try his father’s new trail mix – but there are only a few cashews in the package.
Normally, this wouldn’t affect a person and most folks would just brush it off, but not Larry. He has to tell David Schwimmer about it and cause an uproar. Never change, Larry.
9 “You’re In Paris, Got The Best Food In The World, You’re Eating A Chalupa?”
Leon is one of the best sidekicks in any comedy TV show, he’s a fantastic foil to Larry and has many iconic quotes himself.
While in Paris, Larry has to admonish Leon for eating non-fancy food, but both he and Leon know it doesn’t matter – they are just shooting the breeze like they always do. Leon is perhaps Larry’s biggest supporter, besides Jeff, and their friendship is one of things that makes the show special.
8 "I’m Larry David, I Happen To Enjoy Wearing Women’s Panties."
Larry’s sheer disregard for his own self is applaud-worthy. When caught in a scheme, he is the first to just go with it, even if it means embarrassing himself. Larry has to cover for Jeff when his wife, Susie, finds panties in his car and immediately suspects an affair.
The only logical plot would be they are Larry’s and sure enough, he goes along with it. Applause worthy. Truly a remarkable character.
7 “Why Say It, Why Not Just Laugh?”
Larry David is many things, but one thing he is not is meek. He speaks his mind, even when he probably shouldn’t. When one of his friends notes this about him, he recruits Larry to get his wife to stop annoyingly saying “LOL” out loud – a task Larry is certainly up for.
Naturally, things don’t go as planned and Larry is left picking up the pieces from the mess he has caused, but his commitment to publicly shaming people is still impressive.
6 “Look I’m Not A Dentist, But I Enjoy Discussing Dental Hygiene.”
Larry is a man of many hobbies, from golf to comedy, but he has a real love for dental hygiene. It’s just too bad not everyone shares his interest in the area.
Larry’s tendency to drone on and on is best evidenced in the scene where he is visiting the Playboy mansion and chatting with the girls about good dental practices. The girls couldn’t be more disinterested, but that’s, of course, no matter to Larry, who can talk for hours about his teeth.
5 “People Should Be Able To Tell Real Crab From Fake Crab.”
One of the most outrageous episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm is when Cheryl, Larry’s long-suffering wife, finally leaves him after he ignores her desperate phone call so he can talk to the TiVo guy. When she returns from a rough plane ride, she is naturally furious with Larry and tells him it is all over between them – which leads to a conversation about her other issues with him, such as how he talks during sex.
The immediate thing she can think of is his issue with people not being to tell the difference between real crab and imitation crab, which he uses as a jumping off point to dive back into the issue he feels so strongly about. Incredible.
4 “Ehh”
A trademark catchphrase of Larry’s, this widely applicable utterance is integral to his character’s brushing off awkward situations.
The zen of Larry’s “ehh” is hilarious and he always times it so perfectly. No matter the severity of the problem, “ehh” is the perfect saying for Larry’s sticky situations and is probably why he can function so well after all the terrible things he has done on the show.
3 “Chat And Cut.”
Larry is known for using made-up terms and sayings that are oddly relatable. “Chat and cut” is one of his more original ideas – a term used for when someone wants to cut in line and thus initiates a conversation with someone farther up in the line.
Of course, Larry calls offenders of this action out to hilarious results. His resilience on the matter is equally funny and fans of the show have likely found themselves using these terms in their day-to-day life.
2 “You’ve Demonstrated A Consistent Lack Of Respect For Wood, As I See It.”
Larry respects wood. This goes without question. But others, not so much. When Larry is accused of putting his drink down on a wood table without a coaster, he is livid at the thought of not being a wood-respecter and makes it a point to call non-wood respecters out on their actions.
His near-obsessive attitude about it is downright amazing and makes for one of the funniest running gags in the show.
1 “Pretty Pretty Pretty Good.”
This is THE Larry David quote. It’s come up in darn near every season and still manages to be funny. Larry’s comic delivery of the simple phrase is characteristic of his personality, somehow succeeding in life and failing at the same time.
His charismatic persona is only amplified when he mutters these words. Considering the sheer range of situations he finds himself in every episode, it is amazing he can even say things are going “pretty good” at all.