"Son of a Nutcracker!" 60+ Quotes From Elf That'll Bring a Smile to Your Face

You're a cotton-headed ninny muggins if you don't believe Elf is the greatest Christmas movie of all time. The Will Ferrell-led festive spectacular follows the extremely lovable and hilarious Buddy the Elf as he travels through the seven levels of the candy cane forest, the sea of twirly swirly gumdrops, and the Lincoln Tunnel in an effort to find his birth father and publishing bigwig, Walter Hobbs. It's in New York City where Buddy learns about the world's best cup of coffee, sees the biggest Christmas tree ever, understands the true meaning of family, and discovers his new favourite meal — spaghetti and maple syrup.

It's been 18 years since Elf hit cinemas, and every Christmas season, it proves to be the gift that keeps on giving. We'd be sitting on a throne of lies if we said reciting the film's one-liners wasn't one of our favourite things about this movie — aside from watching Ferrell hop around NYC in yellow tights, of course. From "Son of a nutcracker!" to "You smell like beef and cheese" and "Buddy the Elf, what's your favourite colour?" to "Did you hear that?," we could go on and on about the film's most memorable quotes. So treat every day like Christmas, and revisit Elf's funniest quotes ahead. Then, test your Elf knowledge by taking this superfan quiz.

01
"I travelled through the seven levels of the candy cane forest...walked through the Lincoln Tunnel."
New Line Cinema

"I travelled through the seven levels of the candy cane forest...walked through the Lincoln Tunnel."

02
"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"

03
"I'm a cotton-headed ninny muggins."
New Line Cinema

"I'm a cotton-headed ninny muggins."

04
"Who sent you?" "Papa Elf!" "Papa Elf?" "From the North Pole!"
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"Who sent you?" "Papa Elf!" "Papa Elf?" "From the North Pole!"

05
"You see gum on the street, leave it there. It's not free candy."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"You see gum on the street, leave it there. It's not free candy."

06
"I'll put in a good word with the big man."
New Line Cinema

"I'll put in a good word with the big man."

08
"You know Buddy, your father, he's on the Naughty List."
New Line Cinema

"You know Buddy, your father, he's on the Naughty List."

09
"My finger has a heartbeat."
New Line Cinema

"My finger has a heartbeat."

10
"Bye Buddy, I hope you find your dad."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"Bye Buddy, I hope you find your dad."

11
"Not now, Arctic Puffin!"
New Line Cinema

"Not now, Arctic Puffin!"

12
"I like to whisper, too."
New Line Cinema

"I like to whisper, too."

13
"They just lose sight of what's important in life...doesn't mean they can't find their way again."
New Line Cinema

"They just lose sight of what's important in life...doesn't mean they can't find their way again."

15
"Tomorrow, 10 a.m., Santa's coming to town —" "SAAANTA!! OHMYGOD!!"
New Line Cinema

"Tomorrow, 10 a.m., Santa's coming to town —" "SAAANTA!! OHMYGOD!!"

16
"You know, I know I sound like a broken record, but we are buddies."
New Line Cinema

"You know, I know I sound like a broken record, but we are buddies."

17
"Uh-oh, sounds like someone needs to sing a Christmas carol."
New Line Cinema

"Uh-oh, sounds like someone needs to sing a Christmas carol."

18
"You did it! Congratulations! World's best cup of coffee! Great job, everybody."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"You did it! Congratulations! World's best cup of coffee! Great job, everybody."

19
"Son of a nutcracker!"
New Line Cinema

"Son of a nutcracker!"

20
"That's a very nice purple dress. It's very purpley."
New Line Cinema

"That's a very nice purple dress. It's very purpley."

21
"I think you're really beautiful. I feel really warm when I'm around you, and my tongue swells up."
New Line Cinema

"I think you're really beautiful. I feel really warm when I'm around you, and my tongue swells up."

22
"You see a sign that says 'peep show,' that doesn't mean that they're letting you look at presents."
New Line Cinema

"You see a sign that says 'peep show,' that doesn't mean that they're letting you look at presents."

23
"What's a Christmas gram? I want one!"
New Line Cinema

"What's a Christmas gram? I want one!"

24
"You believed in me. You made my sleigh fly!"
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"You believed in me. You made my sleigh fly!"

25
"Can you pass the maple syrup, please?"
New Line Cinema

"Can you pass the maple syrup, please?"

26
"Technically, I'm a human raised by an elf." "Oh, I'm a human raised by humans."
New Line Cinema

"Technically, I'm a human raised by an elf." "Oh, I'm a human raised by humans."

27
"Hey, have you seen these toilets? They're ginormous!"
New Line Cinema

"Hey, have you seen these toilets? They're ginormous!"

29
"Oh, by the way, don't eat the yellow snow."
New Line Cinema

"Oh, by the way, don't eat the yellow snow."

30
"I have houses in LA, Paris, and Vail; each one of them with a 70-inch plasma screen."
New Line Cinema

"I have houses in LA, Paris, and Vail; each one of them with a 70-inch plasma screen."

31
"I can't wait to see my dad. We're going to go ice skating and eat sugar plums."
New Line Cinema

"I can't wait to see my dad. We're going to go ice skating and eat sugar plums."

32
"We could make gingerbread houses, eat cookie dough, go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands."
New Line Cinema

"We could make gingerbread houses, eat cookie dough, go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands."

33
"Does somebody need a hug?”
New Line Cinema

"Does somebody need a hug?”

34
"Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?"
New Line Cinema

"Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?"

36
"There's a horrible noise coming from the evil box underneath the window."
New Line Cinema

"There's a horrible noise coming from the evil box underneath the window."

37
"We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup."
New Line Cinema

"We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup."

38
"Call me on my radio, channel three. Code word is: 'Santa's got a brand-new bag.'"
New Line Cinema

"Call me on my radio, channel three. Code word is: 'Santa's got a brand-new bag.'"

39
"So, good news...I saw a dog today."
New Line Cinema

"So, good news...I saw a dog today."

40
"Charlotte Dennon wants a Tiffany engagement ring and for her boyfriend...to commit already."
New Line Cinema

"Charlotte Dennon wants a Tiffany engagement ring and for her boyfriend...to commit already."

41
"I don't want you to leave. You're my son, and I love you."
New Line Cinema

"I don't want you to leave. You're my son, and I love you."

43
"I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it."

44
"And guess what, I love, I love, I love you!"
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"And guess what, I love, I love, I love you!"

45
"You stink. You smell like beef and cheese. You don't smell like Santa."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"You stink. You smell like beef and cheese. You don't smell like Santa."

46
"I just like to smile, smiling's my favourite."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"I just like to smile, smiling's my favourite."

47
"I planned out our whole day. First we'll make snow angels…and then to finish, we'll snuggle."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"I planned out our whole day. First we'll make snow angels…and then to finish, we'll snuggle."

48
"I'm sorry I ruined your lives and crammed 11 cookies into the VCR."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"I'm sorry I ruined your lives and crammed 11 cookies into the VCR."

50
"This place reminds me of Santa's Workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms..."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"This place reminds me of Santa's Workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms..."

51
"There's room for everyone on the Nice List!"
New Line Cinema

"There's room for everyone on the Nice List!"

52
"And so, with a little help, Buddy managed to help save Christmas."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"And so, with a little help, Buddy managed to help save Christmas."

53
"Buddy the Elf, what's your favourite colour?"
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"Buddy the Elf, what's your favourite colour?"

54
"Buddy, you're more of an elf...You're the only one I'd want working on my sleigh tonight."
New Line Cinema

"Buddy, you're more of an elf...You're the only one I'd want working on my sleigh tonight."

55
"You sit on a throne of lies."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"You sit on a throne of lies."

57
"Tickle fight! Tickle fight!"
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"Tickle fight! Tickle fight!"

58
"Christmas spirit is about believing, not seeing."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"Christmas spirit is about believing, not seeing."

59
"Did you hear that?!"
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"Did you hear that?!"

61
"What about Santa's cookies? I suppose parents eat those, too?"
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"What about Santa's cookies? I suppose parents eat those, too?"

62
"Francisco! That's fun to say! Francisco. Frannn-cisco. Fran-cis-cooo."
New Line Cinema via Giphy

"Francisco! That's fun to say! Francisco. Frannn-cisco. Fran-cis-cooo."