Welcome Back, Kotter Quotes
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Source: Welcome Back, Kotter
Speaker: Vincent "Vinnie" Barbarino
Up your nose with a rubber hose!
Context
This line is spoken by Vinnie Barbarino, played by John Travolta, in the TV show Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979).
Vinnie Barbarino wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. Heck, he wasn't even the sharpest Sweathog in Mr. Kotter's remedial class. Whenever he was annoyed and couldn't think of any better retort (which was pretty often), Vinnie would break out his favorite insult—"Up your nose with a rubber hose!"
Oh, snap. You know it's a good burn because it rhymes. Take that, haters.
Where you've heard it
Today, the insult "Up your nose with a rubber hose" may not get you very far with bullies, but it's a nicer way of saying, "Shove it, losers."
Additional Notable References:
- Gabriel Kaplan, who played Mr. Kotter, actually recorded a song called "Up Your Nose." It's as sophisticated as it sounds.
- The board game based on Welcome Back, Kotter was called "The Up Your Nose with a Rubber Hose Game." Why does that not sound fun?
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
Pulling out this insult won't make you look pompous. It might make you look a little silly, though. Hey, if people don't like it they can take a rubber hose and…well, you know.