Scrabble/Quotes & Catchphrases

Opening Spiels
CONTESTANTS OPENING SPIEL #1: "This is (Returning Champion's Name). In just a few moments, he/she could win (over) $XX,XXX. Today on Scrabble."

CONTESTANTS OPENING SPIEL #2: "(Returning Champion's Name) is back to try to make it again to the Bonus Sprint, and a chance at a Jackpot of (insert Bonus Sprint Jackpot Amount). Today on Scrabble."

CONTESTANTS OPENING SPIEL #3: "(Returning Champion's Name) has already won (insert total). He/she is back to try to make it again to the Bonus Sprint. Today on Scrabble."

1984 PILOT SPIEL: "An eight-letter word. The clue is: A man who likes people. Audience: "CANNIBAL!" It's the crossword game you've played all your life, but never quite like this! Audience: SCRABBLE! And here's your host, Chuck Woolery!"

1984 PREMIERE SPIEL: "A nine-letter word. The clue is: A man who needs glasses. Audience: "BARTENDER!" It's the crossword game you played all your life, but never quite like this! Audience: SCRABBLE! And here's your host, Chuck Woolery!"

1984 SERIES SPIEL SAMPLE: "A six-letter word. The clue is: A speedy bird always ditches it. Audience: "COYOTE!" It's the crossword game you've played all your life, but never quite like this! Audience: SCRABBLE! And here's your host, Chuck Woolery!"

1990 FINALE SPIEL: "Debbie Sipes is back to try to make it again to the bonus sprint at a chance at a jackpot of $6,000 today on SCRABBLE! A nine-letter word. The clue is: There tons of fun. Audience: "ELEPHANTS!" It's the crossword game you've played all your life, but never qute like this! Audience: SCRABBLE! And here's your host, Chuck Woolery!"

1990 PILOT SPIEL: "GUY: Hey Madge, let's go for a walk. MADGE: I hate to walk, my feet hurt. GUY: Uh, then why don't I go rent a movie? MADGE: We rented a movie last night. GUY: A friendly game of Checkers? MADGE: Checkers is for children. GUY: (mocking) Checkers is for children. MADGE: mmm-hmm GUY: Okay then, what do you want to do? MADGE: Oh, I don't know. Let's play SCRABBLE! TUNA: And now, here's the host of Scrabble, STEVE EDWARDS!"

1993 SERIES SPIEL SAMPLE: "It's an eight-letter word. And the clue is: Oprah Winfrey's place. Audience: "BREWSTER!" It's the crossword game you've played all your life, but never quite like this! (cheesy laser SFX) Audience: SCRABBLE! And here's your host, Chuck Woolery!"

1993 SERIES FINALE SPIEL: "It's a seven-letter word. And the clue is: He came down with a terrible headache. Audience: "GOLIATH!" It's the crossword game you've played all your life, but never quite like this! (cheesy laser SFX) Audience: SCRABBLE! And here's your host, Chuck Woolery!"

Catchphrases
"Thank you, Jay Stewart/Charlie Tuna. Thanks, good morning, everybody, and welcome to Scrabble, the television version of everyone's favorite game." - Chuck's opening line

Let's play Scrabble. We're gonna play four words in all, and whomever has the most money when we're finished wins the game. The winner then gets a chance at the fabulous cash prize of $25,000. Good luck to both of you, there's a lot at stake. The champion goes first, let's take a look at the board. - Chuck Woolery, explaining the rules during the pilot

"Let's play Scrabble. We're going to play until someone gets three words right. That player goes on to Scrabble Sprint, and a chance at (more than) $40,000 in cash." - Chuck Woolery at the start of the Crossword Round (early years)

"Let's play Scrabble. We're going to play until someone gets three words right. That player goes on to Scrabble Sprint, and have a chance at a Bonus Sprint worth (insert Bonus Sprint Jackpot)." - Chuck Woolery at the start of the Crossword Round (later years)

"Play Scrabble until someone gets three words right, and will have a chance at a Bonus Sprint worth (insert Bonus Sprint Jackpot)." - Chuck Woolery on the shortened version of the start of the Crossword Round spiel (last years of the original run)

"Play Scrabble until someone gets three words right, and will have a chance at a Bonus Sprint which will be build as we play." - Chuck Woolery at the start of the Crossword Round (1993 revival)

"Take a look at the board as we set up for our first game." - Chuck Woolery at the start of the Crossword Round (all years)

"We're building on the letter (insert letter), (insert number) letters in the word. The clue is (insert clue)." - Chuck Woolery

"Building on the letter (insert letter) in (insert word), (insert number) letters in the word and the clue is (insert clue)." - Chuck Woolery

"The rest of the letters in the word are controlled by the numbered tiles between you. When you put them in the slot, you'll see what the letters are. But be careful, we put three stoppers in there, and if you hit any of the stoppers (meaning the letter is not in the word), this is what you're gonna hear... (Stopper sounds), and you'll lose your turn." - Chuck Woolery explaining about the numbered tiles during the main game in the earlier weeks

"The remaining letters are controlled by the numbered tiles between you." - Chuck Woolery explaining about the numbered tiles during the main game in the later weeks

"Now, when you think you know the word, hit your buzzer. Don't forget the pink and blue bonus squares because they're worth money." - Chuck Woolery

1, 2, 3, 4, $500! - Counting up the money for blue square wins

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, $1,000! - Counting up the money for pink square wins

"Let's play Speedword. Put your hands on your buzzers. Don't answer until I say 'Go'. We'll put the letters in place one at a time, but we can't give you the last letter. It's up to you." Chuck Woolery at the start of the Speedword

"I want to remind you to hit your plunger because that stops the clock. There are no stoppers in any of these words. All the letters are good (but don't do it out of nervousness ‘cause it'll cost you ten seconds if you do)." - Chuck Woolery at the start of the Scrabble Sprint

Quotes
"Thank you very much. Thanks and welcome to Scrabble, the brand new television version of the game you all know so well. Now, we're gonna play for money, lots of money. In fact, we've been playing all week. I can tell you that today, one of our Players is gonna win $25,000. - Chuck Woolery from the pilot of Scrabble taped in March of 1984.

"Thank you Jay Stewart! Thank you, everybody; thank you very much. It's nice to be back here on NBC after 2 1/2 years and playing Scrabble, the brand new television version of the game that you all know so well. Now we play Scrabble for money, lots of money. In fact one of our players can win more than $40,000 in cash. Not too shabby, you can do that. Right now, let's meet the players for our first match, Jay Stewart, if you will." - Chuck Woolery on the first show from 1984

Notable Gaffes
Chuck: Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? Contestant Aaron: Uh, no, considering I'm Jewish. Chuck: Oh! Did you get what you wanted for...? Ha! You know, I was ready to skip over that, but I gotta han... That was good, that was good, Jas- Aaron. Yeah. Well, what did you get for Hanukkah?? Contestant Aaron: Nothing yet, it's not that time of the year yet, Chuck.

Chuck: Uh, okay, well... (laughter)
 * From Christmas 1984

"Alright, we're going to continue today's game. Uh, "recrap" the scores, recap them, actually. (laughter) Did I really say that?" - The Recrap Blooper

"I think I'll have to take a 'P'." - Contestant, after both tiles she picked produced the letter "P."

"I'm going home, I don't know about you!" - From the Mosquitoes blooper episode

Woolery: There's no excuse for it. Sang (contestant): (stops clock when board shows -UDENESS) Nudeness. (correct answer was "rudeness") Woolery: A type of training. Sang: (stops clock at --SIC) Music. (Sang correctly guessed "basic" at the end of the 87-second sprint round).
 * From the infamous Sang episode

"I kept telling them, 'Look, find somebody else to do it; it'll be a huge hit. Look what happened to Wheel!" - Chuck Woolery, on the finale of the original run in 1990

Taglines
We'll be back with a brand new version of the game you've been playing all your life, Scrabble! - Chuck's goodbye line from the pilot

I like to invite all of you to come back and play the game that you've been playing all your life, and you can play it with us; Scrabble. Bye-Bye, everybody. - Chuck's goodbye line from the first show

I'm Chuck Woolery, thank you for joining us on Scrabble. Bernice will be back, too, in rare form. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye-Bye, everybody. - Chuck's goodbye line due to a zinger from a Scrabble Sprint champion

"All right, thank you, Charlie. For the last time I'll say, 'Thank you, Charlie.' This is the parting shot from the show. And of course, I don't want to be... well, perhaps sentimental, but I don't want to be maudlin. The only thing I like to share with you is that this show is certainly a milestone in my life. My son was born while I was doing the show. I've made a lot of new friends. We've had a wonderful support from the television audience out there, in all the four times we've been on the air, in different timeslots and everything. And the show is really good. We've enjoyed doing it, and I certainly have no sour grapes about that or anything else. NBC has been a wonderful place to work. I've been with them now for 14 years, and it's always been a great experience. However, it is sad when a show that is close to you and you like so much comes to an end, and of course we're all really sad about it. The thing that I'll miss probably most, more than anything, are the relationships that I've made, and the people that have worked on it. And I can't name them all, but I like to name a few. Bob Noah, for instance; Bob is the one who created this show, and went to the trouble to get it on the air; and Bob Crystal who also who helped with Reg Grundy. And then there's Gary Johnson who produces it; Pam Meerson who's been fun and she's wonderful to work with. I'll miss her. Jan Heininger, we've probably made more fun of Jan than he deserves; he's been a great guy, and we've had a great relationship. I can just go on but I can't, but you'll see them at the end of show, and I thought that it be a good time to say thank you to the viewing audience for supporting us, I hope you enjoyed it, it's been a pleasure working with you & working for you as I have all these years. And, I'll be back, somewhere (in a broken down Schwarzenegger accent) 'I'LL BE BACK!'" - Chuck Woolery, giving his goodbye speech on the last show

Announcer Lines
"Chuck Woolery's wardrobe furnished by Pierre Cardin." - Scrabble Announcer Charlie Tuna/Jay Stewart on all episodes where Chuck wears Pierre Cardin wardrobe

"Scrabble, starring Chuck Woolery is produced in association with Exposure Unlimited. This program is based on the Scrabble brand crossword game. This is Jay Stewart/Charlie Tuna speaking." - Scrabble Announcer

"Scrabble is a Reg Grundy Production!" - Scrabble Announcer