"Beam me up, Scotty" is a

catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

and misquotation that made its way into

popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...

from the

science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...

series ''

Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...

''. It comes from the command

Captain Kirk James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk leads ...

gives his chief engineer, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, when he needs to be ''transported'' back to the Starship ''Enterprise''. Though it has become irrevocably associated with the series and

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

, the exact phrase was never actually spoken in any ''Star Trek'' television episode or film. Despite this, the quote has become a phrase of its own over time. It can be used to describe one's desire to be elsewhere, technology such as teleportation, slang for certain drugs, or as a phrase to show appreciation and association with the television show.

Precise quotations

Despite the phrase entering into popular culture, it is a misquotation and has never been said in any of the television series or films, contrary to popular belief. There have, however, been several "near misses" of phrasing. In the Original Series episodes "

The Gamesters of Triskelion "The Gamesters of Triskelion" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Margaret Armen and directed by Gene Nelson, it was first broadcast January 5, 1968. In the ep ...

" and "

The Savage Curtain "The Savage Curtain" is the twenty-second episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Gene Roddenberry and Arthur Heinemann (based on an original story by Roddenberry) and directed by H ...

", Kirk said, "Scotty, beam us up"; while in the episode " This Side of Paradise", Kirk simply said, "Beam me up". In the episode “

The Cloud Minders "The Cloud Minders" is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Margaret Armen (based on a story by David Gerrold and Oliver Crawford) and directed by Jud Taylor, it ...

“, Kirk says, “Mr. Scott, beam us up.” The

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

episodes "

The Lorelei Signal "The Lorelei Signal" is the fourth episode of the first season of the animated American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. It first aired in the NBC Saturday morning lineup on September 29, 1973, and was written by Margaret Arm ...

" and " The Infinite Vulcan" used the phrasing "Beam us up, Scotty". The original film series has the wording "Scotty, beam me up" in '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'' and "Beam them out of there, Scotty" in ''

Star Trek Generations ''Star Trek Generations'' is a 1994 American science fiction film and the seventh film in the Star Trek (film series), ''Star Trek'' film series. Malcolm McDowell joins cast members from the 1960s television show ''Star Trek: The Original Ser ...

''. The complete phrase was eventually said by

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship ''Enterpris ...

in the audio adaptation of his non-

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

novel '' Star Trek: The Ashes of Eden''.

Legacy

The popularity of the misquotation has led to many new phrases, both associated with ''Star Trek'' or otherwise. The misquotation's influence led to

James Doohan James Montgomery Doohan (; March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor, author and soldier, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series '' Star Trek''. Doohan's characterization of the Scottis ...

, the actor who played Scotty, to be misrepresented in his own obituary. In it, he is referenced as the character who "responded to the command, 'Beam me up, Scotty, despite having never responded to this exact command in the show. Doohan himself chose to use the phrase as the title of his 1996 autobiography.Elizabeth Webber, Mike Feinsilber: ''Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusion''. Merriam-Webster 1999, , S. 47–48 () The quote "Beam me up, Scotty!" has been extended beyond its original meaning to describe an expression of "the desire to be elsewhere", or the desire to be out of an unwanted situation. Along with this, it has been associated with things that are futuristic, such as the possibility of teleportation. The phrase has also been used as slang for certain drugs. An

Oxford Reference Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

page defined "Beam me up, Scotty" as "a mixture of

phencyclidine Phencyclidine or phenylcyclohexyl piperidine (PCP), also known as angel dust among other names, is a dissociative anesthetic mainly used recreationally for its significant mind-altering effects. PCP may cause hallucinations, distorted percept ...

and cocaine" and to "talk to Scotty", "high off Scotty", "see Scotty", etc. The phrase has been referenced by Baxter County Sheriff's drug slang definitions. It is also referenced in the book "Vice Slang" by Tom Dalzell and Terry Victor, for crack cocaine, and to describe "Beamers" or "Beemers" as those taking said drugs. The exact timing of when the phrase became popular is unclear. However, early signs of the quote's usage to describe something separate from ''Star Trek'' can be found roughly ten years after ''Star Treks airing in 1966, in a publication of the Royal Aeronautical Journal. It describes a certain routine as "a sort of 'beam me up, Scotty routine. Over time, the phrase has been extended to, "Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here!", popularized on bumper stickers and t-shirts, despite neither quote ever being said on the show. The planetarium in the animated series ''

South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand ...

'' (1997) carries the inscription ''"Me transmitte sursum, Caledoni!"'', which is a translation of the misquotation into Latin.Christa Pöpperlmann: ''Nomen est omen: Die bekanntesten lateinischen Zitate & Redewendungen und was dahintersteckt''. Compact Verlag 2008, , p. 81 (German, ) The quote was used in the movie ''

Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...

'' (1998) by Rockhound, the character played by

Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...

. When asked by Harry S. Stamper (played by

Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...

) if Rockhound would join them to divert the asteriod, he replies "You know me. Beam me up, Scotty" The quote was also used by American rapper

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accents ...

as the title of, as well as the name of a track, on her third mixtape ''Beam Me Up Scotty''.

Precise quotations

Legacy

See also

References

Further reading