HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Beam me up, Scotty" is a catchphrase and misquotation that made its way into popular culture 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''. It comes from the command
Captain Kirk James Tiberius Kirk, often known as Captain 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 ''Enterp ...
gives his chief engineer, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, when he needs to be "
transported ''Transported'' is an Australian convict melodrama film directed by W. J. Lincoln. It is considered a lost film. Plot In England, Jessie Grey is about to marry Leonard Lincoln but the evil Harold Hawk tries to force her to marry him and she ...
" back to the Starship ''Enterprise''. Though it has become irrevocably associated with the series and
films A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of Visual arts, visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are gen ...
, 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. The misquotation's influence led to
James Doohan James Montgomery Doohan (; March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series ''Star Trek''. Doohan's characterization of the Scottish chief engineer of t ...
, the actor who played Scotty, to be misrepresented in his own obituary, where he is referenced as the character who "responded to the command, 'Beam me up, Scotty.'" 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 ()


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 Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, second season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek''. Written by Margaret Armen and di ...
" 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 ...
", 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", Kirk says, "Mr. Scott, beam us up". The
animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...
episodes " The Lorelei Signal" 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 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
in the audio adaptation of his non-
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...
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 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 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. Furthermore, 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 Reference (OR) is a research website launched by Oxford University Press (OUP) in 2012 which provides entries from reference works largely published by OUP, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and companions. It was preceded by Oxford ...
page defined "Beam me up, Scotty" as "a mixture of
phencyclidine Phencyclidine or phenylcyclohexyl piperidine (PCP), also known in its use as a street drug as angel dust among other names, is a dissociative anesthetic mainly used recreationally for its significant mind-altering effects. PCP may cause hall ...
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. In 1988, D.C. Scorpio released a
song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...
named after the quote. A character in the 1993 educational video game '' Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego?'' is named "Bea Miupscotti."
James Traficant James Anthony Traficant Jr. ( ; May 8, 1941 – September 27, 2014) was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. A staunch economic populist known for his flamboyant pers ...
used the quote as a catchphrase during his service in the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
. 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 the ...
'' (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 Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
'' (1998) by Rockhound, the character played by
Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi (,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself. It is not uncommon for people to pronounce his name or instead. ; born December 13, 1957) is an American actor. He is known for his work as an acclaimed character actor. Mul ...
. 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 (TV series), Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining ...
) if Rockhound would join them to divert the asteroid, he replies "You know me. Beam me up, Scotty."
Relient K Relient K () is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes, and Brian Pittman during their third year in high school and time at Malone University in Canton. The band is named after guitarist ...
quote the phrase in a song called "Beaming" on ''
The Nashville Tennis EP ''The Bird and the Bee Sides'' is a double EP by the American band Relient K. In the United States it was released on July 1, 2008. The double EP was released on a single disc, containing both ''The Nashville Tennis EP'' and ''The Bird and the B ...
''. 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 rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
as the title of both her third mixtape and its final track. In his book ''Based on a True Story'',
Norm Macdonald Norman Gene MacdonaldThe capitalization of Norm Macdonald's surname has been inconsistently reported in publications such as ''TV Guide''. Books that discuss him, such as ''Shales'' (2003) and Crawford' (2000), as well as other sources such as ...
explains that the doorman of the building he was living in addressed him as "Beam me up, Scotty" after Norm said the line in a ''Star Trek'' sketch on the show ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. Additionally, Mateo uses the quote in the '' Superstore'' episode "Part-Time Hires" when he is speaking to a construction worker named Scott who continues to try to use his employee bathroom pass.


See also

* Misquotations *
Luke, I am your father ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story ...
– another popular sci-fi misquote.


References


Further reading

* * {{Star Trek Star Trek sayings Snowclones 1968 quotations 1968 in American television Running gags Misquotations