Roxanne Quotes

Context

This famous line is spoken by Chris McConnell, played by Rick Rossovich, in Roxanne (directed by Fred Schepisi, 1987). 

Chris McConnell and C.D. Bales are like the Power Rangers or the kids who summon Captain Planet—each with their own strengths. Chris has the face (at least a face without a giant nose), and Bales has the words. 

These words get a little lost in translation, though.

Chris can't even apologize without help from Bales, who feeds him all the romantic lines he repeats to the beautiful Roxanne. When Bales tells him to tell Roxanne that he was afraid, she wants to know what he was afraid of.

Bales tells Chris to say he was afraid of "words," but he mishears him and blurts, "Because I was afraid of worms, Roxanne! Worms!" Roxanne, being an astronomer and not a fisherman or an entomologist, doesn't understand it at all, making it a very funny moment for the audience...but not really for her.

Where you've heard it

You can use this line to break the tension if you're apologizing for getting your worms—uh, your words—wrong. Also, if you're grossed out by fishing, you can totally use this line with a straight face...no wordplay necessary.

This line has been quoted in many rambling essays about topics as varied as verbal bullying, Christianity, and Sheryl Sandberg.

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.

Even though Chris is literally pretending to be something he's not, it's too funny to be pretentious.