Born Yesterday Quotes
Shmoop will make you a better lover...of quotes
ALL QUOTES POPULAR BROWSE BY AUTHOR BROWSE BY SOURCE BROWSE BY TOPIC BROWSE BY SUBJECT
Source: Born Yesterday
Speaker: Billie Dawn
Would ya do me a favor, Harry? Drop dead.
Context
This line is spoken by Billie Dawn (played by Judy Holiday) in the movie Born Yesterday, directed by George Cukor (1950).
Based on the stage play of the same name, Born Yesterday gives us the story of corrupt tycoon, Harry Brock. Brock hires a journalist, Paul Verrall, to teach his brassy girlfriend, Billie Dawn, a little class. Judy Holiday won an Oscar for her portrayal of the sharp-tongued Billie, and the quote in question is only one of her many zingers. As you can probably guess from the line, Billie and Harry's relationship doesn't go too well. Her newfound education teaches her just how dirty-dealing Harry is and she ends up ditching him for her tutor Paul. Tough break, Harry.
Where you've heard it
You've definitely heard folks say "drop dead"—probably after you ticked them off. Hopefully, you worked that situation out peacefully. Maybe you also heard the line in the 1993 remake of the movie, with John Goodman and Melanie Griffith.
Though the line isn't referenced, the movie also gets a shout-out in an episode of The Sopranos, when one of the characters cites it as inspiration for the mob boss in Cleaver, a horror movie that some of the fellas are making.
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.
Well, people might think you're rude, but they won't think you're pretentious.