What is the origin of saying shocked twice to indicate emphasis (e.g., "I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that you would insinuate such a thing.")?

January 14, 2005 10:15 AM

What is the origin of saying shocked twice to indicate emphasis (e.g., "I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that you would insinuate such a thing.")? Googling just brings up examples of it in speech and no origin.
posted by trey to grab bag (29 comments total)

I found a Casablanca reference explanation.
posted by occhiblu at 10:20 AM on January 14, 2005

Probably from the line in Casablanca:

Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds?
Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]
Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Captain Renault: [sotto voce] Oh, thank you very much.
[aloud]
Captain Renault: Everybody out at once!

On preview, occhiblu beat me to it.
posted by ..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. at 10:21 AM on January 14, 2005

Google champ, I am!!! (I was, however, just about to post exactly what you posted, so, on preview, I think we're tied.)
posted by occhiblu at 10:22 AM on January 14, 2005

"Your winnings, Capitaine..."
posted by briank at 10:26 AM on January 14, 2005

It's true that it's been kind of a meme since Casablanca, but it's funny that it has picked up a lot more currency in recent years. I can't remember people using this expression quite so commonly until, say between 5-10 years ago. Although I feel confident it originates with Casablanca, I wonder if it resurfaced in the Simpsons, Seinfeld, or some other allusion-rich environment and was popularized thus.
posted by Miko at 10:45 AM on January 14, 2005

Joan Cusack had a similar and overly dramatic line in the film "High Fidelity". I wonder if the writing/delivery was an homage to the original, or just coincidence.
posted by hsoltz at 10:57 AM on January 14, 2005

It was on Friends. Pheobe (sp) used it one episode many times, and it was pretty funny. Can't remember which ep. exactly, and chances are that it was inspired by Casablanca. But I'm sure that many people remembe it from Friends.
posted by ruwan at 10:58 AM on January 14, 2005

Definitely from Casablanca. I'm actually shocked, shocked that anyone had to even Google it - I thought it was pretty well-known along with "the usual suspects" and the "of all the gin joints..." lines.
posted by vacapinta at 11:03 AM on January 14, 2005

best useage ever, from futurama:

Wait a second. You mean Bender is the evil Bender? I am shocked! Shocked! Well, not that shocked.
posted by glenwood at 11:12 AM on January 14, 2005

Thanks!
posted by trey at 11:40 AM on January 14, 2005

It was also, if I remember correctly, often used in Spy magazine.
posted by Mo Nickels at 12:16 PM on January 14, 2005

Watching Casablanca for the first time the other night, I was chagrined to hear such a silly, cliche line.

I know stand corrected, CORRECTED!
posted by lyam at 12:26 PM on January 14, 2005

I think it's more of just a method of adding emphasis to the persons sentence, than a meme.

I'm sure that similar grammar structure has turned up in other movies/books/stories...
posted by jackofsaxons at 12:26 PM on January 14, 2005

< .br> >.>

Ahem... I now stand corrected.
posted by lyam at 12:27 PM on January 14, 2005

Oh good lord. I'll go away.
posted by lyam at 12:27 PM on January 14, 2005

I try to never say "I'm shocked -- shocked" without finishing the line from Casablanca, no matter what it is that I'm faux shocked about.
posted by waldo at 12:44 PM on January 14, 2005

Although I feel confident it originates with Casablanca, I wonder if it resurfaced

Yes, because clearly Casablanca is far too obscure to be the source all on its own.
posted by jjg at 2:43 PM on January 14, 2005

I think the question is a little confusing. If it is just repetition, then that goes back before Jesus said "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!" But if it's "shocked" specifically, then it is only a reference to Casablanca just like "Use the Force!" is a reference to Star Wars.
posted by inksyndicate at 2:52 PM on January 14, 2005

Wasn't it a catchphrase for Foghorn Leghorn as well?
posted by rushmc at 3:28 PM on January 14, 2005

Foghorn had a repetitive tic but not with "shocked" specifically. More like, "I say, I say, hold up there, young 'un!"
posted by vetiver at 3:52 PM on January 14, 2005

Casablanca is the first reference when searching for "I'm shocked, shocked." (including the quotation marks probably helps.
posted by jpburns at 4:06 PM on January 14, 2005

Definitely Casablanca.
posted by LairBob at 4:38 PM on January 14, 2005

I remember the "I say, I say," vetiver, but I'm also remembering the other one for some reason.

I could, however, be mistaken.
posted by rushmc at 4:58 PM on January 14, 2005

Bloom County used the line on occasion, too. Memorably, when Oliver hacked into the power company and blew the lights citywide.

Foghorn himself may not have used it, but the variation I'm shocked, shocked, I say -- which is not from the film -- is a kind of Southernism and probably has antecedents where shocked is replaced with various other terms. In this sense it is a kind of preacher's affectation. Most speakers today probably have Casablanca in mind, though, even with the I say appended.
posted by dhartung at 8:54 PM on January 14, 2005

Foghorn's was more: I'm shocked I say shocked.
posted by addyct at 12:44 AM on January 15, 2005

The version I know is "shocked, shocked I tell ya", and it seems to be used all over the place. I'm not convinced by the Casablanca explanation, but google tells me nothing.
posted by seanyboy at 4:19 AM on January 15, 2005

If anyone hasn't seen Casablanca, do so immediately. The reputation is well-deserved. You may think you're not going to like it, but you will.
posted by softlord at 7:22 AM on January 15, 2005

I believe the first instance was in an early Noddy episode:

Big Ears: I'm shocked, Noddy! SHOCKED!
Noddy: Then you must sit under a blanket too.
posted by TiredStarling at 11:33 AM on January 16, 2005

Ditto on Casablanca. I'm surprised that anyone thinks otherwise. And oddly enough, I've heard (IIRC) four separate "shocked, shocked" utterances within the last 24 hours.
posted by davidmsc at 7:10 AM on January 17, 2005