Dirty Harry Quotes
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Source: Dirty Harry
Speaker: Harry Callahan
Do you feel lucky, punk?
Context
This misquoted line is spoken by Harry Callahan, played by Clint Eastwood, in the film Dirty Harry, directed by Don Siegel (1971).
Dirty Harry plays dirty and, somewhat surprisingly, he plays with pronouns too! Many people simplify this quote into a basic, "Do you feel lucky, punk?" But what Harry says is much more complicated: "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?" Look at the complexity there. Inside quotation marks. First- and second-person pronouns. Dirty Harry: vigilante of choice for grammar nerds everywhere.
Where you've heard it
You've heard this if someone wants to know if you're feeling lucky or you're at a really aggressive punk rock show.
For some reason economists and journalists keep misquoting Dirty Harry in reference to Greece's economic crisis. If Harry retires, he has a job in international news waiting for him.
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.
You're unlucky, and a little pretentious, if you quote this wrong.