The Most Iconic Catchphrases From The Housewives Franchise

Bravo's "Housewives" franchise is without a doubt a network staple. Who better to hold the reality television baton than the dramatic, catty, over-the-top, fabulous women cast to be Housewives on the hit series? Nearly two decades ago, no one could imagine the success of the "Real Housewives of Orange County." Neither could Andy Cohen, the creator of the series, who became the face of the network and the infamous ringleader of reunion specials. After taking a chance on the antics of the Orange County housewives, Cohen quickly realized he'd struck gold. After "RHOC" debuted in 2006, it had a domino effect — spanning 11 different series in cities across the United States. Not to mention the international reach of the franchise, which has footholds in cities like Toronto, Sydney, Cheshire, and Johannesburg. 

What makes the series so insatiable to viewers is the day-to-day lives of affluent women living in some of the most popular cities in the world. Exclusive social circles where gossip flows as much as the alcohol served have given viewers nearly two decades' worth of addicting television. Whether the Housewives are surgeons' wives, businesswomen, or members of high society, they have big pocketbooks and even bigger mouths. We've seen Housewives give Oscar-worthy performances flipping tables, throwing wine, and pulling hair in some of the nastiest fights in reality television history. In the midst of these epic catfights, Bravolebrities have uttered some infamous one-liners. Just as former Housewife Lisa Rinna says, you better believe we're going to talk about it. We're breaking down the most iconic catchphrases from the "Real Housewives" franchise.

Lisa Rinna's lips may turn heads — but her words have made Bravo history. The iconic former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star is about as unapologetic as they come, and her infamous catfights have delivered some of the best phrases in "Housewives" history. Before she left the "RHOBH" in 2023, she was known to fans as the pot-stirring queen with her iconic one-liner: "Own It!"

The Rinna Beauty founder delivered the famous quote during an argument with Lisa Vanderpump in the Season 6 reunion special. The drama hit a breaking point after tensions mounted all season over Rinna criticizing her castmate Yolanda Foster's Lyme disease. During filming she brought up Foster potentially having Munchausen syndrome — a condition, according to Cleveland Clinic, where a person falsifies an illness to receive attention. While Rinna was at the center of the drama, the former "Days of Our Lives" star claimed she wasn't the only one. Rinna alleged that Vanderpump had been manipulating the storyline and attempting to orchestrate conversations about Foster's illness while filming. 

Vanderpump denied the claims, admitting (per People): "Rinna kept going on at me saying I told her to say something about Yolanda's health, which wasn't true. Rinna was just unusually aggressive." The he-said-she-said came to a head when Rinna walked off mid-reunion episode. After yelling at Vanderpump for talking in circles and being a manipulator, she yells: "Own it Lisa! Own It!" The iconic phrase later became Rinna's own tagline. In her Season 8 introduction she quipped: "I don't have to buy it, 'cause I already own it."

One of the most iconic catchphrases to come from the "Real Housewives" franchise came from "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Shereé Whitfield. The reality star is remembered for many things, including her SHE by Shereé line, but nothing comes close to her yelling "Who gon' check me boo?" during Season 2 of "RHOA." In an interview for E! News, Whitfield revealed that the line came about after she was forced to follow through on a meeting with party planner Anthony Shorter, whom she no longer wanted to work with. 

"What I remember from that day is I was over Anthony. I knew he wasn't the guy for me but of course, we're on reality TV so we have to follow everything. So I had to meet with Anthony and let him know that I no longer want to work with him. Something in me said, 'This isn't going to go well.' I never imagined it would go as far as it went," the SHE by Shereé founder said. She went on to say that parts of the conversation were edited out, including when Shorter became aggressive and threatened her. "But out of that, we got, 'Who gon' check me, boo?' the most iconic moment in reality [TV]," she admitted.

Whitfield turned the one-liner into merchandise for her SHE by Shereé line, including t-shirts, coffee mugs, and phone cases featuring the infamous phrase. The "RHOA" star admitted that fans stop her all the time to ask her, "Who gon' check me, boo?"

In Luann de Lesseps' words, "Don't be all, like, uncool." The "Real Housewives of New York City" star brings the drama and the sass, and she's known for a one-liner or two. Her famous catchphrase originated during Season 7 of "RHONYC" when she was questioned about bringing guys home. During a girls' trip to Turks and Caicos, her castmate Heather Thomson woke up to find a naked man sleeping just yards away from her, which sent her into a tirade. When she questioned the Countess about the ordeal, she was met with one of the most iconic phrases in the franchise's history. 

"So what if I had a man in my room?" Lesseps said. "I'm a grown woman." Further explaining the mystery of a naked man upstairs in their resort, the Countess added, "He probably drank too much and fell asleep upstairs ... So be cool. Don't be all, like, uncool." Thomson clapped back, "I got it," adding, "You're cool. We're not."

The phrase quickly became a meme and one that followed Lesseps around until her final season on the series in Season 13. While Bravo announced a reboot of "RHONY" replacing the Season 13 Housewives with an all-new cast, Lesseps got her own spinoff. The reality television personality appears alongside her former castmate Sonja Morgan on the Bravo series "Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake," which debuted in 2023.

Kim Richards was involved in her fair share of controversies during her time on the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." From her own sister calling her an alcoholic to admitting she uses a vibrator as a neck massager, Richards has had quite a few memorable moments on the show. One of the most iconic phrases from the franchise came from her argument with her castmate Brandi Glanville in Season 2. Glanville pushed Richards' sister Kyle during the argument, prompting Richards to tell her, "You are trashy, and you are classless." Glanville hits back at Kim, responding, "At least I don't to crystal meth in the bathroom all night, b**ch." Kim quipped back, "Slut pig" at Glanville, landing her a one-liner that went down in fandom history. 

Kim's insult even inspired an entire Etsy store. TheSlutPigShop based out of North Carolina has designed an entire online store around famous "Housewives" moments. The shop sells hoodies and posters donning the former Housewife's phrase as well as several other mementos featuring classic "Housewives" one-liners.

Glanville and Kim were able to put their beef behind them following the fight, but their friendship has had its fair share of ups and downs. As of 2022, the two frenemies were on the outs after Kim told E! News that her former castmate posted photos of her post-surgery without her permission. Glanville denied the claims, tweeting: "I love you @KimRichards11 But your recollection is off please show me that picture that you're talking about because that never happened."

Kenya Moore is a former Miss USA, a mother, an entrepreneur, and of course, she's "gone with the wind fabulous." The former beauty queen's iconic catchphrase went so viral even Beyoncé was seen saying it. The quote originated during Season 5 of "RHOA" during a girls' trip to Anguilla when Moore and her castmate Porsha Williams got into a blowout argument. Williams confronted Moore over her attitude while attending one of Williams' grandfather's charity events, telling Moore, "You just act like nothing was good enough for you, and you seemed like you were bigger than the event."

Moore denied the accusations, and the argument escalated when Williams said Kenya was a "nonfactor" to her and commented on her age. The verbal altercation nearly turned physical before cast member NeNe Leakes stepped in to separate the women. But it wasn't over until Moore twirled and delivered the fateful phrase, "I'm still fabulous, right? Fabulous, 'Gone with the Wind' fabulous, okay?"

While the phrase is iconic, Moore revealed it had an even deeper meaning than viewers might think. On her Bravo blog, Moore explained that she was inspired by actor Hattie McDaniel who starred in "Gone with the Wind" and was the first Black woman to take home an Oscar. "Hattie was widely criticized for playing a maid, but without her inner strength, it's unclear what our legacy as a people would be now. Certainly, she has enriched my life. Her incredible feat defied racism, hatred, segregation and civil uncertainty and unrest," Moore wrote.

NeNe Leakes was an OG cast member on the "Real Housewives of Atlanta," and she quickly became a fan favorite during her long tenure on the show. Leakes starred in the series from Season 1 to Season 7 and made a comeback again in Season 10. While she left the franchise after Season 12, her iconic catchphrases remain in the Bravo history books. 

Leakes' iconic catchphrase originated when she was feuding with her former castmate, Kenya Moore. The two never saw eye to eye for the five seasons they shared the screen, and the beef originated from Leakes inviting Moore's ex-boyfriend to her wedding. During the Season 6 reunion episode, Leakes mocked the former beauty queen, calling her "so nasty and so rude." Whether it was her cocky demeanor, or the wink after she said it, fans took to the catchphrase immediately. Leakes also capitalized on it, making it her tagline the following season. "Why be so nasty and so rude, when I can be so fierce and so successful?" the reality star said. "RHOA" fans can even sport their very own Leakes gear as several Etsy shops offer customizable cups, mugs, tumblers, stickers, and clothing featuring the phrase.

Moore and Leakes put aside their beef briefly in 2021 when the former Miss USA attended Leakes' husband Gregg's funeral. She told PageSix she supported her former castmate returning to the series, saying at the time, "[She's] one of the OGs and you can't take that away from the franchise."

Ramona Singer's mouth often got the best of her on the "Real Housewives of New York City," but it did make for some iconic catchphrases. One particular quote the reality star is known for is "Take a Xanax, calm down." The famous line originated during a fight with her former castmate Aviva Drescher while on a girls' trip to Saint Barts. Tensions mounted after Drescher accused Singer of criticizing her for bringing her husband on the trip. 

Singer admitted to the dynamic of the trip changing with Drescher's husband Reed tagging along, which only angered Drescher further. After telling Aviva to "take a Xaxax, calm down," her castmate replied: "I don't need Xanax, I just need my husband." Singer's iconic quote quickly went viral, and is now featured on Etsy. Seven-day pill capsules, coffee mugs, and several other personalized pieces of merchandise are available donning the reality star's most memorable quote.

One of the most outspoken Housewives of all time is Dorinda Medley. The former "Real Housewives of New York City" star is known for speaking her mind, and it's earned her a top spot in the most memorable "Housewives" quotes of all time. Medley's iconic one-liner occurred while feuding with cast member Sonja Morgan. At a dinner party during Season 9, Medley decided to confront Morgan, which left her in a shady mood. 

When approached later by Candace Bushnell, Medley decided to vent about her sour mood. The reality star jokingly mocked Morgan's attitude towards her, telling Bushnell: "'Hi Dorinda, how you doing? You know? F**k you. I'll tell you how I'm doing. Not well, b*tch." The phrase quickly became an internet hit, with memes sporting Medley and the quote "Not well, b*tch" circulating social media. 

The quote, which has inspired several coffee mugs and ballcaps on Etsy, was aimed at what Medley believed to be Morgan's fake kindness towards her. "Sonja walks in and she's like, 'You look pretty,' and I'm like, 'That's it.' It was just so built up and I think it was Candace's first dinner with the whole crew. Poor Candace. But Candace is a character. I think she can handle it, don't you?" Medley admitted on The Daily Dish. "I think the teaser came out on like a Monday. Do you know by Tuesday someone already sent me a mug? ... I was like I've got to trademark that s***. They call it the Dorindaisms," she joked.

There's nothing like calling on Jesus to have a hand in "Housewives" drama. Former "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Phaedra Parks did just that — so much so that she became known for her catchphrase, "Fix it, Jesus." She used the iconic catchphrase throughout her time on the show, up until her departure from the franchise after Season 9. The famous one-liner even inspired her own unisex t-shirt line in 2015 including the hashtag "#FixitJesus." The phrase is no doubt a fan favorite, with Tees in the Trap defining it as when "you are so unseasoned and ill-prepared that you actually need divine intervention from Jesus in order to move forward."

Parks needed plenty of divine intervention as her time on the "RHOA" was full of ups and downs (her ex-husband's prison sentence, anyone?). The attorney left the franchise after admitting to spreading rumors about her former castmate Kandi Burruss and her husband Todd Tucker. Parks alleged that the pair had conspired to drug and sexually take advantage of former "RHOA" cast member Porsha Williams and mutual friend Shamea Morton. Burruss and Tucker have denied the accusations against them, according to People. Despite the salacious rumors, the reality star remains in Bravo's good graces. Parks went on to appear on Season 2 of the "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip," and had a cameo during Season 1 of the "Real Housewives of Dubai." 

Kandi Burruss has made her mark on "Housewives" history. The "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star is the longest-serving Housewife out of all the ladies in the franchise, starring on the show for 13 seasons ever since she debuted in Season 2. Fans loved Burruss long before she was a cast member, however, when the reality star earned her fame as a member of the musical group "XSCAPE." She's gone on to produce music for several artists throughout her career, as well as working as a producer on Broadway musicals alongside her husband, Todd Tucker.

With a resume as long as Burruss (did we mention she's got an intimate toy brand?), it's not hard to believe why she considers herself "Mrs. Worldwide." The artist's catchphrase came from a heated argument during Season 14 of "RHOA" on a cast trip to Jamaica. When Burruss and Marlo Hampton got into an argument over notoriety, Hampton claimed that her co-star was only "known in Atlanta," setting off the Bedroom Kandi founder. "Did she just say 'I'm only known in Atlanta!?' B**ch, I'm worldwide!" Buruss clapped back.

With Burruss being a Grammy-award-winning artist who boasts more Instagram followers than many of her castmates combined, it's safe to say that Hampton's argument doesn't exactly land. Instead of drinking the haterade, the entrepreneur took her catchphrase to the bank. Burruss launched merchandise donning the phrase, "B**ch I'm worldwide," available for purchase on her website Shop Kandi.