‘Don't Waste Good Lip Gloss’—and Other Totally Memorable Lines From the Iconic John Hughes Movies of the 80s

Writer and director John Hughes was the mastermind behind some of the most beloved and influential teen movies of all time. From Sixteen Candles to The Breakfast Club to Weird Science to Pretty in Pink to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to Some Kind of Wonderful, Hughes films defined the '80s with their signature mix of humor and heart. 

Decades later, Hughes’ movies have kept their cultural relevance and developed fanbases spanning multiple generations. While the soundtracks and outfits are filled with '80s nostalgia, the relatable depictions of teenage life are truly timeless.

Read on for a look at some iconic John Hughes movie quotes that will take you back to your teen years.

Sixteen Candles quotes

• “That's why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they'd call 'em something else.” — Jim Baker (Paul Dooley)

• “When you don't have anything, you don't have anything to lose. Right?” — Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald)

• “I didn't expect to wake up transformed. I just thought that turning 16 would be so major that I'd wake up with an improved mental state that would show in my face.” — Samantha Baker

• “I want a serious girlfriend. Somebody I can love, that's gonna love me back. Is that psycho?” — Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling)

• “Would you stop feeling sorry for yourself? It's bad for your complexion.” — Randy (Liane Curtis)

MUST-READ: 16 Fascinating Facts About the ‘Sixteen Candles’ Cast

The Breakfast Club quotes

• “We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all.” — Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez)

• “My God, are we gonna be like our parents?” — Andrew Clark 

• “When you grow up, your heart dies.” — Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy)

• “Do you know how popular I am? I am so popular. Everybody loves me so much at this school.” — Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald)

• “Being bad feels pretty good, huh?” — John Bender (Judd Nelson)

• “You couldn't ignore me if you tried” — John Bender

• “Don't mess with the bull, young man, you'll get the horns.” — Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason)

• “The kids haven't changed. You have.” — Carl Reed (John Kapelos)

• “Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain . . . and an athlete . . . and a basket case . . a princess . . .and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.” — Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall)

MUST-READ: ‘The Breakfast Club’ Cast Then and Now — Catch Up With The 80s Teen Icons

Weird Science quotes

• “So, what would you little maniacs like to do first?” — Lisa (Kelly LeBrock)

• “I can get anything I want. And right now, I want to party.” — Lisa

• “They're oppressive, meddlesome, difficult, demanding and totally bizarre. I mean, they're normal parents.” — Lisa

• “I want her to live. I want her to breathe. I want her to aerobicize.” — Gary Wallace (Anthony Michael Hall) 

MUST-READ: 10 Wacky Facts About the 1980’s John Hughes Movie ‘Weird Science’ 

Pretty in Pink quotes

• “I just wanna let them know that they didn’t break me.” — Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald)

• “If somebody doesn't believe in me, I can't believe in them.” — Andie Walsh

• “A good kiss can scramble anybody's brain.” — Jack Walsh (Harry Dean Stanton) 

• “Don't waste good lip gloss.” — Iona (Annie Potts)

• “Oh, why can't we start old and get younger?” — Iona

• “Love is awful, isn't it?” — Iona

• “His name is Blane? Oh! That's a major appliance, that's not a name!” — Duckie Dale (Jon Cryer)

• “That’s called a sense of humor. You should get one, they're nice.” — Duckie Dale

• “I'm off like a dirty shirt.” — Duckie Dale

• “This is a really volcanic ensemble you're wearing.” — Duckie Dale

• “Whether or not you face the future, it happens, right?” — Duckie Dale

• “You said you couldn't be with someone who didn't believe in you. Well, I believed in you. I just didn't believe in me.” —  Blane McDonnagh (Andrew McCarthy)

• “If you give off signals that you don't want to belong, people will make sure that you don't.” — Principal Donnelly (Jim Haynie)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off quotes

• “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” — Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick)

• “A person should not believe in an -ism, he should believe in himself.“ — Ferris Bueller

• “The question isn't ‘What are we going to do?’ the question is ‘What aren't we going to do?’” — Ferris Bueller

• “I am not going to sit on my ass as the events that affect me unfold to determine the course of my life. I'm going to take a stand. I'm going to defend it. Right or wrong, I'm going to defend it.” — Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck)

• “Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?” — Economics teacher (Ben Stein)

MUST-READ: What Did Ferris Bueller Really Do on His Day Off? A Full Guide to His Crazy Adventures

Some Kind of Wonderful quotes

• “You look good wearing my future.” — Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz)

• “I like art, I work in a gas station, my best friend is a tomboy. These things don't fly too well in the American high school.” — Keith Nelson

• “I'd rather not see you and have you think good things about me than have you see me and hate me.” — Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson)

• “You break his heart, I break your face.” — Watts

• “Don't go mistaking paradise for a pair of long legs.” — Watts

• “This is 1987. Did you know a girl can be whatever she wants to be?” — Watts

Read on for even more about John Hughes movies!

The Brat Pack Is Back! Learn All About the ’80s Actors, Who Was in the Group, and What Happened to Them

What Happened to Sloane From ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’? See What Mia Sara Has Been Up To

You’ll Never Guess What ‘Weird Science’ Teen Star Ilan Mitchell-Smith Is Doing Now