“Say goodnight, Gracie” closing routine
E650685
closing routine
comedy catchphrase
radio catchphrase
running gag
sign-off line
television catchphrase
“Say goodnight, Gracie” closing routine is the famous comedic sign-off line from the Burns and Allen show, where George prompts Gracie to say goodnight and she literally replies, “Goodnight, Gracie,” becoming one of classic radio and television’s most iconic catchphrases.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| "Say goodnight, Gracie" closing routine | 0 |
Statements (42)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
closing routine
ⓘ
comedy catchphrase ⓘ radio catchphrase ⓘ running gag ⓘ sign-off line ⓘ television catchphrase ⓘ |
| associatedShowFormat | variety comedy show ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Burns and Allen
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
The Burns and Allen Show NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| audiencePerception | memorable and quotable line ⓘ |
| catchphraseText | Goodnight, Gracie NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| closingFunction | signals end of program ⓘ |
| comicRole | Gracie Allen NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| culturalStatus | classic radio and television line ⓘ |
| dialoguePattern | George issues instruction, Gracie responds literally ⓘ |
| era |
Golden Age of Radio
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
early American television ⓘ |
| featuresCharacter |
George Burns (character)
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Gracie Allen (character) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| follows | end of episode ⓘ |
| genre | comedy ⓘ |
| hasPart |
George Burns prompt
ⓘ
Gracie Allen literal reply ⓘ |
| humorType |
character-based humor
ⓘ
situational humor ⓘ |
| inspired | later references in popular culture ⓘ |
| involves | straight man and comic duo dynamic ⓘ |
| language | English ⓘ |
| medium |
radio
ⓘ
television ⓘ |
| narrativeDevice |
literal misunderstanding
ⓘ
wordplay ⓘ |
| notableFor |
becoming an iconic American catchphrase
ⓘ
exemplifying Burns and Allen comedy style ⓘ |
| performer |
George Burns
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Gracie Allen NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| promptText | Say goodnight, Gracie NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| straightMan | George Burns NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| structure | call-and-response exchange ⓘ |
| usedAs |
episode closing line
ⓘ
show sign-off ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.