Summary

• The best Office Space quotes highlight relatable workplace situations and poke fun at the tedium of office life, making it a cult favorite comedy.
• The movie was initially a box office flop but gained a fanbase and became a cult favorite after its release on home video.
• The memorable characters and quotable dialogue, such as Milton's obsession with the radio and Samir's printer frustrations, contribute to the film's comedic success.

The best Office Space quotes illustrate why it's one of the highest-rated work-related comedies, highlighting the tedium of TPS reports, Hawaiian shirt Fridays, and annoying birthday parties. The 1999 comedy excels at exaggerating relatable workplace situations. The excellent cast of characters, stuck in a nightmarish cycle of redundancy and stupidity, made Office Space a success, thanks to how quotable their dialogue is. Some of the best Office Space quotes are jabs at the workplace, while others poke fun at society in general, especially for 9-to-5'ers who are fed up with the rat race and daily grind.

There was never an Office Space sequel for a variety of reasons. The biggest reason was that it was a box office flop, earning only $12.2 million on a budget of $10 million (Box Office Mojo). This seems shocking since Office Space became such a cult success, but it wasn't until it hit home video that it began to grow a fanbase. Since then, Office Space has become a beloved comedy classic, with so many memorable and hilarious lines that fans are still quoting decades later.

30 "Take a Look at My Cousin: He’s Broke, Don’t Do S***."

Lawrence (Diedrich Bader)

It could be argued that Office Space is a fairly low-stakes comedy movie, but viewers can sympathize with the characters' desires and dreams. Peter (Ron Livingston) is shown to be a typical office worker whose biggest concern in his everyday life is finding a way to escape the endless mind-numbing work he faces. He goes to work, does his reports, ends up browbeaten by his boss, and never gets a chance to enjoy life because his work seems to dominate his every waking hour.

Lawrence points out that this can be achieved without money, and you don't have to be rich if you want to do nothing in life.

When hanging out with his neighbor Lawrence (Diedrich Bader), Peter contemplates what he would do if he were rich and concludes that he wouldn't do anything if that were the case. Lawrence points out that this can be achieved without money, and you don't have to be rich if you want to do nothing in life. Lawrence's cousin is a perfect example of that. Whether he knows it or not, those hilarious words of wisdom spark the idea in Peter's mind that his dream of doing nothing is attainable simply by not caring.

29 "The Ratio of People to Cake Is Too Big."

Milton (Stephen Root)

An animated short about Milton inspired Office Space, so it is fitting that he's one of the most memorable characters in the movie. Stephen Root's hilarious performance makes Milton out to be a very peculiar man, but it is also hard not to feel sorry for him at times. One such moment comes when the office is enjoying some birthday cake which is being divided up among everyone. Milton nervously watches as the cake is handed out and feels there might not be enough for everyone. Sure enough, once the cake is gone, Milton is the one left with none.

Milton knows things keep getting worse for him, and he fights to protect what he has, like his stapler.

Milton seems to be oblivious to anything happening around him and seems to live in a bubble. However, what makes him interesting is that he is very observant. He sees what is happening around him in the office. Milton knows things keep getting worse for him, and he fights to protect what he has, like his stapler. This quote shows that Milton sees danger coming. Sadly, he knows there is nothing he can do about it. Moments like this make his revenge in the final scenes of Office Space all the sweeter.

28 "Corporate Accounts Payable, Nina Speaking. JUST A Moment!"

Nina (Kinna McInroe)

Office Space spends a lot of time at Initech, the titular office environment where Peter Gibbons wastes away, day in and day out. The movie quickly establishes those workplace annoyances that can make the workday harder to endure, such as the irritating receptionist Nina (Kinna McInroe), whose repeated phone greeting grinds away at Peter's patience. Peter bears the unfortunate fate of having his cubicle situated within earshot of the repetitive greeting she gives to each caller.

The high-pitched, accentuated "JUST a moment" cements itself as the kind of inescapable mundane torture that Office Space remains effective at presenting.

The high-pitched, accentuated "JUST a moment" cements itself as the kind of inescapable mundane torture that Office Space remains effective at presenting. It also shows what the office workers, from Peter to Milton, have to deal with on an everyday basis. They know that they are stuck in this cubicle world, and believe there is nothing they can do about it. Every little thing can become an annoyance, and when it is something like Nina's repetitive nature, it almost seems worse than a ticking clock.

27 "I Was Told That I Could Listen To The Radio At A Reasonable Volume, From 9-11."

Milton (Stephen Root)

Though he tended to stick to himself, Milton found ways to irritate Peter, primarily concerning listening to the radio. Whatever privileges he had, he clung to, especially being allowed to keep his radio on during work hours. Even when Peter asked him nicely to turn the radio down, Milton cited Initech rules. To him, he was well within his bounds to listen to the radio between 9 and 11 AM, repeated like a mantra. It is a hint as to why Milton doesn't have many friends in the office, but given the way so many people disrespect him.

The radio is how Milton copes, and Peter doesn't seem to understand they are in the same boat.

It is also not unreasonable for him to be a little protective of the simple joys he is afforded. Stephen Root's delivery of this Office Space quote makes it all the funnier, and it's clear it's an argument that Peter and Milton have had before. What makes this hit home is that Peter struggles with the everyday life of the office environment, and even he can't see that others around him are also struggling. The radio is how Milton copes, and Peter doesn't seem to understand they are in the same boat.

26 "Why Does It Say Paper Jam When There Is No Paper Jam!"

Samir (Ajay Naidu)

One of the most iconic scenes from Office Space features Peter and his recently fired friends viciously destroying a printer that they stole from the office. It's their way of walking out of Initech with their heads held high while getting in a little catharsis at the same time. Samir's (Ajay Naidu) problems with the machine revolve around frequent paper jams, while Michael (David Herman) has issues with a "PC Load Letter" notification, a nod to various indecipherable real-world printer errors that continue to anger office workers to this day.

The entire scene is overlaid by the fact that they are destroying the printer to "Still" by the Geto Boys, and the entire situation is played as hardcore

This quote is another example of Office Space's relatable workplace comedy antics being a driving place behind its cult success. Of course, the entire scene is overlaid by the fact that they are destroying the printer to "Still" by the Geto Boys, and the entire situation is played as hardcore, even though it is basically four office workers smashing up a printer. However, with this quote, it is clear that this is exactly how they feel when they take out their frustrations on a hapless office machine.

25 “That No-Talent Ass-Clown Became Famous And Started Winning Grammys."

Michael Bolton (David Herman)

Characters with the same name as a famous person have been used in several comedy movies and TV shows, but none to such a hilarious effect as Michael Bolton, the character who shares a name with the Grammy-winning pop star, in Office Space. It's such a preposterous name, mainly because it doesn't fit at all with the character in the film. Characters throughout the comedy keep asking Michael about his name, and whether he's related to the singer.

Many offices have an employee who is sick of everything and when things become repetitive, they tend to lash out ridiculously, like Michael did here.

Michael is clearly sick of the comparisons and questions, and his lifelong exasperation is expressed hilariously by David Herman in this Office Space quote. The quote emphasizes two different kinds of bored office employees. Many offices have an employee who is sick of everything and when things become repetitive, they tend to lash out ridiculously, like Michael did here. However, the other type is the employees who look for any semblance of entertainment, and they find a small joy in the frustration of their co-workers at moments like this.

24 "Sounds Like Somebody’s Got A Case Of The Mondays!"

Chotchkie's Waiter (Todd Duffey)

Peter, Samir, and Michael routinely go to lunch at a themed restaurant known as Chotchkie's, where he first meets his future girlfriend, Joanna (Jennifer Aniston), a waitress who is fed up with her job and ready to call it quits. Joanna is joined by an overly peppy server (Todd Duffey) who greets Peter's sour attitude with a dismissive quote that begins to eat away at him throughout the day. Peter can't stand the zombie-like enthusiasm for a dead-end job, finding it distasteful perhaps because it reflects his own fears that he's being indoctrinated completely into Initech's company culture.

While Todd Duffey's appearance is brief, his chalking up of Peter's attitude as down to "the Mondays" is a hilariously optimistic juxtaposition

While Todd Duffey's appearance is brief, his chalking up of Peter's attitude as down to "the Mondays" is a hilariously optimistic juxtaposition and an example of how even the small parts in the movie make for memorable Office Space quotes. It is also another case of Peter not being able to see past his own depression when it comes to hating his job. People at Chotchkie's also likely hate their jobs, and Todd is just another Lumberg, taking that frustration and annoyance to another level completely.

23 "I Believe You’d Get Your Ass Kicked Sayin’ Something Like That, Man."

Lawrence (Diedrech Bader)

Lawrence ends up being a voice of reason for Peter as he comes home each day with a new grievance. By contrast, Lawrence works a construction job and doesn't bring home any of that stress. In fact, he seems perplexed and even angry at the things Peter faces in the office. When Peter asks Lawrence if someone has ever accused him of having a "case of the Mondays," Lawrence is hilariously taken aback, suggesting violence as an appropriate response. While over-the-top, it shows that Peter isn't alone in the annoyance he feels.

Lawrence lets Peter know that not everything that bothers him is a small annoyance, and sometimes Peter has every right to get angry and lose his temper about something.

Even the laid-back Lawrence doesn't kid himself about many of the harshness of professional life. This is also a quote that helps Peter see a little more clearly. Peter takes everything that happens to him, and the small annoyances that happen around the office, personally. It seems like he can't find happiness in anything in life. However, Lawrence lets Peter know that not everything that bothers him is a small annoyance, and sometimes Peter has every right to get angry and lose his temper about something.

22 "That Was Supposed To Be Your Career."

Peter (Ron Livingston)

Office Space has great commentary about corporate life and being a cog in a company that doesn't appreciate employees. Peter talks about how his high school counselor would try to help the students pursue a career, but he never understood the exercise. His school believed there was a perfect way to figure out what it was that a person should set out to do as a job in life. He explains,

"Our high school guidance counselor used to ask us what you would do if you had a million dollars and didn't have to work. And invariably, whatever you'd say, that was supposed to be your career."

In one of Office Space's more philosophical and reflective quotes, Peter says he didn't get how this prompt would help him choose a career. He explains that he never had a good answer, and would rather do nothing if he had the choice. There seems to be two ways of thinking in life for jobs. Some people feel everyone should work jobs for the betterment of others, and that is an important part of life. Other people don't see the purpose in grinding it out every day until they die, and Peter realizes he is one of those people.

21 “Oh, And Remember, Next Friday Is Hawaiian Shirt Day!"

Bill Lumberg (Gary Cole)

Bill Lumberg (Gary Cole) is widely regarded as one of the worst bosses in cinematic history, representing the typical stuck-up manager who bosses his subordinates around while spending his time enriching his career. He walks around the office like a terrifying shadow that causes employees to run and hide or sit there and deal it. He shows how annoying he can be when he lets employees like Peter know they need to work overtime — without an option. He then adds something at the end to make it seem like it is still a great place to work.

These sorts of frivolous and superfluous events are common in many office spaces, and it's a common joke that they do little to improve morale.

Lumberg tries his best to alleviate the horrors of working in the office by instituting superficial events like Hawaiian shirt day. This is an especially relatable Bill Lumberg Office Space quote, though not because viewers are watching from his perspective. These sorts of frivolous and superfluous events are common in many office spaces, and it's a common joke that they do little to improve morale. By seeing this from Peter's point of view, after realizing he just lost more free time outside of work, Hawaii shirt day becomes a bad joke.

20 “I’m Going To Need Those TPS Reports ASAP.”

Bill Lumberg (Gary Cole)

TPS reports in Office Space are actually a real thing. The letters stand for “Testing Procedure Specification,” and employees need to fill the reports out for quality assurance purposes. It's a running joke that no one at Initech really seems to understand why. As such, they've become a huge symbol of pretentious corporate management culture, and redundancy in the workplace. Office Space turned the TPS report into a life lesson, and they suddenly became the catch-all term for meaningless exercises imposed upon employees by inept and uncaring management.

When it comes to the TPS Reports, they represent everything that Peter, and many other office workers, hate about their jobs.

The TPS report quote from Bill Lumberg is one of the most repeated from the movie in real-life offices, and at the height of the movie's success "TPS reports" was almost a slang term for vaguely-defined purposeless white-collar administrative tasks. Every day at work, Peter had to do monotonous tasks while everything around him annoyed him to no end. When it comes to the TPS Reports, they represent everything that Peter, and many other office workers, hate about their jobs.

19 "That’s On The Worst Day Of My Life.”

Peter (Ron Livingston)

Peter bares it all to his therapist, summing up the monotony and despair of his 9-to-5 job. It helps set the tone for what Peter is feeling and reels in viewers also frustrated by office-based careers. He realizes ever since he left school as a bright-eyed, optimistic young man that his life has gotten consistently worse. Not only does he hate his job, but he’s left with the residual misery of days past. In this starkly self-aware Office Space quote, Peter tells his counselor,

"So, that means every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life."

It's a somber part of the comedy movie that adds a little thematic weight to its otherwise hilarious story. What really makes the jokes in Office Space work so well is that most of them are relatable. There is no way that this comedy would remain a beloved classic so many years later if it was just an office-based comedy. By seeing Peter with his therapist, and hearing him admit that he hates his life so much, it makes his struggles seem more realistic. It also makes his triumph at the end seem so much better for him.

18 "I Have People Skills! I Am Good At Dealing With People!"

Tom Smykowski (Richard Riehle)

When the Bobs (John C. McGinley and Paul Wilson) were brought in to do a little downsizing in the company, they weren't particularly consistent with their firing methods. Some employees were fired for the wrong reasons, while less-than-stellar employees were either allowed to stay or given promotions. However, in the case of Tom Smykowski (Richard Riehle), they actually made the right call. Tom attempts to express how valuable he is but only succeeds in pointing out that the company was paying out a salary for an unnecessary position, and he had to go.

Tom seems oblivious to his outward demeanor, and it helps get him booted out the door sooner rather than later.

He wasn't particularly sanguine about the idea, sabotaging his own case when he started screaming at the Bobs about how valuable his people skills are. This is an Office Space quote that's all in the delivery, as Tom Smykowski's claims that he's rational and approachable are basically screamed by Richard Riehle, which is the key reason this moment's so memorable. Much like Todd Duffey at Chotchkie's, Tom seems oblivious to his outward demeanor, and it helps get him booted out the door sooner rather than later.

17 "So We Just Went Ahead and Fixed the Glitch."

Bob Slydell (John C. McGinley)

The two Bobs, who conduct the terminations in the office, do so with no remorse or emotion. Though they develop an ironically strong liking for Peter and his outlook on things, they are downright evil when it comes to dealing with the rest of the employees. This is especially true of Milton when it is discovered that he was actually laid off years ago and accidentally remained on the payroll for years. The smart thing to do would be to show Milton the door and end the working relationship. What they did was unfathomable.

When asked if they've now terminated Milton definitively, the Bobs explain that they've just fixed the accounting issue, so Milton will stop being paid, but they don't feel the need to stop him from delivering some free work.

When asked if they've now terminated Milton definitively, the Bobs explain that they've just fixed the accounting issue, so Milton will stop being paid, but they don't feel the need to stop him from delivering some free work. It's one of the funniest quotes from the Bobs in Office Space, and the perfect reflection on how ruthless the corporate infrastructure of many workplaces is perceived to be. It also gives Milton the final boost that sends him on his path of vengeance as he makes the company pay for years of disrespecting its employees.

16 "Nuh-Uh. Not Really. Uhhh, I'm Just Gonna' Stop Going."

Peter (Ron Livingston)

After taking a peaceful day off work, Peter comes to a realization and nonchalantly admits that he's not even going to quit his job, but simply stop going altogether. Such is the way his personality had shifted since his disastrous therapy session. His resolve to not go back to work didn't last long, but this Office Space quote represents a turning point for his character. When his head finally clears, Peter decides that he will go back to Initech, but not to continue wasting his life.

He also decides to stop caring about his performance, putting in minimal effort and living a little more like Lawrence.

This is when Peter decides to work with Michael and Samir after they were fired to put a bug in the computer system to steal money from the company. He also decides to stop caring about his performance, putting in minimal effort and living a little more like Lawrence. At the heart of this plan was the goal of never having to work again, which is a hilariously relatable hero's journey for the character. While he didn't actually quit as he planned, this was the moment he started to look for a better direction in life.

15 "I Love Kung Fu!"

Joanna (Jennifer Aniston)

Peter's carefree new attitude rubs off on everyone, not just his workmates. He ends up courting Joanna when he visits the restaurant she works at by casually inviting her to come over and watch kung fu movies with him, not knowing if she's even into the genre. Joanna also hates her job, and this, combined with Peter's newfound flippancy regarding his own, is enough to pique her interest. When he brings up kung fu movies, however, everything changes.

Joanna has her own Lumberg in Todd Duffey, and her life in the food industry is just as terrible as his in the office environment.

It's the catalyst that sets Peter up for a great relationship with Joanna when he needs it the most. It also isn't just Peter that needs this. Joanna has her own Lumberg in Todd Duffey, and her life in the food industry is just as terrible as his in the office environment. They were at wit's end and needed something outside of work to show them a life worth living. The fact they find each other and have similar likes shows they have a chance to escape their jobs, at least for small moments.

14 "It Was A 'Jump to Conclusions' Mat."

Tom Smykowski (Richard Riehle)

Another relatable idea in Office Space is the way employees at the demoralizing company daydream about finding success and wealth to allow them to escape Initech. Tom is one such miserable employee who laments that he once had an idea he thinks would have made him rich. He's always eager to share his would-be dream, describing to colleagues his "jump to conclusions mat." These are literally just floor mats with ideas on them for people to jump on, clearly not a million-dollar idea.

In the case of Tom, he just doesn't have the imagination to dream as big as others.

The lame explanation and the sad, pitying reaction from his coworkers make this a hilarious Tom Smykowski moment, with the quote so memorable once more because of Richard Ricehle's performance as the self-delusional cubicle worker. This is something that almost anyone can emphasize with, though. When people grind their lives away for a company, never getting anything out of it other than a much-too-small paycheck, they often dream of bigger things — and in the case of Tom, he just doesn't have the imagination to dream as big as others.

13 "I Did Absolutely Nothing, And It Was Everything I Thought It Could Be!"

Peter (Ron Livingston)

After his therapist session goes unexpectedly awry, and Peter ends up hypnotized to not care about anything, he approaches his life in a much different way. Instead of working ridiculous hours and clocking in massive overtime at his job, he doesn't show up for work and spends the whole day doing absolutely nothing. It's a simple, yet unorthodox idea, as many people have become accustomed to the daily grind. Peter would rather just be able to relax and do nothing for a while, and he loved every second of it.

Peter said more than once that he would love to do nothing if he was rich, and he tested this theory and realized that he loved it.

Later, this trance-like state would fade somewhat, but it did change how he thought of his career. This Office Space quote marks a revelatory breakthrough moment of Peter finally embracing his dream of doing nothing. Peter said more than once that he would love to do nothing if he was rich, and he tested this theory and realized that he loved it. However, at the end of the movie, Peter gets another job because he knows he has to work, but only if he has free time outside of work to do nothing if he wants to.

12 "I’d Say, In A Given Week, I Probably Only Do About 15 Minutes Of Real, Actual Work.”

Peter (Ron Livingston)

After the two Bobs ask Peter to run through a typical day, he delivers a hilarious and brutally honest monologue. The candidness of his revelation shocks the Bobs into thinking that Peter is some sort of visionary who could benefit the office in a big way. This is ironic since the same Bobs fired many Initech employees who actually put in real, honest, and genuine hard work. They were diligent workers until Peter sauntered in with his newfound confidence, and the office was never the same afterward.

Despite working over 40 hours a week and completing non-stop meaningless TPS reports, Peter suggests that only about 15 minutes a week of that work was actually important to the company and the rest was a waste of his time and the company's money.

This quote not only changed how Initech changed its policies, but it also shows how inefficient things were before the Bob's arrived. Peter worked long hours and turned in meaningless reports. He answered to droning bosses like Lumberg and was asked to put in overtime on a regular basis. However, despite working over 40 hours a week and completing non-stop meaningless TPS reports, Peter suggests that only about 15 minutes a week of that work was actually important to the company and the rest was a waste of his time and the company's money.

11 "Not Right Now, Lumberg. I'm Kinda Busy."

Peter (Ron Livingston)

Following Peter's spiritual awakening, his entire outlook on his job changed. He is no longer content to do work and get paid for it. Rather, he starts coming in and goofing off on the company dime, which catches the attention of his manager, Bill Lumberg. When Lumberg questions him about his TPS reports, Peter replies with this dismissive and triumphant Office Space quote while playing Tetris on his computer and eating Cheetos off his desk.

This Office Space quote is one that many employees have dreamed of saying throughout their years on the job.

The reverse psychology worked, and Lumberg finds himself on the opposite side of the power dynamic for the first time. This Office Space quote is one that many employees have dreamed of saying throughout their years on the job. When bosses show up and start to demean employees, push off more work onto them, and make it clear they don't care about the people who work for them, everyone wishes they could stand up to them and that is what Peter did here. This one Office Space quote allows fans to live vicariously through Peter.