Kaley Cuoco was recently applauded for her work on HBO’s The Flight Attendant. The series won a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy and has been nominated for even more awards in 2022. Fans of The Big Bang Theory recognize Cuoco for her role as Penny and are excited about yet another project she has in the works called Based On a True Story.
Since TBBT ran for 12 seasons and made Cuoco one of the highest-earning TV actresses, she has a legion of fans who support her new endeavors while re-watching TBBT to hear some of her character’s best quotes. While the focus was mainly on her dear friend Sheldon Cooper, Penny had some of the best quotes and funniest moments in the series that perfectly summed up her character.
"Yeah, Well Your Ken Can Kiss My Barbie."
'The Panty Piñata Polarization'
When Sheldon and Penny have a falling out, he bans her from entering their apartment. To get revenge on Sheldon’s nonsensical apartment rules, she made his life harder by interrupting his beloved daily schedule. Because of their fun banter, fans rooted for Penny against the strict Sheldon.
When Sheldon realized he couldn’t do laundry on his designated laundry night, he told her, “Woman, you are playing with forces beyond your ken.” Penny, of course, didn’t understand what Sheldon meant and responded with this quote that became an instant fan favorite because it described her character perfectly. She didn’t always understand Sheldon but she’d reply in a way that made sense to her.
"...You're A Doctor, You're A Doctor And, Howard, You Know A Lot Of Doctors."
'The Roommate Transmogrification'
Howard Wolowitz was the only one among his friends who didn’t have a doctorate. In his constant defense, Howard repeatedly explained that he had a Master's Degree from MIT and didn’t need a doctorate to do his job. Even though he didn’t have a doctorate, Howard was one of the smartest characters and wasn’t given enough credit.
When his new girlfriend Bernadette told the group that she was getting her doctorate, Penny didn’t waste any time poking fun at her frienemy, Howard. This quote summed up Penny’s character because no matter how much time went by, she never missed an opportunity to poke fun at Howard.
"NC - I I? Or, You Know, NC - S T D. I Don't Know. It's The One With All The Letters."
'The Hesitation Ramification'
Penny didn’t get enough credit for all the smart quotes she had on TBBT. However, she wasn’t always on her game. She also had silly quotes that weren’t the smartest, like this one.
Right when Penny wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue acting, she landed the role of a lifetime as a guest on NCIS. However, when she relayed the information to her friends she couldn’t remember what the show was called. Considering Penny doesn’t always say the right things, this quote summed her up perfectly.
"Good Morning, Slut."
'The Benefactor Factor'
In ‘The Benefactor Factor,’ Leonard wasn’t sure if he wanted to entertain a wealthy, older donor in exchange for money for new lab equipment. While Leonard’s friends encouraged him to go on a date with her for the betterment of their experiments, he wasn’t sure.
In the end, Leonard went on two dates with her and ended up sleeping with her in a surprise twist. The morning after his wild night, he walked home disheveled and bumped into Penny. Even though Penny and Leonard were once couples goals and dated, she saw the humor in Leonard’s walk of shame and said, “Good morning, slut!” This kind of banter between Penny and Leonard was beloved by fans.
"Yeah, It Was Fun. I Walked In And Two Different Guys Got Asthma Attacks. It Felt Pretty Good."
'The Transporter Malfunction'
There were plenty of amazing comic book store scenes on TBBT, thanks to Stuart owning the store and it being a place of peace for Sheldon and co. One of the funniest was when Penny told the group that she went to the comic book store on her own without them.
Leonard was shocked that Penny went by herself, so she recounted her experience. The ongoing joke in the show is that the comic book store didn't see many women, let alone gorgeous women like Penny. She was flattered when two men lost their breath at the sight of her, which summed up her personality to a T because Penny loved a good compliment.
"I Know That Face. That's Your Proposed Face."
'The Proton Transmogrification'
Penny and Leonard dated on and off for years before tying the knot. After meeting as new neighbors, the two created a great friendship before those feelings for each other became romantic.
Over time, the two agreed that they would date, but they wouldn't take the relationship further until Penny was ready. If she wanted to get engaged, she'd have to be the one to propose to Leonard. But after a while, Penny knew what Leonard was thinking and knew his "proposed" face when he did it. This quote screamed Penny because only she had this kind of honest relationship with Leonard.
"No One Ever Bought Me Drinks At A Bar Because My Brain Just Popped Out Of My Shirt."
'The Mystery Date Observation'
Amy and Penny's friendship was a fan favorite. They were different in every sense and didn't have much in common, but it was their differences that made their friendship a good one. While Amy focused on the sciences, Penny centered on pop culture and acting.
When Amy and Penny became closer, Amy was excited to have a "normal" life that included happy hours and sleepovers with friends. In one honest conversation, Amy mentioned that the brain was the "sexiest organ." Penny, of course, denied Amy's statement and mentioned that her brain never got her free drinks at the bar. Bringing up her good looks and the effect she had on men spoke greatly of her character.
"That Top Has Paid Off In Free Drinks 10 Times What I Originally Paid For It."
'The Rhinitis Revelation'
Penny changed a lot from season 1 to season 12 on The Big Bang Theory. She went from a vapid young woman obsessed with herself to a business professional who was best friends with a group of people she never expected.
Before Penny settled down with Leonard, she had a few scandalous tops for her dating adventures. When Mary Cooper visited Sheldon and his "little friends," she saw one of Penny's said tops in her hamper. Penny assured Mary that the shirt may have been small but it got her more free drinks than what it was worth.
"Aw, You Think Coffee Means Coffee. That Is So Sweet."
'The Hofstadter Isotope'
It was a shock when Penny was smitten by Stuart and agreed to go on a date with him. Penny was used to dating incredibly buff men who were more interested in looks than smarts, so being with someone as shy as Stuart was a curveball.
The date went well enough for Penny to invite Stuart into her apartment for a nightcap. Stuart didn't realize that she was inviting him to stay for the night and declined. She then suggested coffee to entice him, but he, yet again, didn't want caffeine that late at night. Penny found Stuart's incomprehension adorable, which summed up her character because she was always amused by the things Leonard and Sheldon didn't understand from her world.
"What Up, Moonpie!"
'The Terminator Decoupling'
Sheldon and Penny had one of the best friendships in the series. Their differences made them closer and taught them a lot about the world (whether Sheldon would want to admit that or not).
In one episode, Penny found old letters from Sheldon's grandmother, calling him Moonpie. Penny became obsessed with this nickname and called Sheldon "Moonpie" in jest. Sheldon hated the idea of Penny using his grandmother's pet name for him, but it was normal for their friendship to poke fun at each other.