There's no question that Legally Blonde is a rom-com classic full of great one-liners and legendary characters. The most iconic of them all is Elle Woods, seeker of dangerous cases and Delta Nu president turned Harvard Law School graduate.
Though her desire to be with Warner was questionable, Elle was a sparkling mix of quick wit and bubbly curiosity. She is also responsible for some of the 2000s' greatest onscreen outfits and most recognizable quotes.
Updated by Amanda Bruce on September 1st, 2021: In 2021, Legally Blonde celebrated its 20th anniversary, and it's as timeless as ever. Audience members (or streamers) can take inspiration from Elle Woods, someone who followed her dreams to a place she didn't expect. The best Elle Woods quotes are a perfect mix of humor and inspiration.
"What? Like It's Hard?" (Legally Blonde)
One of the most oft-remembered lines from one of Reese Witherspoon's most iconic characters is this one. No one can resist a laugh when Elle Woods gives her response to Warner questioning that she got into Harvard Law School.
Elle spent a lot of the movie being underestimated by those around her, but Warner was the worst. After all, she believed she was going to marry him until she discovered how little he thought of her. Her proving him wrong and getting to show him how smart she was is what makes this movie so iconic.
"I Taught Bruiser To Shop Online; I Think I Can Handle Congress." (Legally Blonde 2)
Amongst Elle's many accomplishments is teaching her dog to shop online, as she reveals in the Legally Blonde sequel. While that's impressive, so is her path in the movie.
Elle fights for the rights of animals when discovering that Bruiser's mother is in a test lab for a cosmetics company. That doesn't sit well with her. Elle loves animals more than she loves her perfumes. That's admirable, but so is Elle's confidence. Trying to get a bill passed in Congress is a difficult process, but Elle refused to give up.
"I Changed My Mind. I'll Take The Dangerous One Because I'm Not Afraid Of A Challenge. (Legally Blonde)
When Elle started attending her law school classes in the first movie, the theme of everyone around her underestimating her continued. She faced some scoffs in class when initially proclaiming she wanted to defend an innocent client.
However, she saw her chance to make a point when she declared the challenge of a dangerous client was just up her alley with this now-famous quote. While she initially made the point after seeing Vivian and Warner flirting in class, these words speak to Elle's larger arc of growing up and proving people wrong.
"I Try Not To Look So Constipated." (Legally Blonde)
Vivian pulled off the age-old prank of the fake costume party. She thought she did something hilarious but little did she know, she simply joined the ranks of the people who didn't really understand Elle's character. If she had, Vivan wouldn't have given Elle another chance to shine brightly amidst the dull globs of snobbery.
Despite Vivian's poor attempt at embarrassing her, Elle commented on Vivian's regular clothes as if she had on the most audacious ensemble and gave her a tip for her next frosty nightmare of a costume.
“I Object!” (Legally Blonde)
Elle really found a way to make her experiences relevant to the requirements of the Harvard Law School admissions application. She was the prime example of making things work. It's too bad that she was never a contestant in a fashion design competition because Tim Gunn would have been so proud.
She displayed her ability to retain information by relaying the plot of an episode of Days of our Lives. Elle also showed that she was familiar with legal jargon by firing back at someone who whistled at her.
“Any Cosmo Girl Would Have Known.” (Legally Blonde)
In an interview on the stairs after her win in an epic courtroom scene, Elle used this reply to answer the question of how she knew the detailed rules of a perm.
Elle was a first-year law student on a murder case, and she kept asking the victim’s daughter (read: the victim’s murderer) if she was in the shower — which is impossible because she had a fully intact perm. How did Elle know? Cosmo.
"If I Have To Make Room For My Second Cousin's Vegan Diet Coach, You Better Believe I'm Gonna Make Room For The Mother Of The One Living Creature Who's Always Been There For Me." (Legally Blonde 2)
In the sequel, Elle wasn't just taking on the government but also planning a wedding. She's a master multi-tasker though as she proved her ability to take on a high-profile murder trial while still becoming top of the class in the first movie.
It's telling that Elle, who always seems so social and longs to be around people, saw her dog as the one being who had always been there for her. The Elle Woods quote in question is about wanting her dog's mother at the wedding too, after all. It's a reminder that Elle is aware that the people in her life haven't always had her best interests at heart.
“I Need A Boyfriend Who’s Not Such A Complete Bonehead.” (Legally Blonde)
It’s always satisfying when an antagonist is bested at their own game, even better when their words are used against them. This proved to be true when Elle dismissed Warner after her winning victory in court in the first movie.
Warner used similar words to break up with her at the beginning, and in the end, she fired them back to make it clear that he made a terrible mistake. Warner stuck to his slimy, smarmy, and shamelessly self-absorbed nature from start to finish, and this rebuff was very necessary.
“We Did It!” (Legally Blonde)
Elle gave a speech at her law school graduation as the first movie's ending scene, and she spoke about a lot of the experiences that they shared as a class. After all of the relatively low-key encouragement, and inspirational lines, she ended it in true Elle Woods fashion with a bright and chirpy, “We did it!”
Through her speech, Elle’s development as a character was notable in a more linear way through the state of her relationships with both herself and other people. The bubbly ending to her speech also signifies that she accomplished a goal without losing herself completely.
“Me!” (Legally Blonde)
Ah, if only this could be the answer to every positive or personally beneficial question in existence. Who deserves the world? “Me!” Who deserves a trillion dollars? “Me!” Who got a spot on Mr. Callahan’s first-year intern lists? Elle Woods!
No one could believe it, least of all her two-timing ex-boyfriend Warner. The satisfaction of this jubilant triumph was perfectly matched by Elle's petty remark to said ex-boyfriend, for a sweet and sour dish that’s best served cold.
“Happy People Just Don’t Shoot Their Husbands.” (Legally Blonde)
In this case, Elle was sort of right. Brooke Taylor-Windham, creator of Brooke’s butt-buster workout, didn’t shoot her husband. However, Elle’s journey of thought was like a designer simplification of human emotion. “Exercise gives you endorphins.” Yes.
“Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.” That would never hold up in a court of law, but it makes for one of the Legally Blonde's most hilariously unforgettable sayings.
“At The Risk Of Deactivating The Ammonium Thioglycolate?” (Legally Blonde)
Chutney thought that she was would get away with blaming her murderous mistake on Brooke, but it backfired. The recounting of her day turned out to be Chutney's undoing. She said she didn’t hear the gunshot because she was in the shower washing her hair. She either didn’t think things through, or she didn’t think Elle knew the “simple and finite” rules of haircare. There were ample looks of disbelief when Elle uttered the words “ammonium thioglycolate,” and it was pretty much over for Chutney after that.
"One Honest Voice Can Carry Over A Crowd." (Legally Blonde 2)
Movie audiences don't always remember classic chick flicks for deep messages outside of their love stories, but the Legally Blonde movies change that up. Though Legally Blonde 2: Red White And Blue still has the humor and heart of a chick flick, it also features a message about standing up even when everyone else tells Elle not to.
Though Elle was discouraged from taking her concerns to congress, she persisted. She met roadblocks at every turn, from members of congress themselves to lobbyists to political aids, but she kept going, proving herself a force for change and giving the audience this line as a reminder that one person can do anything.
"Is That Low Viscosity Rayon?” (Legally Blonde)
From her boyfriend not thinking she was good enough to marry, to her academic advisor not thinking she was smart enough to get into Harvard, Elle was constantly proving herself to other people.
This was true even before Harvard. When the patronizing employee at the store tried to sell her an out-of-season outfit for full price because she thought she was just “a dumb blonde with daddy’s plastic," Elle let her know that if she was trying to fool her, she had the wrong girl.
“It’s Called The Bend And Snap!” (Legally Blonde)
Elle Woods had a serious penchant for helping other people feel confident in themselves, and this was one of those times. Her friend Paulette could barely get a word out to the guy she liked, but with the help of Elle, she evolved and perfected the bend and snap.
Though Paulette broke his nose, they ended up together by the time the story finished. That ultimately marked the success of the ever-popular, ever-promising “bend and snap.” It truly does seem to work every time.