Merry and Pippin from The Lord of the Rings are two of the most endearing characters because of their humor and friendship. These two are two relatively young Hobbits who end up on a journey filled with horrors and traumas they never could have imagined. They start out as a dynamic duo of tricksters, and they end up facing war. While in many ways, they lose much of their naive, carefree nature, they always remain extremely devoted friends even after the War of the Ring is over.
While they have many poignant moments as well, some of Merry and Pippin’s best are their funny lines.
"IT COMES IN PINTS?”
This quote comes from Pippin in response to Merry bringing a pint of ale to their table when the four Hobbits are resting at the Prancing Pony. While Frodo is aware of the dangers they could be in and that they shouldn’t draw attention to themselves, Merry and Pippin don’t really get the memo. They are all about enjoying the alcohol and having a good time together. And, while they’re clearly naive, they are also rather funny and adorable in this moment.
“WHY DID YOU LOOK? WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK?”
While both Merry and Pippin get up to a lot of pranks and funny moments, Pippin is the less mature of the two. He’s younger and often doesn't pay much attention. While usually, Merry doesn’t mind too much, he does mind when Pippin’s curiosity ends up splitting them apart.
After Pippin looks into the Palantir, he has to be sent away. Merry asks him these questions with exasperation and annoyance since Pippin is often getting himself into trouble.
“HOW MANY DID YOU EAT?”
This is another hilarious line and conversation that occurs between Merry and Pippin during The Fellowship of the Ring movie. Legolas tells these two about lembas bread and how one bite can make a grown man feel full. After Legolas walks away, Merry asks Pippin how many of the lembas he ate, and Pippin answers, “four.” This is a cute and funny moment between these two and is one of the last more lighthearted moments they have before things go south for the Fellowship.
“PUT IT IN THE GROUND!” “IT IS IN THE GROUND!”
This interaction is the first time that the Lord of the Rings movies introduced audiences to Merry and Pippin. This scene really sets the stage for who these characters are and what they are like when living in the Shire. They are a troublesome duo who like to have fun and get into a little trouble. When they find Gandalf’s fireworks, they end up creating quite the show when they let them off. This interaction as they pass the large dragon firework back and forth is great physical comedy, and the way they talk to each other is also hilarious.
“IT WAS JUST A DETOUR...A SHORTCUT...TO MUSHROOMS.”
When Frodo and Sam begin their journey out of the Shire, they run into Merry and Pippin while in Farmer Maggot’s fields. These two have been stealing from his crop which sends the four of them running and then falling down a cliff. However, Merry and Pippin make the most of the accident by declaring that they’ve found mushrooms. They are clearly thrilled about this as it’s known that Hobbits love mushrooms. This is another funny moment with the two of them that shows how mischievous they are.
“NO, MERRY, I’M GOING TO LOOK AFTER YOU.”
This quote definitely isn’t funny, but it’s included on this list to show that there is more to Merry and Pippin than just funny one-liners and physical comedic moments. These two really care about each other.
These two are cousins as well as best friends, so, when Merry is injured at the Battle of Pelennor Fields, Pippin finds him and promises to take care of him. This is a great moment that shows how important their friendship is to one another.
“WE ARE SITTING ON A FIELD OF VICTORY ENJOYING A FEW WELL-EARNED COMFORTS.”
This hilarious quote comes from a scene that was cut from The Return of the King movie but included in the Extended Edition DVDs. Merry and Pippin are sitting at Isengard after it has been destroyed and eating, drinking, and smoking. It’s clear they are a little bit high in this scene, and they are also having a great time. When Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas show up, these two talk about how they deserve to enjoy themselves a little.
“YOU CAN DRINK YOUR FANCY ALES. YOU CAN DRINK EM BY THE FLAGON…”
This quote comes from part of the song these two sing at the Prancing Pony. This is a classic Merry and Pippin moment where we see them drinking and singing, two things that Hobbits are known to love. The song continues, “But, the only brew for the brave and true...comes from the Green Dragon!” This song definitely makes getting a beer at the Green Dragon sound like the place to be.
“WE’VE HAD ONE, YES. WHAT ABOUT SECOND BREAKFAST?”
This line is one of the most well-quoted and iconic from Pippin in the series. When Aragorn as Strider is taking the Hobbits to Rivendell, Pippin tires to stop making food soon after they’ve already had breakfast. Aragorn is not impressed by this, and Pippin is aghast that Aragorn doesn’t seem to understand.
He continues asking, "What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn’t he?”
“GREAT! WHERE ARE WE GOING?”
Pippin is the pinnacle of being innocent and naive when he starts out in the series, but he’s also loyal to his friends. When Merry and Pippin barge into the Council of Elrond and agree to help Frodo with his quest, they don’t really understand what they’re getting into. Pippin asks this question much to the exasperation/amusement of everyone else around.