Manny Delgado-Pritchett was the only child in Modern Family's Jay and Gloria’s household for a long time until baby Joe came into the picture. But even with Joe running around, Manny still stands above the rest of the Modern Family kids.
He was never the party animal like Haley, nor the goofball like Luke, and he was never the brainiac like Alex. Manny was in a league of his own. He’s always been a sensitive young man who acted well beyond his age. What kind of middle schooler likes Frank Sinatra, espresso, and poetry? He never acted like a kid or like the rest of his family.
Due to his maturity, Manny has some iconic lines over the course of 11 seasons, and below are 10 of his wisest.
"I've Always Felt Out Of Place At Public School. Like A Lone Petunia In An Onion Patch."
In the fourth season, Jay is about to take Manny on a tour of a private school. Manny was incredibly excited about the potential acceptance to a private school because, as he said, he always felt out of place in a public school's atmosphere. Manny has exquisite taste for a kid of his age and didn’t understand the childish behaviors of his classmates. (Just look at how different he and Luke are.) The comparison of a petunia and an onion patch is enough proof that a child of Manny's intelligence belonged somewhere other than public school. He needed more.
"Don't Skimp On Linens. Don't Compliment A Teacher On Her Figure. And When It Comes To My Mom, Never Ask Questions I Don't Want The Answers To."
Manny knows his mother more than he knows himself. There’s a reason why Jay often goes to Manny for support when he doesn’t understand his wife’s behavior.
In one episode, the Delgado-Pritchetts had enough of their neighbor’s dog barking through the night. But after the dog mysteriously goes missing, Jay asks Manny if he thinks his mother killed it. This is where Manny’s incredible line comes into play and he’s not wrong... As an adult, skimping on linens is a tragedy — and if you think Gloria killed something, she probably did.
"If This So-Called Santa Claus Doesn't Bring Me A Burgundy Dinner Jacket, I'm Going To Have A Big Problem."
Not only does the young Manny act like an adult, but he dresses like one too. He was always playing around with fedoras, button-downs, pocket squares, and nice jackets. He grew accustomed to nice things and fashions since moving in with Jay (who is more of a father to him than his biological father).
In this episode, hearing that Manny is asking Santa for a burgundy dinner jacket proves that Manny’s Christmas wish list is far more different — and more mature — than Luke’s.
"It Was The Second Thing That Slipped Right Out From Under Me Today. The First Was My Childhood."
On the day of Manny’s birthday, he realizes how quickly life was going by. His emotions grow when Jay says that Manny has never acted like a child (which was great for him because he doesn’t like kids). Before his birthday dinner (which, of course, was at a grown-up restaurant), Manny decides to do everything he can to act like a kid to get those childhood memories back but it fails. He didn’t see the pleasure in making prank calls. He preferred espresso over soda. And he didn’t care about the pool float he got years ago that he just blew up. Manny has always been wise beyond his years.
"Just Coffee For Me Today. Black. Like I Feel On The Inside."
When Manny isn’t at home writing poetry, studying, or thinking of a creative way to ask a girl on a date, he’s usually seen carrying around a cup of espresso. His family members have questioned him about his coffee habits for years and yet he refuses to budge. As he says, he's Colombian and drinking coffee is in his blood.
In the episode "Bad Hair Day," Manny requests a cup of black coffee for breakfast after failing three singing auditions. For being so wise, he sure does say a lot of things we adults say on the daily.
"Aren't We All Just Fragile Eggs Hiding Behind Bubble Wrap And Bravado?"
Not many kids use the word “bravado” or compare themselves to fragile eggs, but Manny makes a great point. No matter how strong or thick-skinned we are (or act), we're all fragile deep down. We have our good days and our bad days, we have insecurities along with our strong points. Manny may be confident in himself, his character, and what he stands for, but he also has his days where he wishes he was like the other kids his age.
"It's The One Time Of Year When The World Tries To Be As Romantic As I Am All The Time. Good luck, World."
Manny was born a romantic. He's always writing poetry for his mom and his crushes or making adorable gifts for the girls he liked. When it comes time for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, or days when you're meant to show affection, Manny is at the forefront. He always has a lovable idea up his sleeve.
Remember when a girl leaves her coat at his house, and he fills all of her pockets with things that she liked? Or the time he makes dinner for Joe’s former nanny when he had a crush on her? He’s right, we’re all just fighting for second place compared to Manny.
"I Just Did Not Get The Appeal Of Intentionally Soiling One's Pants."
As amazing as a mother Gloria is, she has told her fair share of white lies over the years to spare Manny’s feelings. She even told Manny (and everyone else) that he self-potty-trained; an accomplishment he bragged about for years. In fact, he was so proud of the fact that he didn’t soil his pants as a baby that he was incredibly hurt when Gloria told him she lied about it. He had to go through the stages of potty training just like Luke, Haley, Alex, and Lily. Sorry, Manny.
"I May Not Be The Tallest Or The Most Athletic But Someday I Will Be The Richest."
Manny isn’t the tallest in the family nor is he the most athletic. He was on the football team, but that was mainly to please Jay, and because his uncle Cam was the coach. Instead of fighting this truth, Manny was very honest with himself, and he’s not wrong. One day, he will be super rich and make everyone jealous of the life he’s living. And anyone who bullied or denied him in high school will be kicking themselves for being rude to one of the greatest catches of a lifetime.
"What Kind Of Man Writes Poetry On A Computer?"
Manny loves his poetry. It moves him, and he feels more connected to the world when reading or creating poems. Sadly, Gloria didn’t always think Manny’s poems were the greatest but he kept writing. Likewise, Jay questioned why Manny didn't save his poems on the computer, to which Manny replied "What kind of man writes poetry on a computer?" Jay, of course, picks on him for writing poetry at all, but Manny doesn't care. He's not ashamed of his poetry-loving self.