The Office star Kate Flannery recently revealed which classic lines from the show are quoted at her by fans the most. Based on the original UK version of The Office created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, The Office US first premiered in 2005 and ran for nine seasons, quickly becoming recognized as one of the best sitcoms of its time. The series centers on the everyday lives of the employees of the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the Dunder Mifflin paper company, with Michael Scott (Steve Carell) as its whacky regional manager.
Flannery starred as Meredith Palmer, Dunder Mifflin's frequently inappropriate and socially awkward supplier relations representative. Although rarely dominating the screen-time of an episode, Meredith inserts herself in the office shenanigans through her inappropriate behavior and over-the-top reactions. During one episode, when lice was brought into the office, instead of cleaning herself, Meredith completely shaved her head to eliminate the problem. Meredith tends to react to situations too far to one direction in The Office, which then elicits strong responses from her coworkers.
While appearing on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast, Meredith revealed which of her character's The Office lines fans greet her with the most. When asked by Rosenbaum which lines she hears most frequently, Flannery shares that the number one quote is from The Office season 5 episode, "Casual Friday." According to the actor, a close second is from the same episode, which Meredith says to Ryan (BJ Novak):
"Usually it's, 'It's Casual Day!' They usually give that. Or, "Don't fall in love with me, kid." That's another one. There's a few. There's a few. 'Casual Day,' is probably the most popular."
During The Office episode in question, Dunder Mifflin allows employees to dress down on Friday's for more comfort. However, there are complaints that a few employees take it too far. One is Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) who wears open-toed shoes, much to the chagrin of Angela (Angela Kinsey). The other is Meredith, who wears a purple dress that is considerably too short, which she later believes could even affect the young Ryan when his desk is moved to hers. It certainly speaks to Flannery's strong comedic performance that the two lines most often quoted at her from fans both come from "Casual Friday," and The Office episode is considered one of the best for showing off Meredith's bold and unprofessional character.
Although Meredith rarely commands an episode as a main character, her brief moments on screen are punctuated by excessive displays of inappropriate, yet hilarious, behavior. With a cast of over a dozen in The Office, it can be tough for a character to stand out against the core cast. However, Flannery's dedication to the performance and delivery of these iconic lines helped make Meredith one of the most popular and beloved secondary characters of the show.