20 Classic Popeye Quotes From 'Popeye The Sailor Man'

Srija Chanda
Dec 12, 2023 By Srija Chanda
Originally Published on Feb 17, 2021
Edited by Isobel Murphy
A statue of Popeye the sailor man.
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Age: 0-99
Read time: 4.6 Min

A large part of our childhood memories consists of watching Popeye and getting hyped up about becoming strong like him.

It presented the perfect opportunity for our mothers to encourage kids to eat spinach, and all the other vegetables. And kids, the ones dreaming about growing strong like Popeye after a dose of spinach, ate their vegetables up like little angels!

The character first appeared on the comic strip 'Thimble Theatre', where the main character used to be Castor Oyl, and later the series was named after Popeye due to his growing popularity. He, as we all know, is a sailor.

When he was a child of just twelve, Popeye went on his first-ever voyage and lost one of his eyes in what he claims was the most awful battle of his life.

He is relatively uneducated and his mannerisms seem somewhat uncouth, but it is his ability to solve problems that makes him a favorite among his peers. Popeye is close to his fellow cast members, and often calls Olive Oyl Sweet Pea, or Sweet Patootie.

We have found some classic Popeye quotations for you, that will make you revisit your childhood. If you are looking for famous Popeye quotes, Olive Oyl quotes, Popeye's sayings, J. Wellington Wimpy quotes, Swee'Pea quotes or Bluto quotes, you will find them all here.

If you are looking for more great quotes, please check out these Garfield quotes and Charlie Brown quotes too!

Famous Quotes By Popeye

Popeye and friends statues outside of storefront in Cambria California

Loud-mouthed, uncouth, aggressive but courageous, confident, and with a keen sense of right and wrong, the character of Popeye was hugely popular. Whatever the problem, even if all else fails, our hero never failed to save the day.

Do you recognize Popeye's most famous saying: "I'm Popeye the sailor man!"? Of course you do! Here are some more quotes by the star of the show that will take you back to your childhood.

1.  "I'm strong to the finich, 'cause I eats me spinach, I'm Popeye the sailor man!"

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man' (Theme Song).

2.  "Where's the entrance to the exit?"

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

3.  "I'll take all on one at a time!"

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

4.  "I ain't no tailor but I know what suits me."

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

5.  "That's all I can stands, I can stands no more."

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

6.  "I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam."

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

7.  "If I'm not me, who am I. And If I'm somebody else, why do I look like me?"

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

The Best 'Popeye The Sailor Man' Quotes

Always helpful, saving his girlfriend Olive Oyl from the bad guys, eating spinach to gain instant strength, rivaling with his sometimes friend sometimes enemy Bluto, and fighting for the good in general with the help of others or even alone, that is how Popeye is portrayed.

His courage and ability to keep fighting even when the enemy is much larger and stronger than him are the qualities that make him so endearing to others.

Here are some quotes by Popeye and some of the other characters, that carry the essence of the show perfectly.

8.  "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

- J. Wellington Wimpy, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

9.  "You keep your hands to you, that's what you are!"

- Olive Oyl, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

10.  "Careful there, don't ruffle me feathers. What am I? I ain't no physcikisk, but I knows what matters. What am I? I'm Popeye the Sailor."

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

11.  "Help! Popeye, Save me!"

- Olive Oyl, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

12.  "I found him in Sweet Haven, that's why I am calling him Swee'Pea. That is his name."

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

13.  "Oh, Popeye!"

- Olive Oyl, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

14. "Bluto, even though you're larger than me, you can't wins, 'cause you bad, and the good always wins over the bad."

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

Funny 'Popeye The Sailor Man' Quotes

Every character in the show played a very important role, and here are a few quotations by the characters that will make you appreciate the show some more. Did you know that the legendary Robin Williams played Popeye in the film released in 1980?

He starred alongside Shelley Duvall, Paul L Smith and Paul Dooley! Shelly Duval played Olive Oyl, Paul L Smith played Bluto, and Paul Dooley played Wimpy.

15.  "If you know what I mean, you'll know what I mean! I'm mean"

- Bluto, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

16.  "Don't you dare 'reproach' me!"

- Olive Oyl, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

17.  "She'll marry me! She won't! She will!"

- Bluto, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

18.  "Oh yeah? WHAM!"

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

19.  "If we can't be friends we'll be enemies."

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

20.  "If I was gonna be Swee'Pea's mother, I should've at least let Olive be his father. Or visa versa. I ain't man enough to be no mother."

- Popeye, 'Popeye The Sailor Man'.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Popeye quotes, then why not take a look at these [Little Snoopy quotes], or Charlie Brown Thanksgiving quotes for more great quotes?

Main image credit: enchanted_fairy / Shutterstock.com

Article image credit: Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock.com

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Written by Srija Chanda

Master of Arts specializing in Mass Communication/Media Studies

Srija Chanda picture

Srija ChandaMaster of Arts specializing in Mass Communication/Media Studies

An aspiring media professional, Srija is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Mass Communication at St. Xavier's University, Kolkata, after completing her degree in journalism. With experience in PR and social media, she has also honed her leadership skills through her participation in a youth parliament. Srija's interests include devouring books, watching movies, and exploring new places through travel.

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