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These are the unexpected origins of The Fonz's signature catchphrases
The actor credited this sport as the source of some of The Fonz's famous sayings.
Viewers adopted plenty of Arthur Fonzarelli's mannerisms and habits. As television's King of Cool, Fonzie was an idol to Happy Days fans in ways that other characters could only dream of achieving.
Of course, a few of Fonzie's iconic catchphrases made their way into our everyday vernacular. How often do you find yourself saying "Ayyyy!" or "Woah."
Well, as with the rest of Fonzie, you can thank Henry Winkler for these famous sayings. Winkler, of course, played Arthur throughout the eleven seasons that Happy Days aired on ABC. But Winkler wasn't just responsible for bringing Fonzie to life; he also had a hand in inventing his catchphrases.
In an article for The Guardian, Winkler explained that he borrowed phrases like "Hey," and "Woah" from his time spent watching horseback riding. "I got the 'Heeeey' and the 'Whoaaa' from my favorite sport at the time: horse-riding," wrote Winkler.
During an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Winkler explained that oftentimes, he intentionally shortened phrases and other lines from The Fonz. Arthur was a man of few words; he didn't need to say much to get his point across.
"I understood also he spoke too much sometimes," said Wrinkler. "You know, they would write paragraphs and I would reduce language to sound." The result is the grunting mannerisms that we know today to be synonymous with The Fonz.
Winkler worked hard to keep Arthur an original character. He didn't want The Fonz to simply be another stereotypical cool guy. "Everyone who’s ever played a Fonz-like cool character has always done the same things: combed their hair, stuck cigarette packets up the sleeve of their T-shirt," wrote Winkler in The Guardian. "I swore I wouldn’t do any of that."
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