Is There An Origin for the Catchphrase, "Yabba Dabba Doo!?' - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 01-30-2011, 07:19 PM

Does anybody know where the catchphrase originally came from?

TV Knowledge Fan · 01-30-2011, 11:55 PM

...in an early script, Fred was supposed to exclaim, "Yahoo!!". But Alan embellished it, and improvised, "Yabba-dabba-doo!!!". And that became a part of Fred's character, as well as a part of the theme lyrics of "Meet the Flintstones", and the song Hoagy Carmichael specially wrote for his appearance in "The Hit Songwriters" episode in 1961. To this day, "yabba-dabba-doo" is forever linked to "THE FLINTSTONES" as much as "What's up, Doc?" is to Bugs Bunny...

Marvo301 · 01-30-2011, 11:58 PM

Yes! Here is how Joe Barbera describes the phrases origin in the book "My Life In Toons".

"How did this momentous artifact (yabba dabba do) come to be a part of The Flinstones? Originally the script called for Fred to shout Yahoo! At a recording session, Alan Reed (the voice of Fred) turned to me and asked, "Can I say yabba dabba doo here? In a stroke of blinding genius born out of years of experience, I replied, Okay"

So it was Alan Reed, the voice actor who played Fred Flintstone, who came up with yabba dabba doo!!

01-30-2011, 07:19 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Is There An Origin for the Catchphrase, "Yabba Dabba Doo!?' Does anybody know where the catchphrase originally came from?
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01-30-2011, 11:55 PM	#2
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	It was Alan Reed himself who originated it during an early recording session... ...in an early script, Fred was supposed to exclaim, "Yahoo!!". But Alan embellished it, and improvised, "Yabba-dabba-doo!!!". And that became a part of Fred's character, as well as a part of the theme lyrics of "Meet the Flintstones", and the song Hoagy Carmichael specially wrote for his appearance in "The Hit Songwriters" episode in 1961. To this day, "yabba-dabba-doo" is forever linked to "THE FLINTSTONES" as much as "What's up, Doc?" is to Bugs Bunny...

01-30-2011, 11:58 PM	#3
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,460	Yes! Here is how Joe Barbera describes the phrases origin in the book "My Life In Toons". "How did this momentous artifact (yabba dabba do) come to be a part of The Flinstones? Originally the script called for Fred to shout Yahoo! At a recording session, Alan Reed (the voice of Fred) turned to me and asked, "Can I say yabba dabba doo here? In a stroke of blinding genius born out of years of experience, I replied, Okay" So it was Alan Reed, the voice actor who played Fred Flintstone, who came up with yabba dabba doo!!
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