Running Gags in Seinfeld

This is a list of the many running gags in Seinfeld.

Get out!

Elaine

• Elaine exclaims "Get OUT!" and pushes someone down when excited, surprised, or trying to express thanks.
• Elaine is a terrible dancer, and her public efforts at this lead to derision and merriment.
• Elaine is very liberal, pro-choice, and against fur. In "The Stranded" Elaine identifies as a vegetarian, though she does eat fish occasionally.
• Elaine, though considered more intelligent than the other three characters, is also known to misuse words. Among them is "vomitorium."
• Elaine and her on and off again boyfriend David Puddy breaking up and getting back together again.
• An unintentional running gag of Elaine's is that although Julia Louis-Dreyfus was pregnant twice during her time on Seinfeld, Elaine wasn't. The pregnancies were hidden in multiple ways, such as baggy clothing, hiding behind furniture, close ups and camera angles, and being in relatively fewer scenes. According to Louis-Dreyfus, one of the work-arounds being considered was to write that her character just "got fat". At the time, she vetoed the idea, but has since acknowledged it would have been the best solution for the show.

George

• George refers to himself as "the idiot," and in The Apartment, "Constanza: Lord of the Idiots!"
• Jerry continually refers to George's similarities to Biff Loman from the famous Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman, especially in the third season.
• George is obsessive about minor details, especially the possibility of someone not liking him.
• George will go to any length to prove a point, no matter how minor.
• George is a prolific liar, often posing as an architect and referring to himself or a fictional friend as the importer/exporter Art Vandelay.
• During the series' run, George began occasionally referring to himself in the third person when angry, adapting the habit from Jimmy in The Jimmy. ("George is getting upset!")
• George has a fear of being diagnosed with lupus, which he expresses by asking people, "Lupus! Is it lupus?"
• George exclaims "I'm busting, baby!" when happy or excited.
• When denied service or help from people, George often screams "We're living in a society you know!" back at them.
• George loves velvet, and often states that he would drape himself in it "if it were socially acceptable". This dream came true in Season 6's "The Doodle."
• When talking about relationships, if it is not going well George will shout "I'm out!" If it is going well, he will shout "I'm in!"
• George keeps accusing his father of something ridiculous to make a point, like "My father's gay" in “The Outing”, when Jerry says, "I have many gay friends."
• George is a notoriously messy and ravenous eater. Several times at restaurants George can be seen messily eating pasta or some other foods. His eating habits have cost him two relationships (his girlfriends broke up with him after they saw him eating) and have caused others to make fun of him at times.

Jerry

• Jerry continually makes references to superheroes, especially Superman (his favorite). According to legend, every episode contains a visual, thematic, or audible Superman reference. This is actually only true of about 75% of the episodes.
• Jerry frequently finds something unfavorable about his dates, much to the dismay of Elaine, who thinks Jerry is superficial.
• Jerry responds to a crazy idea by sarcastically saying, "Oh, I like this idea."
• Whenever someone suffers a calamity of some sort, major or minor, Jerry says dismissively, "That's a shame."
• Jerry always greets Newman with the words "Hello...Newman" spoken as contemptuously as possible.
• When Jerry discovers Newman was responsible for something Jerry doesn't like, he curses "Newman!" under his breath.
• When George sometimes calls with an urgent request, Jerry replies, "Who is this?"
• Jerry sometimes in a whiny voice says that he doesn't want to be something, for example:
  • "I don't wanna be a pirate!" ("The Puffy Shirt")
  • "I don't wanna be a cowboy!" ("The Mom and Pop Store")
  • "I don't wanna be Switzerland!" ("The Label Maker")
  • "I don't want to be a 32!" ("The Sponge")
• Jerry has cleanliness habits. He gets paranoid when he sees Poppie in the bathroom in The Pie, who doesn't wash his hands, and in The Pothole, when he dropped his girlfriend's toothbrush in the toilet. This habit has caused Jerry to be accused of being a Nazi ("The Limo") and gay ("The Outing").

Kramer

• Kramer enters Jerry's apartment without knocking, and the door is almost always unlocked. Kramer has been seen entering Jerry's apartment over 380 times throughout the show's 180-episode run.
• Kramer treats Jerry's apartment as his own- eating food, reading the newpaper, and even taking things with him back to his apartment. As he put it, "Do you realize how much time I waste in this apartment?"
• Kramer often invents huge schemes to make millions, which ultimately fall flat.
• Kramer says "Giddy Up!" when he likes an idea.
• Kramer impersonates a fictitious doctor named Dr. Martin Van Nostrand. Van Nostrand was first "seen" in The Pilot, Part 1 in which Kramer uses a pseudonym to get into an audition.
  • Kramer uses the pseudonym Van Nostrand, Professor Van Nostrand, in The Nose Job to gain access to the legendary "Jacket".
• Kramer tries to get his coffee table book published. (Season 5)
• Kramer uses strange nicknames for George, such as 'mojambo', which he comes up with on the spot.
• Cosmo Kramer is the most mysterious of the four, to the point that his first name wasn't said in the first five seasons. He also has some strange friends outside of the main group, including Bob Sacamano, who is never seen.
• Kramer enjoys many kinds of fruit, and is very particular about their selection. Kramer was banned from a produce store ("The Mango") and is particularly excited about the availability of Mackinaw peaches ("The Doodle"). Elaine lists Kramer's fondness for fruit as one of his positive qualities at a bachelor auction ("The Barber").
• Takes Jerry's sarcastic remarks literally. "Now, where's that tool shed of yours?"
• Kramer often exclaims "Oh Mama!" when something painful or unfortunate happens to him, such as when passing a kidney stone ("The Gymnast").
• Kramer is known for his random sound effects and gesticulations, presumably as a side effect from a kick in the head by Crazy Joe Davola.
• If there is anything for Kramer to stumble over, he will.
• Kramer is a schlemiel- other people are the ones who have to pay the price for his goofs, most frequently: George.

Others

• "It's go time" - Originally said by the Mandelbaum family in The English Patient, this phrase is occasionally used later, first in The Blood when Izzy Mandelbaum returns, and again in The Yada Yada when Mickey charges Kramer during an argument.
• David Puddy's "Yeah, that's right" responses.