Summary

• The best Office Space quotes highlight relatable workplace situations and poke fun at the tedium of office life, making it a cult favorite comedy.
• The movie was initially a box office flop but gained a fanbase and became a cult favorite after its release on home video.
• The memorable characters and quotable dialogue, such as Milton's obsession with the radio and Samir's printer frustrations, contribute to the film's comedic success.

The best Office Space quotes illustrate why it's one of the highest-rated work-related comedies, highlighting the tedium of TPS reports, Hawaiian shirt Fridays, and annoying birthday parties. The 1999 comedy excels at exaggerating relatable workplace situations. The excellent cast of characters, stuck in a nightmarish cycle of redundancy and stupidity, made Office Space a success, thanks to how quotable their dialogue is. Some of the best Office Space quotes are jabs at the workplace, while others poke fun at society in general, especially for 9-to-5'ers who are fed up with the rat race and daily grind.

There was never an Office Space sequel for a variety of reasons. The biggest reason was that it was a box office flop, earning only $12.2 million on a budget of $10 million (Box Office Mojo). This fact seems shocking since Office Space became such a cult success, but it wasn't until it hit home video that it began to grow a fanbase. Since then, Office Space has become a beloved comedy classic, with so many memorable and hilarious lines that fans are still quoting decades later.

35 "That Would Be Great"

Bill Lumberg (Gary Cole)

The entire plot of Office Space surrounds office employees who feel trapped by the cubicles. What really shines a light on their plight is their boss, Bill Lumberg. The man has no concept of personal space, work/life balance, or the actual feelings of his employees. What makes him even worse is that he is smarmy and almost condescending in how he talks to his employees, with Gary Cole turning in a masterful performance of a manipulative and uncaring boss.

Lumberg is telling them in a way where he knows they have no opportunity to say no.

When he is asking employees to put in extra work, he isn't really asking. Lumberg is telling them in a way where he knows they have no opportunity to say no, and he does it in a way that seems like he is asking a favor, but it is clear there is no other option. The fact that he ends a request for overtime on the weekend with the line, "That would be great," adds insult to injury as he pushes Peter into agreeing to something he never wanted to do in the first place.

34 "I Have Eight Different Bosses Right Now"

Peter (Ron Livingston)

When the Bobs come in and decide who they are going to fire and who they will decide to keep employed at Initech, they have no idea what actually happens in this specific workplace. They don't know the ins and outs of the office, and they have no idea about the waste of manpower used and the tendency to take advantage of the staff as a result. They learn more when Peter delivers this line to them, explaining that he has eight different bosses to answer to whenever he makes any decision.

They are shocked, but anyone who has ever worked in an office set up like this knows this is true. There is an old quote about too many chefs in the kitchen, where people start to walk over each other, and no one knows what they are supposed to do because one person will say one thing and another will contradict it. It is a movie about the horrors of the workplace, and this is one Office Space quote that people who work in almost any industry can relate to.

33 "PC Load Letter. What The F**** Does That Mean?"

Michael Bolton (David Herman)

The Michael Bolton line about the "PC Load Letter" instruction is easily one of the best Office Space quotes when it comes to people dealing with just about any form of technology in the workplace. For a company that is supposed to be based on software development, it seems almost comical that its own technology is unable to operate properly and often breaks down and sends back nonsensical instructions that the low-level staff have to find a way to deal with.

The line shows that even the smallest things add up to the overall level of frustration.

This quote shows the frustration levels that build little by little throughout the day until every employee wants nothing more than to rage against the machines that constantly refuse to work for them. From the annoying co-workers to the manipulative bosses, there is a lot going on every day in this workplace, and this is why, eventually, everyone is ready to walk out if they can only afford it. The line shows that even the smallest things add up to the overall level of frustration.

32 "I Hope Your Firings Go Really, Really Well."

Peter (Ron Livingston)

The best part about Office Space is seeing Peter go from being one of the overstressed and uptight employees at Initech and then turning into a relaxed and chill guy after the hypnotherapy session. No longer capable of caring about his job after his therapist dies before snapping his fingers again after hypnotizing him to let his cares go, Peter returns to work a different person. What is shocking is that the Bobs find his attitude refreshing as they head into fire people.

The Bobs's oblivious nature, making them think it was a great quote, adds to the humor

Because of Peter's fresh attitude, he not only keeps his job but almost gets permission to do whatever he wants while there. He lets the Bobs know everything that is wrong with the place and eventually earns their trust. He has this one last line as he says goodbye to the duo. The fact that he nonchalantly wishes them luck with their firings shows that he has no cares left to give to Initech, and the Bobs's oblivious nature, making them think it was a great quote, adds to the humor levels.

31 "That Things Lucky I'm Not Armed"

Michael Bolton (David Herman)

Michael Bolton has a few good quotes in the movie, but one of the best ones comes when he, Samir, and Peter take the printer out to a park and destroy it. This happens after both Samir and Michael are laid off (Peter keeps his job because the Bobs like him). They set up a scheme to rob Intech of excess money in the Superman III scheme, and then they go to work on destroying the malfunctioning printer, that has caused Michael so much stress at the office.

The entire scene is brilliantly shot, with the three taking the printer into a park and then kicking it, stomping on it, and bashing it with a baseball bat, all while the Geto Boys song "Still" plays over the scene. Just when it looks like they are done, Michael rushes back in and starts punching it. This leads to Michael delivering the perfect line, "That thing's lucky I'm not armed," which makes almost no sense but perfectly encapsulates what he has been going through for so long.

30 "Take a Look at My Cousin: He’s Broke, Don’t Do S***."

Lawrence (Diedrich Bader)

It could be argued that Office Space is a fairly low-stakes comedy movie, but viewers can sympathize with the characters' desires and dreams. Peter (Ron Livingston) is shown to be a typical office worker whose biggest concern in his everyday life is finding a way to escape the endless mind-numbing work he faces. He goes to work, does his reports, ends up browbeaten by his boss, and never gets a chance to enjoy life because his work seems to dominate his every waking hour.

Lawrence points out that this can be achieved without money, and you don't have to be rich if you want to do nothing in life.

When hanging out with his neighbor Lawrence (Diedrich Bader), Peter contemplates what he would do if he were rich and concludes that he wouldn't do anything if that were the case. Lawrence points out that this can be achieved without money, and you don't have to be rich if you want to do nothing in life. Lawrence's cousin is a perfect example of that. Whether he knows it or not, those hilarious words of wisdom spark the idea in Peter's mind that his dream of doing nothing is attainable simply by not caring.

29 "The Ratio of People to Cake Is Too Big."

Milton (Stephen Root)

An animated short about Milton inspired Office Space, so it is fitting that he's one of the most memorable characters in the movie. Stephen Root's hilarious performance makes Milton out to be a very peculiar man, but it is also hard not to feel sorry for him at times. One such moment comes when the office is enjoying some birthday cake which is being divided up among everyone. Milton nervously watches as the cake is handed out and feels there might not be enough for everyone. Sure enough, once the cake is gone, Milton is the one left with none.

Milton knows things keep getting worse for him, and he fights to protect what he has, like his stapler.

Milton seems to be oblivious to anything happening around him and seems to live in a bubble. However, what makes him interesting is that he is actually very observant. He sees what is happening around him in the office. Milton knows things keep getting worse for him, and he fights to protect what he has, like his stapler. This quote shows that Milton sees danger coming. Sadly, he knows there is nothing he can do about it. Moments like this make his revenge in the final scenes of Office Space all the sweeter.

28 "Corporate s Payable, Nina Speaking. JUST A Moment!"

Nina (Kinna McInroe)

Office Space spends a lot of time at Initech, the titular office environment where Peter Gibbons wastes away, day in and day out. The movie quickly establishes those workplace annoyances that can make the workday harder to endure, such as the irritating Nina (Kinna McInroe), whose repeated phone greeting grinds away at Peter's patience. Peter bears the unfortunate fate of having his cubicle situated within earshot of the repetitive greeting she gives to each caller.

The high-pitched, accentuated "JUST a moment" cements itself as the kind of inescapable mundane torture that Office Space remains effective at presenting.

The high-pitched, accentuated "JUST a moment" cements itself as the kind of inescapable mundane torture that Office Space remains effective at presenting. It also shows what the office workers, from Peter to Milton, have to deal with on an everyday basis. They know that they are stuck in this cubicle world, and believe there is nothing they can do about it. Every little thing can become an annoyance, and when it is something like Nina's repetitive nature, it almost seems worse than a ticking clock.

27 "I Was Told That I Could Listen To The Radio At A Reasonable Volume, From 9-11."

Milton (Stephen Root)

Though he tended to stick to himself, Milton found ways to irritate Peter, primarily concerning listening to the radio. Whatever privileges he had, he clung to, especially being allowed to keep his radio on during work hours. Even when Peter asked him nicely to turn the radio down, Milton cited Initech rules. To him, he was well within his bounds to listen to the radio between 9 and 11 AM, repeated like a mantra. It is a hint as to why Milton doesn't have many friends in the office, but given the way so many people disrespect him, this is a two way street.

The radio is how Milton copes, and Peter doesn't seem to understand they are in the same boat.

It is also not unreasonable for him to be a little protective of the simple joys he is afforded. Stephen Root's delivery of this Office Space quote makes it all the funnier, and it's clear it's an argument that Peter and Milton have had before. What makes this hit home is that Peter struggles with the everyday life of the office environment, and even he can't see that others around him are also struggling. The radio is how Milton copes, and Peter doesn't seem to understand they are in the same boat.

26 "Why Does It Say Paper Jam When There Is No Paper Jam!"

Samir (Ajay Naidu)

One of the most iconic scenes from Office Space features Peter and his recently fired friends viciously destroying a printer that they stole from the office. It's their way of walking out of Initech with their heads held high while getting in a little catharsis at the same time. Samir's (Ajay Naidu) problems with the machine revolve around frequent paper jams, while Michael (David Herman) has issues with a "PC Load Letter" notification, a nod to various indecipherable real-world printer errors that continue to anger office workers to this day.

The entire scene is overlaid by the fact that they are destroying the printer to "Still" by the Geto Boys, and the entire situation is played as hardcore

This quote is another example of Office Space's relatable workplace comedy antics being a driving place behind its cult success. Of course, the entire scene is overlaid by the fact that they are destroying the printer to "Still" by the Geto Boys, and the entire situation is played as hardcore, even though it is basically four office workers smashing up a printer. However, with this quote, it is clear that this is exactly how they feel when they take out their frustrations on a hapless office machine.