Hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory ran for 12 seasons and over that time we got to know and love a bunch of awesome nerds. Helping to bring geek culture, comic books, and science into sitcom culture, TBBT was nerdy, funny and thoroughly enjoyable.
Over the course of the show, we saw the group of socially awkward scientists navigate life and love, with the help of the women who would enter (and swiftly leave in Raj's case) their lives.
Leonard Hofstadter wasn't a womanizer like Howard or a serial dater like Raj. He preferred to focus his attention on just one woman, Penny his next-door neighbor. Over time their relationship would evolve, first into friends and eventually into an up and down relationship before they settled down and tied the knot. During this time Leonard has had a lot to say about love, here are his funniest quotes on the subject.
On Asking Out Women
Leonard: "I was thinking more of a biosocial exploration with a neurochemical overlay." Leslie: "Wait, are you asking me out?"
Before Penny, there was Leslie, a colleague of Leonard's who he eventually got the courage to ask out, in just about the nerdiest way possible. He uses obscure science comparisons to propose a date to her, leaving her mildly confused before she says "yes."
While Leonard and Leslie's affair wasn't meant to be, it was a great dynamic and showed that Leonard could pluck up the courage to make a move, just about.
On Getting The Girl, Eventually
Penny: "Yes, I will go out with you." Leonard: "Really?" Penny: "Yeah. Why not? I mean, what do I have to lose?" Leonard: "Yeah. That's the spirit!"
Sometimes, it takes a long time for love to blossom and you can see this in Leonard's reaction when Penny actually agrees to go out with him after he's been iring her from afar for a long while. After he (sort of accidentally) asks her out when she's upset about choosing jerks he's astonished when she agrees.
Leonard's iration for her attitude of "why not?" gives rise to humor as he tries to hide a little just how delighted he actually is that she's agreed to go out with him.
On His Dating Life
Penny: "Oh, it's not a date, Leonard. It's just a man and a woman hanging out, not having sex at the end of the night." Leonard: "Sounds like most of my dates."
After Penny specifies that the pair's outing is not a date due to the absence of intimacy, then Leonard quips that it's no different than usual. He's quite used to going out with women and them not wanting to come home with him afterward. He sees this as no different and manages to joke about it.
Penny, on the other hand, is shown at this point in the show as far more likely to end a date in someone else's bed, or at least not alone in her own. The humor also highlights the differences between the seemingly mismatched pair.
On Watching Things You Hate In The Name Of Love
Leonard: "You want to talk endless patience? Penny made me watch all five seasons of Sex and the City." Raj: "Dude, there's six seasons." Leonard: "Oh crap."
Here we see that Leonard knows how love works. When you love someone you watch the shows they love, even if you hate them. When chatting to Raj, Leonard is very proud of the patience he displayed when Penny made him watch Sex and the City. The only problem comes when Raj informs him there is actually another series left to watch.
It seems the thought of sitting through several more episodes of the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw and friends may just test that patience. After all, even Leonard has his limits.
On How He Got Penny
Sheldon: "Is that the attitude to helped you get Penny?" Leonard: "No, but I don't have three years to make that gate feel sorry for me."
Leonard continually jokes about how he managed to get Penny to fall in love with him through pity. He loved her since the moment she moved in but it was three years before the couple got together.
While as viewers we can see that Penny was won over in time after she realized that dating shallow and nasty men who mistreated her wasn't the right choice, even if they were really hot. Leonard, however, is quite self-deprecating and often makes cracks about how she just felt sorry for him. He doesn't see the great qualities he can offer as a partner.
On Letting Love Grow
Leonard: "I'm telling you, you can't create love in a few hours. Right?" Penny: "Careful. You're poking at the whole foundation of The Bachelor."
Leonard is insistent that love takes time. He is a huge advocate for building a relationship over time (or "three to five years of shameless begging") in order to build a strong bond. Friendships can often evolve into great relationships and we see this in the show with Leonard and Penny especially.
When Amy claims to be getting monkeys to fall in love in hours, he's quick to reject the idea. Meanwhile, Penny can't help but compare the concept to The Bachelor.
On Being A Bran Muffin
Penny: "We could get married." Leonard: "Come on, be serious." Penny: "I am." Leonard: "Why? Because I'm a-a "smart decision"?" Penny: "Well, yeah." Leonard: "So I'm like a bran muffin?"
Penny and Leonard's engagement was a complicated arrangement with both of the pair asking the other to marry them at various points before they actually got properly engaged. At this point, Leonard feels Penny is simply asking him because he's a "smart decision."
After her many disastrous relationships with unsuitable men, Leonard thinks he's a safe choice for Penny, rather than being truly adored, comparing himself to a bran muffin. He feels like he is a sensible but boring option, that you choose because you know it will be good for you, even if you aren't keen on it. This is a classic example of him using humor to deflect his hurt.
On Marriage And Surname Struggles
Leonard: "That's two proposals in one day. Sounds like someone wants to spend the rest of her life telling people how to spell Hofstadter."
Here Leonard tackles the important issues in marriage, gaining a new surname that no one can spell. Anyone who has a surname with an unusual spelling can really relate to this. While the quote is used to inject humor into the will they, won't they proposal situation it's truly relatable.
However, it also assumes that Penny would change her name. This is something that was never tackled in the series, although Penny becomes Hofstadter in the credits after the wedding.
On Happily Ever After
Penny: "Where did you get a ring?" Leonard: "I've... had it for a couple years, not important. Penny... will you marry me?" Penny: "Oh, my God, yes." Leonard: "This would have been so much more romantic if you didn't have monkey hair on your finger."
When the pair finally get engaged everyone is delighted. It was a rough ride but this quote shows Leonard was ready before Penny and kept hoping that one day the pair would be married. It's great to see his dream come true after so much self-sabotage on both sides.
The monkey hair sums up the pair's relationship, even when something is going really well there's always something new to contend with. Still, they face things together and that's what matters.
On Penny Being His Everything
Leonard: "Oh my god, I'm lying in bed with a beautiful woman who can quote Yoda!"
When Penny quotes Yoda to him (and gets it right) Leonard expresses how she's his dream woman. She's beautiful and she can quote Yoda. What more does a nerd need?
Leonard's hobbies and interests are important to him and the quote from Penny shows that she's taken an interest and made an effort to things that are special to him. His joy is simple but effective as he lets her know how much he appreciates the effort.