Film Quote of the Day: The ‘The Princess Bride’ Moment That Turned One Word Into a Comedy Classic

I feel like The Princess Bride is one of those movies where you remember the first time you watched it. For me, it was on VHS, rented from the Exton Library, on New Year's Eve. Pretty epic time to see it.

That's where I learned the word "Inconceivable" and the power of just one word in all dialogue writing.

Rob Reiner’s 1987 classic was adapted for the screen by legendary writer William Goldman, and the confidence to wrap all the emotions into one word and define the scene that way is just amazing.

So today, I want to go over that quote and talk about how it helped solidify the playful tone of the movie and how it has lived on forever.

Let's dive in.

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The Scene in Question

So the power of this movie lies in just how much fun it is to watch. There's this lyrical quality; they feel musical. You are just flowing with these characters, and they each have their own score.

Of course, the punchiness of Act One is delivered by Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), who plans to kidnap the princess.

Aiding him are Fezzik (André the Giant) and Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin).

But the one word Vizzini keeps using as his plan unfolds is "Inconceivable."

As things go wrong and a pirate chases him, he's baffled by the scenarios that keep happening to him and his trio.

No matter what insurmountable obstacles Vizzini puts in place, like cutting the climbing rope, relying on Fezzik's sheer physical force, or facing Inigo’s master-level swordplay, the pursuer overcomes every single one with impossible skill.

Each time the mystery man performs another miraculous feat, Vizzini shrieks his favorite exclamation in disbelief:

"Inconceivable!"

This all comes to a head at one poison standoff. Vizzini is again shocked by the results of the ruse he's fallen into and is outsmarted again.

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What The Quote Means

I mean...the word has a definition. It is an adjective meaning "impossible to imagine, comprehend, or believe, or something that is extremely unlikely to happen," according to the dictionary.

I really do not think we need to go deeper here. The repetition of the word defines a character who thinks he's smarter than everyone else in every scene.

Vizzini’s defining character trait is his absolute arrogance. And to show this, Goldman has him repeat the same big word over and over again.

The more he says it, the funnier it gets, too.

In addition to all of this, the quote has taken on a life of its own in popular culture.

It's become one of the most repeated lines in cinema history, and it is impossible to read or hear the words without harkening back to the movie.

That's pretty amazing!

Summing It All Up

The lasting magic of The Princess Bride lies in its ability to balance adventure with playfulness. And the line "Inconceivable" does both, as it is used in those great set pieces but makes us laugh and lean in for the fun, too.

Next time you write dialogue for a character who boasts about their genius, remember there might be a way to do it with just one word.