"Uh... um... well"

Ah yes, the familiar blank where there should be a snappy comeback, a witty putdown or a declaration of eternal love. Sure, you'll think of something later — when you're alone with your cat, sorting through your stamp collection — but by then your reputation as an irredeemable loser will be set in stone.

So, lacking the wit and acerbity of a crack team of screenwriters, your best bet is to fake it. Yes, I'm suggesting theft. When faced with the uh... um... well moment, just steal a line from the movies. While it's perfectly acceptable to pause briefly for dramatic affect, a casual delivery will probably work in your favour.

Context is vaguely important and, in light of this, we've put together a collection of our favourites to get you started.

Facing a vast army (it happens)

  • "At my signal, unleash hell." — Russell Crowe, 'Gladiator'.

  • "Spartans! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty... For tonight, we dine in hell!" — Gerard Butler, '300'.

  • "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like victory." — Robert Duvall, 'Apocalypse Now'.

  • "They may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom." — Mel Gibson, 'Braveheart'.

  • "May the Force be with you." — 'Star Wars'.

  • "Surrounding them is out." — Sylvester Stallone, 'Rambo III'.

    • Tough guy rhetoric

  • "Go ahead, make my day." — Clint Eastwood, 'Sudden Impact'.

  • "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." — Al Pacino, 'The Godfather'.

  • "You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?" — Robert De Niro, 'Taxi Driver'.

  • "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" — Clint Eastwood, 'Dirty Harry'.

  • "Yippee ki-yay motherf*#@er!" — Bruce Willis, 'Die Hard'.

  • "Say hello to my little friend!" — Al Pacino, 'Scarface'.

  • "Hasta la vista baby!" — Arnold Schwarzenegger, 'Terminator 2'.

  • "I... drink... your... milkshake! I drink it up!" — Daniel Day Lewis, 'There Will Be Blood'.

  • "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." — Patrick Swayze, 'Dirty Dancing'.

  • "Bond. James Bond."

    • Tackling a crisis

  • "Houston, we have a problem." — Tom Hanks, 'Apollo 13'.

  • "You're gonna need a bigger boat." — Roy Scheider, 'Jaws'.

  • "Run, Forest, run!" — Hannah R. Hall, 'Forest Gump'.

    • Warm, fuzzy stuff

  • "Here's looking at you, kid." — Humphrey Bogart, 'Casablanca'.

  • "You complete me." — Tom Cruise, 'Jerry Maguire'.

  • "You had me at hello" — Renιe Zellweger, 'Jerry Maguire'.

  • "I am the king of the world!" — Leonardo DiCaprio, 'Titanic'.

  • "I've taken like three pregnancy tests, and I'm forshizz up the spout." — Ellen Page, 'Juno'.

  • "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her." — Julia Roberts, 'Notting Hill'.

    • And, because things don't always work out...

  • "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" — Clark Gable, 'Gone with the Wind'.

    • When things get awkward

  • "Chancho. When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun." — Jack Black, 'Nacho Libre'.

  • "It's okay, I wouldn't remember me either." — Kevin Spacey, 'American Beauty'.

  • "Mrs Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?" — Dustin Hoffman, 'The Graduate'.

  • "I am your father." — James Earl Jones, 'Star Wars'.

  • "Hey, don't knock masturbation. It's sex with someone I love." — Woody Allen, 'Annie Hall'.

    • • What have we overlooked? Share your favourite movie line below...