Every once in a while a truly memorable TV character comes into our lives, and from the moment we met Michael Scott on The Office, played by comedic legend Steve Carrel, there was no way we would ever forget him. Over the nine seasons it was on the air, he delivered some truly hilarious lines, so we’re here to relive their glory.

Title: Top 22 Michael Scott Quotes Of All Time

Meta: We count down the well-intended but rarely helpful quotes of The Office’s Michael Scott, and show you why he is still one of TV’s most beloved characters.

When the US version of The Office ended in its ninth season, it was a sad time for fans everywhere. Arguably the best character that the show ever gave us was the bumbling boss, Michael Scott, and that’s evidenced by how many cracking quotes he left us with. We’ve counted down 22 of his funniest moments, and relive just how great Steve Carrel’s comedic acting chops are.

#22: Best Boss Mug

We got a glimpse at a novelty mug on Scott’s desk which read “World’s Best Boss.” When quizzed about how he earned it, he threw this gem back at us. “Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”

#21: The Toby Wars

Throughout the series, we saw Michael and Toby have some fantastic banter back and forth. This amazing conversation would have to be up there with one of the greats.

Michael: “You wanna hear a lie?”

Toby: “Yeah.”

Michael: “I think you’re great. You’re my best friend.”

#20: The Nigerian Prince

Everyone in the modern world knows about the Nigerian email scam, but Scott was always just that little more naïve than the rest of us. “When the son of the deposed king of Nigeria emails you directly, asking for help, you help! His father ran the freaking country! Ok?”

#19: Legal Stuff

It’s a good thing that Michael Scott and the rest of the gang were hired by a paper company because we’re not sure their skills would transfer anywhere else. Michael quipped this great defense that we don’t think would stand up in a court of law. “I have cause. It is beCAUSE I hate him.” Fair enough.

#18: Charlie Brown

Occasionally Michael would say something that made us second guess his status as a mere paper merchant and think of him as some philosopher type instead. “Society teaches us that having feelings and crying is bad and wrong. Well, that’s baloney, because grief isn’t wrong. There’s such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown.”

#17: The Early Bird

Another one of his great thinking moments was when he mixed up two famous sayings and somehow made it work.” I’m an early bird and I’m a night owl. So I’m wise and I have worms.” We’re not sure if it’s better or worse than the original, but we love it all the same.

#16: The Bra

We’re not sure what was funnier, the way that Michael told us the intricate workings of how to undo a bra, or when Dwight turned around and looked into the camera while wearing ladies’ undergarments. “Learn how to take off a woman’s bra: You just twist your hand until something breaks.”

#15: Welcome Back, Toby

Another great conversation between Toby and Michael delivered the one-liner that nobody could forget, after his failed plot to get him fired. “Welcome back, jerky jerk face.” Simple, honest, and straight to the point.

#14: Fooling Me

Sometimes, Michael’s best work came when he mixed up two old adages and somehow formed one that’s even better. “You know what they say. ‘Fool me once, strike one, but fool me twice…strike three.” At least this one sounded better than when President Bush stuffed up the old saying, and it was a lot funnier, too.

#13: Wedding Speech

If you had to choose one person to give a speech at your wedding, we’re not sure that Michael Scott would make the best choice. When he stood up to deliver a few words and Phyllis’ wedding, he didn’t disappoint. “Webster’s Dictionary defines wedding as: The fusing of two metals with a hot torch.” Touching stuff.

#12: Wise Words

Sometimes Michael would say something so funny that would make us laugh, and then it would make us think about how we might also do that very same thing at times. “Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.” We may have to admit we’re guilty of doing that once or twice before.

#11: Bi-Confused

Michael really meant well most of the time, but we still couldn’t help but laugh at his colossal stuff ups of certain things. He explained how he found his latest, fashionable suit with a very entertaining story. “There were these huge bins of clothes and everybody was rifling through them like crazy. And I grabbed one and it fit! So I don’t think that this is totally just a woman’s suit. At the very least it’s bisexual.”

#10: Luck of the Irish

Even if you’re not Irish, most people still like to partake in the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day. When Michael Scott is your boss, you can rely on him to give you some words of geographical wisdom for just about any big day on the calendar. “St. Patrick’s Day is the closest thing the Irish have to Christmas.”

#9: Truth Will Set You Free

No matter how confused Michael’s quotes may seem at first, they have a way of making sense to us eventually. “And I knew exactly what to do. But in a much more real sense, I had no idea what to do.” We’re with you there, Scott.

#8: Turtle Trouble

There’s no doubt this is one of the all-time greatest episodes, but well before they drive right into the lake, Michael and Dwight are frantically searching for the missing confectionery. “Where are the turtles?!” It seems like such a simple quote but for fans of The Office, it will mean so much more.

#7: Run Away

Sometimes in life, we just want to pack up and leave, so when Michael uttered these now famous words we couldn’t be more on board with him. “I’m running away from my responsibilities. And it feels good.” Can’t argue with that logic.

#6: Inception

If we had to sum up Michael Scott’s humor in just two words it would be: dad joke. Always known for making puns and quips that are so bad they’re good, he had this to say about a classic film from Scorsese. “Saw Inception. Or at least I dreamt I did.” If that’s not a classic dad joke then we don’t know what is.

#5: Hit and Run

No matter what happened on each episode, there was no doubt that Michael had a lot of love for the staff at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, and in their own way, they seemed to love him too. “I love my employees even though I hit one of you  with my car.”

#4: Poor Toby

There was no shortage of love lost between Michael and Toby, so it’s no wonder that their banter counts for quite a few of our favorite all-time quotes. To prove just how much Micahel didn’t like them, he gave us this great hypothetical situation to consider. “If I had a gun with two bullets and I was in a room with Hitler, Bin Laden, and Toby, I would shoot Toby twice.”

#3: Is This Hogwarts?

Donned with the new famous purple bandana that he wore on the episode, Michael delivered a classic quote that made us think he got Dunder Mifflin Scranton mixed up with Hogwarts somewhere along the way. “The worst thing about prison was the Dementors. They were flying all over the place and they were scary and they’d come down and they’d suck the soul out of your body and it hurt!”

#2: Wedding Mix Up

There was no doubt that Michael saw himself as a father figure to the staff at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, and he made it clear how much he cared with this well-intended but terribly delivered thought. “I feel like all my kids grew up, and then they married each other. It’s every parents’ dream.” We’ve rarely seen him looking so happy, so we’re sure that everyone could agree to just let that one slide.

#1: Destiny’s Child

One of the best things about Scott was just how highly he regarded himself in the world of business and among his peers. There was no doubt that he had any issues with self-esteem or confidence, and that was made glaringly obvious when he gave us this quote. “I am Beyonce, always.” We couldn’t agree more, Michael.