Don't even think about it!
"Don't even think about it!" is an emphatic prohibition[1] which became famous when used on no parking signs in major cities such as New York and Chicago.[2][3]
Background
In 1993, Shaquille O'Neal, a popular basketball player, made a Pepsi commercial in which the phrase was prominently used. The commercial begins with O'Neal at a street court playing hoops. A little kid notices him, and exclaims O'Neal's nickname, "Shaq". O'Neal, noticing that the kid has a Pepsi in his hand, walks over and says "Hey, can I have it?" He bends over, supposing that his admirer will give him the soda, but the kid refuses, saying: "Don't even think about it!" Suddenly, a sound simulating that of a scratched record is heard, and the commercial ends with the Pepsi logo and slogan. The commercial is actually a parody of another famous one from the 1970s produced by Pepsi's rival, Coca-Cola, in which a young boy meets football player "Mean" Joe Greene as he is leaving the field after a game. The boy gives his hero a bottle of Coke and, in exchange for the drink, the football player throws his towel to the boy, who excitedly catches the souvenir.
The phrase also appears in series 4, episode 5 of Men Behaving Badly, when a drunken Gary climbs into bed intent on having sex with the sleeping Dorothy; it is revealed that she is wearing a T-shirt with "Don't even think about it!" written on it in large letters.
The phrase was also the title of a 2004 book by Lauren Henderson.[4]
References
- ^ Bruce K. Waltke. "The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15-31". p. 265.
- ^ E.J. Dionne (August 16, 1998). No Go. The Washington Post.
- ^ "13 Ways". Chicago Tribune. 1987. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
Motorists who can't read "Don't Even Think of Parking Here" in English might get the message if it is in one of a dozen other languages, says the city traffic boss.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Don't Even Think About It. Downtown Press. 2004. ISBN 0743464699.
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