What's your favourite line in a Columbo episode? Doesn't have to be from the man himself or the funniest but perhaps one that was poignant or thought provoking. Mine is Col Rumford's in By Dawn's Early Light. No-one else but Pat McGoohan could have said this: "Geometry is logic and logic is the battlefield of adulthood". Classic stuff.

In "Murder with Too Many Notes";

Findlay Crawford, the music maestro and killer, first starts to realize the nemesis he has in Columbo.

No dialogue here, but he turns to his electronic keyboard and plays "DUM-DE-DUM-DUM"...the theme from "Dragnet".

Dramatic, poignant, and revealing !!!!

In sex and the married Detective, Columbo cracks me up when he dead pan says..."oh...right...we gottat watch out for that...-popular sex-.." in response to one of the therapists..

They are two: in "Any old port in a storm" Adrian Carsini says to Columbo: "If you ask the price of something, it means that you can't buy it!". The second one is a line of "Try and catch me": Abigail Mitchell says: "Who is murdered always know because he was murdered". It's pure philosophy!
PS: sorry, but I don't know the perfect transcript from the "english episodes"...I watch they with the italian translation.
Ciao

I've already posted these but must be a drunken Jack Cassidy in that bar in Publish or Perish!

Two of the greatest lines are from "Negative Reaction":

(1) From victim Frances Galesko (played beautifully
by the stuffy Antoinette Bower): "What is this
Paul, some newly found masculinity?"

(2) From Sgt Hoffman (played by Michael Strong)
who is assisting Columbo on the case:
"Everybody makes mistakes, that's why the prisons
are all full up!".

I think that a really funny line and scene is when Columbo falls down the hill in Greenhouse Jungle and he says to Sgt. Wilson, 'it's a little steep.'

One of my favorites was in Ransom, spoken to Harold Gould: "Well, we're dealing with a murder now, and I figure that's my department."

Also I'd like to add this, his reaction when the Marine Colonel said "Parachute rigging" in Swan Song. That was a priceless scene.

From "Now You See Him"

The perfect murder, sir? I'm sorry, but that's just an illusion.

Can't pick a real favorite, but here are a couple thatI like:

Columbo in Forgotten Lady: "From my experience, ma'am, I've discovered that people don't usually forget to do that which they usually do."

Ward Fowler in Fade In To Murder: "Columbo, just for a minute let's stop pretending that I'm brilliant and you're simple."

Some of my favorite lines:

1. From Identity Crisis: "Ah, The T-33 Silver Star."
2. From Ashes to Ashes: "And that's the 'burning' question sir."
3. From Make Me A Perfect Murder: "I'm just going to give your neck a little adjustment."

i cant quote anymore here because next time I write a quote quiz, everyone would know where to look for the answers

I believe it is from Sawn Song. Columbo talks about either his fear of flying or fear of heights (maybe both)when he says "I don't even like being this tall."

In Lady In Waiting: "Oh no, I was just returning your lightbulb."

"That certainly was the quickest way down".

here's one more: in "Playback", the art gallery sees a mystified Columbo staring at a piece of strange African art. Asked to explain the piece, she says "We don't explain art. It either does something for you or it doesn't." Columbo says, "This does nothing for me..."

A wonderful bird is the pelican, His mouth can hold more than his belly can, ... He can hold in his beak, Enough food for a week! I'm ****ed if I know how the hell he can.

"I'm sorry, I don't have a Willy." ~Chuck Whelan, to Anita Borden, in A Deadly State of Mind

Bonus:
Chuck Whelan then says "I don't see the purpose," and finally, "All that for a bite of egg."

"That was probably it...subconscious"

Columbo to Greenleaf, 'Publish or Perish'

tisn't.

Any Old Port in the Storm

Carsini compliments Lt.
" You learn very well, Lt."

" That's the nicest thing anybody ever said about me"
I just love that line!

I probably can't remember these word for word, nor which films they were from.

1. "Lieutenant, you appear to be cross examining my daughter". The voice and the wording, reminded me of some old 40s Bette Davis film or something.

2. Columbo to Dog, "Stay here and behave and i'll give you a cookie when I get back. And if you don't behave i'll give you one anyway because I love you.

There are so many. But one favourite that stands out is when Dr. Mayfield asks Columbo if he thinks Marcia (Nina Talbot) knows more than she’s letting on and Columbo’s response is “actually I think she knows less”. Such a beautifully innocent response to confirm how oblivious and naive Columbo clearly understands she is.

Also love when Columbo tells Dog to turn a blind eye to anyone if they try to steal his new coat from the car in Now You See Him. Can’t remember his exact words, but it was a nice nod to both his love of his old coat and his frequent dialogue with his beloved Dog.