A young man in a superhero T-shirt points sternly at the end cushion of a mustard sofa where a blonde waitress has just sat down.

Original artwork, not a still

Sheldon Cooper

That's my spot.

— The Big Bang Theory

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The spot is Sheldon's fixed point in a universe he cannot control, and 'that's my spot' is the line that tells you a boundary is about to be defended with a speech. Fans quote it for any seat, chair or parking space that is somebody's by right. The internet turned it into a meme long before the finale showed him in it one last time.

Context reviewed

In context

Spoilers for The Big Bang TheoryShow the scene

Sheldon's claim on the left cushion of the sofa in Apartment 4A is established in the series pilot (2007), when he explains to new neighbour Penny exactly why that seat is perfect: warm in winter without sweating, a cross breeze in summer, and an angle to the television that avoids conversation. The spot then becomes a running gag, with anyone who sits there, from Penny to Howard's girlfriend Bernadette, being told it is his. A flashback in "The Staircase Implementation" shows him first choosing the spot.

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Context reviewed

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