Original artwork, not a still
Quid pro quo, Mr. Powers. / Yes. Squid pro row.
— Austin Powers in Goldmember • 2002
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Dr. Evil trades in a Latin phrase he clearly picked up from a thriller, and Austin, a man from the 1960s, mangles it into seafood. The joke is that two men who fight over the fate of the world cannot quite hear each other. Fans quote "squid pro row" whenever someone asks for a favour in return for a favour, and the two lines are usually quoted as a pair.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Austin Powers in GoldmemberShow the scene
Early in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin and Basil Exposition find three sailors who were guarding Austin's father, each with his private parts painted gold. Austin decides only one man understands the mind of a madman, and goes to Dr. Evil in prison. He asks how to find Goldmember, and Dr. Evil answers with a Latin phrase: "Quid pro quo, Mr. Powers." Austin repeats it as "Squid pro row." Dr. Evil then names his price, a transfer to a regular prison so he can be with Mini-Me, and in return gives the place and year: a disco in New York, 1975.
Sources (2)
- Austin Powers in Goldmember, WikiquoteDialogue, Dr. Evil and Austin in the prison sceneReference checked
- Austin Powers in Goldmember, film scriptscene after the gold-painted sailorsReference checked
Context reviewed
