Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is a cowboy yell that McClane uses to announce that he will not surrender to a smart, well-armed European gunman. Hans Gruber is the cool, educated villain; McClane is a barefoot cop who answers with Western slang. The line became the series' signature and is now shorthand for a one-liner said in the middle of a fight, as the chorus of every action-film pastiche.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Die HardShow the scene
On Christmas Eve in Los Angeles, New York cop John McClane is trapped in the Nakatomi Plaza tower while Hans Gruber's crew holds the party hostage. Over the radio, Gruber calls him "Mister Cowboy" and asks if he really thinks he can beat them. McClane, who has said he always liked Roy Rogers, answers quietly with the catchphrase as Gruber's men arrive on his floor. In the final scene, Gruber turns it back on him moments before he falls. Writer Jeb Stuart built a cowboy motif into the script; Bruce Willis preferred "yippee-ki-yay" over the alternative "yippee-ti-yay".
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: Die Hard (film)Radio exchange between Gruber and McClane; final confrontationReference checked
- Wikipedia: Die Hard, Development and PlotDevelopment (catchphrase paragraph); PlotReference checked
Context reviewed
