Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the harshest sentence in sitcom history for the mildest crime: a customer who steps out of line is wiped out in four words. It works as a catchphrase for any petty tyrant with a little power, from the clerk who will not take your return to the bouncer with a clipboard. The character was based on a real Manhattan soup seller, which only added to the legend.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for SeinfeldShow the scene
In "The Soup Nazi" (Seinfeld, season 7, first aired November 2, 1995), Jerry, George and Elaine try a new Manhattan soup stand run by the fearsome Yev Kassem, nicknamed the Soup Nazi for the rigid ordering routine he demands. George grumbles that his soup came without bread and will not let it go, so Kassem has the cashier take the soup back and bellows the line. Jerry's girlfriend Sheila gets ordered out of the queue for kissing him, and Elaine ends the episode by finding the secret recipes in an old armoire. Larry Thomas played Kassem; Spike Feresten wrote the episode.
Sources (1)
- Seinfeld Wiki: The Soup NaziPlotReference checked
Context reviewed
