Stock phrase

A stock phrase is a spoken phrase which has little or no actual meaning of its own; it carries meaning only through custom or context.

Typical stock phrases are:

• "Have a nice day" - which may be spoken by a convenience store clerk in the middle of the night
• "No problem" - which may be used as a reply to "thank you" (Literally saying, "my labor was not significant")
• "Whatever" - which may be used to indicate that the speaker doesn't wish to continue the conversation.

Certain stock phrases originate from TV, films, video games, and computer worms, and soon become a part of popular culture. Examples include "Where's the Beef," "Everybody wang chung tonight", "All your base are belong to us", or "Hacked By Chinese".

To learn the meaning of a given stock phrase, consult a dictionary, such as the Wiktionary.

Similar to a stock phrase are catch phrase, slang, idiom, and jargon.