Kirk Says 'Beam Me Up, Scotty' in Star Trek

While Kirk frequently requests beaming up from Scotty in the original series, the exact phrase 'Beam me up, Scotty' does not appear as a direct quotation in any episode. Kirk says variations like 'Beam us up,' 'Scotty, beam us up,' and other permutations, but this specific ordering and phrasing does not occur. The misquotation has become so culturally embedded through parodies, references, and summary descriptions that it functions as a false canonical quote. This demonstrates how scripts can be summarised and paraphrased in cultural discourse to the point where the paraphrase becomes the memorial default, completely replacing the actual dialogue. The phrase is so perfect for the narrative and so frequently referenced in media analysis that people's memory of Star Trek becomes contaminated with the most common cultural reference rather than direct viewing experience.