The Office: 10 Erin Quotes That Are Too Funny

Throughout nine seasons of The Office, many new characters were introduced and added to the original cast. While some of them were not very successful, Erin Hannon was one of the best. Played by the endlessly delightful Ellie Kemper, Erin was the sweet and often clueless receptionist who took over for Pam.

Erin’s main concern was making people happy even if she had no idea what she was doing. She was not always the brightest person at Dunder-Mifflin but that only added to her charm and resulted in some of her funniest moments. Relive the best of Erin Hannon and her most hilarious lines from The Office.

10 “I Would Like Another Alcohol.”

In many ways, Erin seems like a young child trapped in the body of a young adult. She has a very innocent outlook on things and seems oblivious to many aspects of the adult world. This is especially true when she decides to start drinking at the office Christmas party.

Though it is clearly new ground for her, she takes to it quickly and really starts to enjoy herself. But her naivety is still clear when she asks the bartender for “another alcohol.”

9 “I Boiled Some Gatorade.”

In one of the stranger storylines from the later seasons of the show, Erin goes on a company business trip to Florida where she plans to stay in order to escape her unfulfilled romance with Andy. While there, she takes a job as a caretaker for an elderly woman.

Given how Erin handles basic office tasks, the idea of her providing aid to someone in need is immediately terrifying. Her incompetence becomes clear when the old woman asks for tea and Erin decides a boiled sports drink is close enough.

8 “Eat It, Stanley!”

No one is more eager to please than Erin. She will do whatever is asked by anyone because she thinks that is her job. Not only that, but she will do it with total enthusiasm.

When the CEO of Dunder Mifflin calls Dwight with an assignment, he refers to him as the branch’s top salesman. Dwight celebrates by individually telling all the rest of the sales team to “eat it.” When he sees Stanley is in the bathroom, he tells Erin to relay the message. As he returns to his call, we see Erin charge to the bathroom and scream, “Eat it, Stanley!”

7 “I Was Reading The Mattress Tag And I Fell Asleep.”

Sometimes Erin can seem too scatterbrained to function in the real world. But at other times, fans envy her outlook on life as she seems to find joy and entertainment in the simplest of things.

When in Florida on their business mission, Dwight comes into Erin’s hotel room to wake her up. He pulls back the covers only to find her sleeping upside down in the bed. When asked why she says, “I was reading the mattress tag and I fell asleep.”

6 “It Makes It Look Like There’s An Eyebrow In The Middle Of Your Face.”

Along with her extremely friendly and kind persona, Erin has no filter. If a thought pops into her head, sometimes she cannot help but blurt it out.

When the men in the office are participating in a mustache-growing contest, Erin’s new boyfriend Pete comes to her desk and Erin screams in disgust at his undergrown facial hair. She apologizes but cannot help herself from continuing to describe how awful it looks.

5 “Planking Is One Of Those Things Where, Hey, You Either Get It Or You Don’t. And I Don’t.”

One memorable and bizarre cold open on the show finds the office participating in the trend of planking. It basically involves people lying flatly in places for some reason.

Once again, Erin is very enthusiastic about participating. She confidently explains that it is one of those things that you’re either cool enough to get it or you don’t. And with zero shame, she fully admits that she doesn’t get it but is having fun playing along with everyone else.

4 “I’m Not Sure I’ve Earned The Right To Make Announcements Yet.”

While some people like Dwight seem to think Erin is a lower-class member of the office because she works at the front desk, most of the others treat her with respect. But that doesn’t stop her from worrying about everything that she may or may not be allowed to do.

At one point, she timidly addresses the entire office and admits that she is unsure if she has earned the right to do so, even though everyone does it all the time for ridiculous reasons. It is a little sad, but mostly hilarious.

3 “I Do Like The Early Parts Of The Movie When They Have A Perfect Family And Everything.”

One of the most awkward relationships on the show was between Erin and Gabe. They do not seem to have anything in common and, in fact, there are some ways in which they are terribly ill-suited for each other.

Erin explains that Gabe is always the one who chooses the movies that they watch as a couple, which includes Rosemary’s Baby and The Shining. Erin is clearly not a fan of the horror genre but admits she likes the beginnings when “they have a perfect family and everything.”

2 “Disposable Cameras Are Fun Although It Does Seem Wasteful And You Never Get To See Your Pictures.”

Erin doesn’t seem to understand even the most basic of everyday concepts, but this never really seems to bother her. Even something like disposable cameras are a mystery to Erin but she just shrugs it off.

As it turns out, she takes disposable cameras quite literally and throws the entire camera out after she’s used up all of the shots. She explains that she thinks they are fun but it seems wasteful since you never get to see the pictures. But she’s not too bothered by it.

1 “Except For That One Time When I Was In The Hospital From Age Three To Six.”

There’s a bit of a dark backstory to Erin that is gradually revealed over the course of the show. Not only is she a foster child, but she has had a tough childhood that she looks back on with her usual cheerful attitude.

When she catches a cold, Erin insists it is not a big deal. She explains that whenever she gets sick, she gets over it in a matter of hours. Then she recalls one exception when she spent three years of her childhood in a hospital. It is a random and darkly hilarious moment Erin mentions in a matter-of-fact manner.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2040 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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