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George Costanza’s line, “Jerry, just remember, it’s not a lie if you believe it,” is attributed to the Seinfeld episode “The Beard.” It is a memorable compact expression of George’s talent for rationalizing dishonesty—but there is no formal ranking establishing it as one of sitcom history’s funniest quotes.
What is George Costanza’s “it’s not a lie” line?
The wording recorded in a quote archive is: “Jerry, just remember, it’s not a lie if you believe it.” The archive attributes it to George Costanza in “The Beard”; a separate script archive also attributes the line to George in that episode. The script archive and the quote archive are secondary sources, rather than an official NBC transcript or production script.
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Seinfeld: Complete Series Box Set (Repackage) ? DVD | $85.86 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Seinfeld: The Complete Series | $89.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Seinfeld : Complete Series Set | $125.16 | Buy on Amazon |
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Seinfeld DVD Box Set - The Complete Series - Features On Each Disc! Features Jerry! | $113.96 | Buy on Amazon |
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Seinfeld: The Complete Collection | $80.05 | Buy on Amazon |
Why does the line fit George?
The joke turns a familiar excuse into a rule George can use to absolve himself: if he convinces himself a falsehood is true, he can call it something other than a lie. Its compact, aphoristic form gives the rationalization the polish of wisdom, while the audience recognizes the self-serving logic underneath. That gap between George’s confidence and the obvious moral dodge is the comic engine.
The line is dialogue from a fictional character. It should not be presented as Jason Alexander’s personal advice or as a statement by Larry David.
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Is “The Marine Biologist” the episode with this quote?
No. “The Marine Biologist” is a different episode, famous for an extended George storyline. Jerry tells an old college acquaintance that George is a marine biologist, and George’s false identity grows into a story about rescuing a beached whale. A secondary episode reference identifies it as episode 78 and the 14th episode of season five, originally broadcast February 10, 1994. Its episode reference and transcript list Bruce Kirschbaum for the story, Larry Charles for the teleplay, and Tom Cherones as director.
That whale-rescue story and the “it’s not a lie” line are separate George moments; the episode date for “The Marine Biologist” does not establish when “The Beard” first aired.
Rank #2
Is it one of the funniest quotes in sitcom history?
That is a matter of taste, not an established ranking. A fan discussion uses descriptions such as “greatest Seinfeld line” and debates whether this is George’s best or second-best quote, while also naming other favorites. It is evidence of competing fan opinions, not a representative poll or a measured ranking. The discussion does not supply a statistic that would prove the line ranks among the funniest in sitcom history.
What can be said more confidently is that the quote distills George’s self-justification into a single, easily remembered sentence. Other George scenes, including the drawn-out whale-rescue story, work through escalation instead. Which is funnier depends on whether a viewer prefers a sharp one-liner or a longer comic payoff.
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Rank #4
- Box Set
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Rank #3
- Seinfeld - The Complete Series
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