- Carolyn: Damn it, Woody, you bounced another check.
- Woody: I thought we had it covered. I'll get some money.
- Carolyn: When?
- Woody: When? What do you think I'm doing right here? Gem, Let me just finish this music.
- Carolyn: That's what I've always done. The problem is your music's not bringing anything into the house but music.
- Woody: Gem, the money will come.
- Carolyn: I'm waiting. I'm back teaching school again, and I am waiting, Woody.
- Woody: Just keep doing what you're doing, Gem. Now you know it wasn't always like this. I made money before. I'll make money again.
- Carolyn: I trust you, but you have got to realize we are on a limited budget. I am trying to balance everything and when you go and write checks and you don't tell me about it, it makes it extremely difficult.
- Woody: As God is my witness, I want the best for you and the children. But I have got to do it in my own way.
- [He gets up from his piano]
- Woody: Look it.
- [He gives her a hug]
- Woody: Cool?
- Carolyn: Cool. I went out and opened a separate back account.
- Woody: [He backs away] That's supposed to get some kind of reaction from me? What is that supposed to prove?
- Carolyn: I don't know what it proves. I'm interested in putting food on the table and keeping a roof over our kids' heads.
- Woody: [Woody goes to the far end of the living room and sits in a small chair] Boy! You know, you really kill me. I mean, on the one hand, you come down here telling me about yet another mistake Woody done made. But when I'm sitting at that piano trying to do my work, trying to concentrate, you won't let me do that either. You got a beef with that. I don't know what to do.
- Carolyn: You can get up off my chair.
- [He gets up and walks about]
- Carolyn: I don't want to hear about your mistakes, You keep track of those. I don't have time. All I ask you to do is to write down when you spend the money I am making.
- Woody: I told you it was a legitimate mistake.
- Carolyn: I appreciate that, but you have made that mistake five times this month. I just want you to change the pattern.
- Woody: I don't need no lecture from you about how to conduct myself in this house!
- Carolyn: I'm not giving you a lecture. I am asking you to help me conduct the business affairs of this family! You're an adult!
- Woody: What the hell do you think I'm trying to do?
- Carolyn: I don't know what you're doing!
- Woody: I know you don't. Well, let me tell you, I got to be like a thief in the night in this house every time I want to get some privacy to do my work!
- Carolyn: You selfish child! Don't tell me about privacy!
- Woody: Selfish nothing! Selfish nothing!
- Carolyn: Yes, you are selfish! I can't even take a piss without six people hanging off my tits!
- Woody: You're a big saint around here and I ain't shit, is that it?
- Carolyn: You can call yourself what you want to. I just asked you to write down the check.
- Woody: I wrote the check, right?
- [Woody sits back down at the piano]
- Woody: I wrote the stupid thing.
- [He gets up some music charts]
- Carolyn: I think you can do two things at once: make music and write.
- Woody: [Writing] Woody... wrote... a... bum... check.
- [Gives her the sheet]
- Woody: Here.
- Carolyn: That's very cute. You remember to write it down before it bounces next time.
- Woody: You know, you seem to forget, I'm the one used to pay for you and the children to go to Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor to get what you wanted when you wanted. You ain't the only one contributed to this family, Gem. You got to remember that.
- Carolyn: Wendell, please close your mouth when you chew!
- Wendell: Why can't you let me eat in peace for once?
- Carolyn: Because you disturbing the peace! You eat like a pig and chew like a cow!
- Woody: Come on, Gem. It's a compliment to your good cooking now.
- Carolyn: Compliment, my butt. That boy's just plain greedy.
- Peanut: Get your hands off me, you coconut West Indian monkey!
- West Indian Store Manager: Listen you little pickaninny. Get out of my store - and don't come back here no more! Oh, God, these American children. They don't know how to act. They have no manners.
- Bodega Woman: What you talking about? I ain't no puta, I ain't no puta! I'm Connie. I keeps my panty clean.
- Tito: Oh come on, Connie.
- Bodega Woman: No, no, no.
- [Clinton, Wendell and Nate watching the Knicks game at Troy's room, Carolyn comes into her room]
- Carolyn: Surprise, boys!
- [turns off the television set]
- Clinton: What's wrong with you? I'm watching the Knicks!
- Carolyn: Boy, I'll knock you out.
- Wendell: Yeah, what's the big deal?
- Carolyn: The big deal is I said no TV on a school night, damn it! The Knicks got a job! You need an education or I will throw this idiot box out the window!
- Tommy La La: Hey, Hey! You stinkin' faggot!
- Clinton: Shut up. My mother will hear you.
- Tommy La La: Hey! Why don't you clean up after your freaking dogs, man?
- Woody: Son of a bitch. I can't even enjoy my meal without that funky McNasty faggot ruining my appetite.
- Carolyn: I'm crazy 'cause I got five of y'all that have run me stark raving mad! This ain't no plantation!
- Troy: [watching "The Partridge Family" on TV] Quiet. It's the good part.
- Clinton: Let's watch the Knicks!
- Troy, Joseph, Nate: [singing] I woke up in love this mornin'
- Wendell: [speaking] They don't know what they want. They're all turnin' so white.
- Troy, Joseph, Nate: [singing] I woke up in love this mornin'
- Clinton: [speaking] They wanna be white.
- Troy, Joseph, Nate, Wendell: [singing] Went to sleep with you on my mind
- Troy, Joseph, Nate, Wendell, Clinton: [singing] I woke up in love this mornin', I woke up in love this morning', Went to sleep with you on my mind...
- Carolyn: I own this mammy-jammy house. I pay Con Ed for the electricity. Now, when you start payin' the bills, then everybody else gets to decide when you put the TV on and when not.
- Troy: Sorry I called your mother a ho.
- Possom (Greg): And are you sorry about teasin' me about bein' left back three times and about bein' on welfare, about me and my brothers havin' three different fathers?
- Troy: All right, already. I said I was sorry.
- Possom (Greg): You better be!
- Carolyn: I want you to go to the supermarket and get some things for dinner.
- Troy: Mommy, I hate food stamps. Besides, we ain't even on welfare.
- Carolyn: Stop sayin' "ain't"! You better be glad we got some food stamps. Go on.
- Troy: Mommy! Everyone's gonna laugh at me.
- Carolyn: Ain't nobody gonna laugh at you that ain't on welfare theyself. Scat!
- Troy: How come I have to go?
- Carolyn: Do you want to have dinner tonight, Troy? Go!
- Carolyn: What on earth happened to you?
- Troy: She took the darn change too!
- Carolyn: Who?
- Troy: Peanut!
- Carolyn: What were you doin'?
- Troy: Standin' there gettin' beat up.
- Carolyn: Some boy beat you up?
- Nate: Peanut's a girl.
- Carolyn: How big is she?
- Troy: Six-Two, 200 pounds.
- Carolyn: Troy! You round here wrestlin' and punchin' your brothers all the time and you let some girl named Peanut take my groceries and my food stamps? I oughta whip your butt my damn self.
- Woody: People are gonna come to this concert. People still want to hear good music. I don't give a damn how many records this rock 'n' roll shit sells. People know the difference between that and good, pure music. I need you to support me in this, Carol.
- Carolyn: Oh, looka here. Who gets up at the crack of dawn, Monday through Friday, cookin' breakfast, go to school, teach school, come home, cook dinner, grade papers, make lesson plans, try to keep our rowdy kids from killin' each other and destroyin' our house, just so you can be a "pure" musician playin' "pure" music? If that ain't support, I don't know what the hell - what is.
- Aunt Maxine: So you were ready to come on home, Troy, huh? You had enough of the South. I don't blame you one bit.
- Troy: Mm-hmm. It's too slow.
- Uncle Brown: Y'all don't know what y'all missin' growin' up in the South.
- Aunt Maxine: I'm glad I missed it.
- Aunt Song: [to Troy] Sugar, you ain't got a thing to hide with your skinny self. Thinner than a blade of grass.
- Troy: Thanks for the ticket. I didn't get a chance to write.
- Aunt Maxine: You're very welcome.
- Uncle Brown: That's what family's for. Gotta stick together, right?
- Troy: Right.
- Uncle Brown: Sure you're right.
- Carolyn: There is no reason why your father and I should have to run around here cleaning up after you shiftless negroes.
- Clinton: Shut up, you evil, flat-chested wench.
- Troy: Just for that you're not getting it and I'm telling Ma you called me an evil, flat-chested wench.
- Clinton: Go ahead. Tell her. You are an evil, flat-chested wench! And I'll tell her you went out to the store.
- Troy: Nigger.
- Clinton: Pop-eyed heifer.
- Troy: All right, you greedy pig!
- Woody: You know Daddy doesn't want to fight or yell or scream or holler. All Daddy wants to do is play his music. That's all.
- Joseph: Does this mean we can't watch TV?
- Wendell: That's right. No cartoons.
- Clinton: No Brady Bunch or Partridge Family for Troy and Nate.
- Nate: Hey, nigger, I don't watch that show.
- Clinton: You do so watch that show.
- Nate: Liar.
- Clinton: Nigger.
- Carolyn: Stop calling each other nigger.
- Troy: And you can't watch the Knicks.
- Woody: Come on. Let's just eat in peace.
- Wendell: You Chinese-Puerto Rican Chink Spic!
- Tommy La La: You friggin' chocolate black nigger moreno!