10 Hilarious TV Running Gags That Lasted An Insanely Long Time
2. We Were On A Break! - Friends
The most prominent and consistent of Friends' running gags has got to be "We were on a break," the phrase which became Ross' mantra and was repeated for seven straight years. It all began in Season 3 when Rachel suggests she and Ross take a break from their relationship. During that time, Ross ends up sleeping with a girl he meets at a bar. Rachel's upset about that, but Ross doesn't understand why because, after all, they were on a break.
From then on, whenever it's mentioned that Ross once cheated on Rachel, he angrily corrects them and says his now iconic phrase. It's so perfect because, in classic Ross style, he never just says it; no matter what his tone was before, Ross instantly becomes ridiculously agitated and says the line like he's pleading for anyone to side with him on this.
The gag popped up a lot in the immediate aftermath, only to die down slightly as the show progressed. However, it makes a few returns for the remainder of the series, each one getting a huge reaction out of the audience. In one instance, Chandler finds out his girlfriend cheated on him, and Ross says, "well, if she thought they were on a break..." This joke lasts for seven damn years, from Season 3 all the way until the very last episode.