Although show was full of profound life lessons, unforgettable quotes, and bizarre yet somehow relatable characters, How I Met Your Mother also gave fans with a plethora of varied daily items that now had a whole new meaning. This series was destined for greatness from the start.
Sure, drinks at an Irish bar can make you wish you were in a booth at MacLaren’s, and every time you hear someone utter, “You son of a bitch,” you’re recollected of Lily Aldrin, but the series also brought us nine seasons worth of symbols and trademarks that made it legen- wait for it…
Yellow Umbrella
Imagine that: You’re going along the crowded sidewalk in the pouring rain. Everyone’s pink rain boots are splashing each other in the puddles, the loud thunder has brought out chit-chat, and your plain, old umbrella scrapes against someone’s beautiful yellow umbrella. Who is coming to your mind at the first time?
The yellow umbrella, one of the most memorable things in the series, first appears in season 3 when the future mother of Ted’s children loses it at a party and Ted ends up grabbing it to keep dry from the rain. After a series of individuals take turns becoming the owner of the umbrella, Ted is ultimately reunited with it in season 8 when The Mother stands only a few feet away clutching the familiar object.
A “Sandwich”
Future Ted’s sugarcoated metaphor for smoking a joint was one of the show’s long-running gags. Instead of being truthful with his children while informing them about his youth, Future Ted told them that they were just “eating a sandwich.” It’s a common humor showing up in the show’s flashbacks, as the characters are frequently shown carrying real sandwiches in place of joints.
This Ted-ism appears in 14 episodes of the sitcom, most of which revolve with Ted, Marshall, and Lily’s college years. So, the next time a HIMYM fan asks if you want them to make you a sandwich, double-check with them to be sure they’re talking about the right sort of sandwich.
Pineapples
Preferably an unexpected one. How I Met Your Mother lovers have obsessed by Pineapples since the season one episode “The Pineapple Incident,” in which Ted wakes up with a female in his bed and a pineapple on his nightstand after a wild night and makes it his challenge throughout the series to find out where it came from.
The “pineapple incident” is disclosed in a flashback scene from a later season, but it is never resolved in the show. Now, everytime you attempt to eat a Dole Whip at Magic Kingdom or watch Spongebob Squarepants with your kids, you may be haunted by the years-long, fruity mystery.
Swords
The swords that hung over the mantel in Ted’s apartment weren’t just for show. When the protagonists engaged in sword fights, these swords were swung at each other on some cases. When How I Met Your Father characters Sid and Jesse moved into the same apartment where the swords still remained, the swords became a HIMYM Easter egg.
While swords may not transport you back to Ted’s apartment, they are a symbol of both the original series and its 2022 Hulu spin-off, How I Met Your Father.
A Mall
Raise your hand if you shout out, “Let’s go to the mall… today!” whenever someone suggest me for a shopping trip. If you do, you’ll not only be outed as a huge Robin Sparkles fan, but you’ll also be recalled of How I Met Your Mother again again, this time in song form.
Cobie Smulders starred Robin on HIMYM, as well as her popstar alter persona Robin Sparkles, who would go to malls throughout Canada playing her song, “Let’s Go to the Mall,” before becoming the MCU’s Maria Hill. This song was so famous that it was used in the real-life video game Just Dance 3 in 2011 and served as Ted’s ringtone on the show.
Red Cowboy Boots
No, any ordinary pair of cowboy boots isn’t going to bring back memories of How I Met Your Mother. Only red ones will be able to pull it off, just as Ted believes he can do that throughout the entire series. Ted wore them with jeans, slacks, and even a robe, which he bought when he was dating Robin.
The red cowboy boots became a cornerstone of Ted’s personality, even though they only appeared in eight of the show’s 208 episodes. That is, until Ted’s ex-girlfriend Jeanette set them on fire.
Suits
The show’s recurring gag was Barney Stinson’s haunting with suits. Barney is rumored to own 210 suits that he wears in practically every episode of the series, yet he has only been seen without a suit 18 times in nine seasons. Barney’s outfits were so important to the character that a whole episode was devoted to them, complete with a musical number performed by the actors.
Unlike Barney, you may not “suit up” when going out for drinks, going to bed, or even going to work. If the chorus of “Nothing Suits Me Like A Suit” rings through your brain whenever you see someone in a suit, you know HIMYM had an influence.
2 A.M.
The phrase “Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M.” is more than simply a season 1 episode title; it is a life lesson taught to Ted by his mother, which he subsequently passes down to his children. When Ted believes his relationship with Victoria is coming to an end and Robin calls Ted to her house at 2 a.m., Ted hurries over and informs her that he and Victoria have broken up. When Victoria calls asking for Ted, Ted not only loses her, but he also loses Robin.
This rule is repeated again later in the series, when Future Ted claims that the only great thing that happened after 2 a.m. was the birth of his kid. But the next time you get a burst of energy and the clock strikes two, remember this golden HIMYM rule and just lie in your bed.
The Word ‘Legendary’
‘Legendary’ is an adjective that implies “excellent” or “exceptional.” It’s also Barney Stinson’s go-to term for any and all positive things that have ever happened to him and his buddies. In order to avoid overusing the term, Barney generally breaks it in half with the accompanying catchphrase, “wait for it.”
More of something you can’t hear without thinking about How I Met Your Mother; while ‘legendary’ may appear to be any everyday word, it’s a rite of passage and one of the most unforgettable things from the entire show to HIMYM fans.
Blue French Horn
While a blue one may be difficult to find, it’s difficult to look at a French horn without being brought back of the instrument that began it all. This How I Met Your Mother staple occurs in both the first and last episodes of the series, where Ted steals it as a love gesture for Robin.
This beautiful thing, like the yellow umbrella and red cowboy boots, adds to the plethora of symbols that, when seen, can’t help but recall you of the comedic…
Dary.
