John Stamos Reveals Inspiration Behind ‘Have Mercy' Catchphrase

Honoree of the TV Land Icon Awards reveals how his famous line came to be

If you're a die-hard "Full House" fan (and even if you're not), you probably know that the show was chock-full of catchphrases that are still used today such as, "No way, José."

From "You got it, dude!" to "Cut it out," every character had his/her own memorable saying, except maybe for Danny Tanner.

We've argued before that "Have mercy!" was the iconic catchphrase of the '90s. Why did it become such a phenomenon? Well, some have said it's because of the phrase's lack of meaning and its versatility. And in case the mystery behind the words has been keeping you up at night, fear not – TV Land Icon Award Honoree John Stamos has finally set the record straight about the origins of his recurring "Have mercy" saying.

During his acceptance speech at the awards ceremony, which taped last Sunday, Stamos admits that it was Garry Marshall, celebrated creator of "Happy Days" and winner of TV Land's Legend Award, who convinced him to coin a catchphrase.

"He always said, 'Get a catchphrase, you need a catchphrase.' I'm not kidding you. The 'have mercy' thing came out of, 'Oh s--t, Garry told me I had to have a catchphrase."

Stamos clearly has a lot of respect for Marshall, whom he credits for suggesting him for "Full House."

Marshall was the one to present Stamos with the Icon Award at the ceremony.

Stamos, as usual, was all jokes. Thanking TV Land, the 52-year-old actor laughed and said, "You really outdid yourself here. They know I'm not dying, right? This is like the Bar Mitzvah I never had, hosted by George Lopez!"

The TV Land Icon Awards, which are indeed hosted by George Lopez, air Sunday, April 17, at 9 p.m. on TV Land.

PHOTOS: TV Land Icon Awards 2016 red carpet arrivals

READ: Have Mercy! The 20 Best "Full House" Catch Phrases, Ranked

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