You only realize it after the words have come out of your mouth. Sometimes, you only realize it when people start laughing.

You’ve inadvertently come up with a killer catchphrase.

Screenwriters, comedians and ad agencies are paid big bucks to create memorable phrases. That’s how the world was blessed (or cursed, depending on your point of view) with “Hasta la vista, baby!”, “Oh my god, they killed Kenny!” and “Where’s the beef?”

Researchers at Cornell put some the most famous movie catchphrases of all time into their computers, and have determined what they all have in common. Even a professional writer using those guidelines, though, can’t guarantee that a phrase will turn into a phenomenon; it also needs that “special magic” - and lots of exposure - to become a truly popular catchphrase.

So you’ve come up with a wonderful phrase that cracks up your friends and family every single time you use it. What can you do to take your catchphrase to the next level? Here are five suggestions.

MAKE SURE IT’S REALLY YOURS

You may believe the phrase is yours and yours alone. However, it may actually be one that’s stuck in your head from an obscure movie or book. Before you’re embarrassed (or worse, accused of plagiarism) by claiming ownership of the next “I’m with stupid,” do a quick online search to be sure. If it’s really a great catchphrase but has been created by someone else, you’ll find out quickly.

TWEAK IT

If Al Pacino had snarled “Say hi to my friend” in Scarface or Marlon Brando had ominously declared “I’ll make him an offer that will change his mind” in The Godfather, the world would have been deprived of two of its most iconic catchphrases. Make sure that your phrase is as short and catchy as possible; the Cornell guidelines mentioned above can help with that task.

HAVE FUN WITH IT

Let’s be realistic. Unless you have your own TV show or know a Hollywood writer, it’s unlikely your catchphrase will get enough exposure to become a worldwide craze. Instead, why not see how much exposure you can get on Twitter? Find a relevant trending topic that’s attracted attention from social media influencers, create a great Tweet and use your phrase as a hashtag to see how viral it might go. At the very least, you may pick up some new followers.

PROFIT FROM IT

It’s easier than ever to profit from a catchphrase thanks to the proliferation of websites that allow you to create and sell custom T-shirts, mugs and other merchandise emblazoned with your own artwork - or more importantly for our purposes, your own catchphrase. Sites like Zazzle allow you to design shirts online and sell directly to their enormous customer base with no hassle, for a decent profit. If you prefer to wholesale your catchphrase merchandise to retailers, custom t shirt screen printing companies can produce them in large quantities, usually at attractive prices.

One important warning: before trying to profit from your catchphrase, trademark it. You don’t need an expensive trademark attorney; you can do all of the work online, including the trademark search (to make sure no one has beaten you to the punch) and the actual registration. As long as you use the phrase in commerce within a year of registration, you’re all good.

SELL IT

Sure, it’s a long shot, but your catchphrase may be a perfect match for a company’s product or service. There’s no harm in identifying potential targets and approaching them with an offer to sell them your killer catchphrase. Just be sure you’ve trademarked the phrase before revealing it - or as quickly as you first came up with it, your catchphrase may become their catchphrase.