This is a list of the Earth cultural references made by the members of Atlantis. Contains spoilers up to 1x16 "The Brotherhood."

• "We've already been through this section of Atlantis, Doctor Killjoy, it's structurally sound." - McKay
  • A "killjoy" is someone who spoils the enthusiasm or fun of others. Often the term is used to directly address another, with various prefixes attached, such as Doctor or Mister.
• "So Rodney, what's it like out there in the suburbs today?" - Weir
  • Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation (an urban area comprising a number of cities or towns which, through population growth and expansion, have physically merged to form one continuous built up area).
• "Doctor Peterson, I presume?" - Sheppard
  • In 1866, Doctor David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary and explorer, went to Africa to explore and seek the source of the Nile river. He became ill while in Africa, and disappeared from the public eye for six years. Sir Henry Morton Stanley, a journalist and also an explorer was sent to Africa in 1869 as part of a publicity stunt to locate Doctor Livingstone. Sir Stanley finally located Doctor Livingstone in 1871, and according to his journals, when he located the missing doctor, his first words were "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?"
• "Why would the Wraith even create the equivalent of WMDs? They're killing us not because they sadistically want us dead, but because they need to consume us for food. It would be like the equivalent of cattle farmers creating mad cow disease." - McKay
  • 'WMD' stands for "weapon of mass destruction." WMDs are weapons designed to kill large numbers of people, typically targeting civilians and military personnel alike. Some types of WMDs are considered to have a psychological impact rather than a strictly military usefulness. The types of weapons in this class are: nuclear, biological, chemical, and explosive weapons.
  • Mad cow disease, scientific term bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease of cattle, which infects by a mechanism that shocked biologists on its discovery in late 20th century and appears transmissible to humans. While never having killed cattle on a scale comparable to other dreaded livestock diseases, such as hoof-and-mouth and rinderpest, BSE has attracted wide attention because of its apparent transmissibility and lethality to humans, as well as for the horrifying nature of mental decay.

• "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, hm?" - McKay
  • This is a reference to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. In the film, the wizard is perceived as an all-powerful, magical being, when in fact he is just a human man. When the wizard is discovered by Dorothy and her friends, the wizard proclaims "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"
• "The whole Captain Kirk routine is problematic to say the least, let alone morally dubious." - McKay
• "Oh my God, he is Kirk." - McKay
  • These two quotes reference James Tiberius Kirk, captain of the starship Enterprise in the television series Star Trek. Kirk had the habit of romancing (or being romanced by) an attractive woman in practically every episode.
• "Romancing the alien princess? Very 1967 of you." - McKay
  • The 1950s and 1960s was a time when science fiction movies and television series where strapping young handsome heroes have to save the world or explore the universe, and along the way, meet and romance beautiful women, was quite popular. 1967 would seem to be a time when this type of entertainment peaked in popularity.

• "What am I, a realtor, Rodney?" - Sheppard
  • A realtor is a registered trademark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors and subscribes to its code of ethics. However, the term realtor is used interchangebly with the term "real estate agent" in American society, which is a person who advises and represents others in transactions involving real estate.
• "That's what I was afraid of. Freezer burn." - McKay
  • Freezer burn is a condition that occurs when frozen food has dried out because it has been frozen too long. Freezer burn often results in change of texture and discoloration of the affected food.
• "It'd be like searching every room in every building in Manhattan." - McKay
  • Manhattan is an island bordering the lower Hudson River. It is one of the five boroughs that comprise the City of New York. It's quite a large area, covering about 33.8 square miles.
• "Not to mention a really nice De Lorean." - Sheppard
  "Don't even get me started on that movie." - McKay
  "I like that movie!" - Sheppard
• "It had to have an additional component." - McKay
  "Flux capacitor." - Sheppard
  • Both sets of quotes make references to the movie Back to the Future. In the movie, a De Lorean DMC-12, a sports car made by the De Lorean Motor Company, was made into a time machine used to travel into the past. The flux capacitor is an integral part of the De Lorean time machine, and according to Doc Brown, who developed the time machine, it is "what makes time travel possible."

• "Tell you what, Valentino, wait 'til tomorrow. You'll be more on your game after you get some rest." - Sheppard
  • Most likely a reference to Rudolph Valentino, an Italian actor in the early 1900s. He played the handsome leading man in many films, and was also known as something of a womanizer in life. He had two marriages, affairs, and there were even rumors that he was a gigolo (a male prostitute who offers services to female clients) for a time. When he died, it is said that thousands of womens lined the streets of New York forming riots, and several of his fans even committed suicide.
• "For the last time, I'm a doctor, not a bloody fighter pilot!" - Beckett
  • "I'm a doctor, not a ____!" is a phrase made infamous by Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, the ship's doctor on the starship Enterprise in the television series Star Trek. It's a phrase often used in television today, particularly in science fiction shows.
• "It was on the Mensa test." - Sheppard
  "You're a member of Mensa?" - McKay
  "No, but I took the test." - Sheppard
  • Mensa is an organization for people with high IQs. Its sole requirement for entry is that potential members must score within the top 2% in any approved standardized intelligence test.