Booty Call is a cult classic. The film stars comedian Jamie Foxx, Tamela Jones, Tommy Davidson, and Vivica A. Fox as a friend and relationship group whose sexcapades are chronicled. The film is popular amongst viewers but the phrase “booty call” was made popular by comedian Bill Bellamy years earlier from his standup routines.

“At the time I wasn’t thinking of it like that,” Ballamy revealed during the latest episode of PEOPLE Magazine’s podcast PEOPLE in the 90s. “I was just thinking of my joke. I didn’t realize the phrase would catch on to become, like you said, a normal word that people know what it is now. Booty call was just a clever way to say you’re trying to get a girl to come by.” 

He says had he known how big the phrase would be and how much it would stand the test of time, he would have covered himself legally.

“But who knew that everybody was going to lock in on it? I probably right now would be on a spaceship if I trademarked it,” noting the phrase remains because it’s “so easy.”

“The reason why that blew up, I think, in my opinion, was one, the joke was really, really funny, but the phrase was so easy,” he continued. “When I was doing it in the clubs, people started smiling, because they were like, ‘That’s what it is!’” 

Now, the Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker actor jokes that a phone isn’t even a requirement to make a booty call. 

“Now they got Tinder, they’re cheating. But back in the day you had to really make the call,” he said. “Now you can swipe left, swipe right,” he says. “We had to get the number,” he added. “Now you just see a picture and you swipe.”

The film Booty Call grossed a little over $20 million at the box office.