In-game Quote Reference
Father Lankaster – Priest trainer in Undercity

The Exorcist – A reference to a character named Father Lankester Merrin, played by actor Max von Sydow

Thanks, fortner
Un’Goro Crater region

Phonetically Un’Goro-Un’Goro Crater is a real world reference to the Ngorongoro Crater near the Serengeti in Tanzania, Africa. The center of the real crater was a lake in it, right where the rocky fire elemental hill is in game.

Since there are some Zelda references in Un’Goro crater, maybe Goron city – from Ocarina of Time.

Thanks, AaronJ, Wayle and Palinar
Dadanga the Kodo by the entrance of the cavern in Marshal’s Refuge in Un’Goro Crater

Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) – Dodongo’s Cavern

Thanks, Palinar
Dirge Quikcleave – The goblin in Gadgetzan at the inn

Could be homage to Roman Dirge the creator of Lenore Comics.

Thanks, Aryel
Georgia (Bat Handler) in Light’s Hope, Eastern Plaguelands

Dead like me – Georgia Lass, played by actress Ellen Muth, is also the main character of the TV series about a girl who dies and continues living in a not-quite-alive state harvesting souls.

Thanks, DavidM
An ogre named Jorb (Lizzarik’s Bodyguard) traveling between Crossroads and Ratchet with a goblin salesman (The Barrens).

A Jorb well done (Flash SWF) –  Coach Z, a character created by the Brothers Chaps for their site homestarrunner.com, can’t pronounce the word “Job” correctly, and instead says Jorb.

Thanks, Joseff
There is a quest for warlocks at level 50 called “Trolls of a Feather”

Birds of a Feather – Phish song

Birds of a Feather – was a successful situation comedy shown on BBC1 in the United Kingdom between 1989 and 1998.

Thanks, Bennett
There is an epic BoE mace item called Hand of Edward the Odd

Edward Scissorhands (1990) – by actor Johny Depp

Thanks, Bennett and Brian
There are two giant Dwarven statues in southern Loch Modan

Note: After the deaths of both Kings: Madoran and Khardros, their sons jointly commissioned two great statues in honor of their fathers. [Three Hammers War]

Lord of the Rings (2002) – There are two giant statues in the Fellowship of the Ring film.  There is also two statues in Neverending Story.

Thanks Bennett, Andy and Brian
Kresh the turtle in the Wailing Caverns instance

Finding Nemo (2003) – A reference to CRUSH, the surfer sea turtle. The rare item he drops is KRESH’S BACK. In Finding Nemo, characters hitch on Crush’s back through the EAC.

Thanks, Bennett, Zach, and Brian
You get a Bouquet of Scarlet Begonias for completing a quest in Redridge Mountains titled: An Unwelcome Guest, after you kill the Bellygrub the boar.

Scarlet Begonias (1974) is a Grateful Dead song.

Thanks Andy
The goblin named Short John Mithril in the Gurubashi Arena, Stranglethorn Vale

Reference to Long John Silver from the book Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Thanks JMM
Mithril and Truesilver minerals

Reference to metal from J.R.R. Tolken’s the Lord of the Rings series. In the series mithril was said to be “a precious silvery metal, stronger than steel but much lighter in weight. In the series mithril was also called true-silver. Gandalf explains it to the team while in Mines of Moria.

Thanks JMM
Region of Khaz’Modan

Lord of the Rings – the mines of Moria/middle earth, Khazad-d?m …. [Khaz][ad-dum] flipping the last word—> Khaz’Mud’da.  Khaz’Modan – the land of dwarves – is at the middle of the continent between Lordaeron and Stormwind kingdoms.
Tol Barad Island

Lord of the Rings – Barad-d?r—- flipping it sounds like Dor Barad
The consumable item named Runn Tum Tuber

If you are into Broadway shows, Rum Tum Tugger is one of the many feline characters in the poetry book Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot and in Cats the Musical.

Thanks, AJ
The loading screen tip “There is no cow level”

Techbot in Gnomeregan instance says “There is no Secret Cow Level” /Tips in loading screens repeat the quote.

It refers to a running joke starting with the original Diablo. There were rumors that there was a secret cow level somewhere in the game, but there wasn’t. In Starcraft one of the cheat codes is “there is no cow level.” In Diablo II, Blizzard did include a secret cow level and now the joke lives on in World of Warcraft.

Techbot – Those of us with enough experience know there is in fact a secret cow level… But Where? Thunder Bluff!

Thanks, JMM and Jesse
A troll named Zayus (High Priest Trainer) in Orgrimmar

Planet of the Apes (1968) – Dr. Zaius played by actor Maurice Evans(1968)

Thanks, Mentok
Apothecary Keever in the Apothecarium in the Undercity changes one of the caged humans into various creatures and pokes them. When the man turns into a sheep and Keever pokes him repeatedly, the sheep explodes

This is in reference to the easter eggs in Warcraft II, Warcraft III, and Starcraft where if you click on a critter in a level many times, it will explode.

Thanks, JMM
An exotic cookbook is an item pickpocketed by rogue players from Ogres

Twilight Zone Episode “To Serve Man” () – In the episode, aliens land and start doing all kinds of good things for mankind. The main characters are suspicous until they translate the cover of an alien book to read “How to Serve Man”. Finally at the end of the episode they translate some of the inside of the book and find it is a recipe; and the aliens were using humans as cattle. The translation reads something to the effect of “Find man. Serve man. Eat man.”

Thanks, JMM and Dizzly
In the quest line to open the Ahn’Qiraj Gates, you have to kill a big fish named Maws … on the coast of Azshara; and he will ruin your day if you are fishing for him alone

Jaws – film directed by Steven Spielberg

Thanks, Ryan
The wrecked raft in the lake of Un’Goro Crater, all the crystal references, the dinosaurs, the crystal pylons and the crystal matrices

Land of the Lost

Thanks, TMorris
A Mage quest in Stormwind by the Mage Tower. It’s name is something like “Investigate the Blue Recluse”. The mage gives you a scroll to activate a spell and containers to trap ghosts. you have to go into The Blue Recluse bar and you read off a scroll that activates a spell. Suddenly ghosts appear. You bring them down to zero health and then become “dazed”. Then you click the containers icon on your bag. Your character throws the container on the ground. The box opens up and then light beams shoot out trapping the ghost. then you have to go pick up the container with the trapped ghost!

Ghostbusters (1984)

Thanks, DarkWanderer
Morning Glory Dew is a consumable item. The acronym is MGD

Miller Genuine Draft – a beer from a large American beermaker based in Milwaukee. It was founded in 1855 by Frederick Miller. [scratches head trying to figure out which Blizzard dev drinks booze in the morning … O_o]

Thanks, IrvingMike
Undead Yvette Farthing at the Brill Inn in Tirisfal Glades

Most Haunted (2002) – Brittish Show on LivingTV Network based on investigating purported paranormal activity, with presenter and executive producer Yvette Fielding

Thanks Jim
Master Smith Burninate (The Thorium Brotherhood) in Searing Gorge

Trogdor, the Burninator from Homestarrunner.com

Thanks, Gomek
In the Eastern Plaguelands there’s a quest titled: “When Smokey Sings, I Get Violent” – given by Smokey LaRue at Light’s Hope

ABC song titled, “When Smokey Sings”. The actual lyric is, “When Smokey Sings, I hear violins”.

Thanks, Greg.J
Troggs say “Crush!” “Kill!” or “Destroy!

There was a robot called IDAK in the old Lost and Space  TV series (1965-1968), episode 224: Revolt of the Androids – that, when powered up, said, “… crush! …kill! …destroy! … Crush! Kill! Destroy! CRUSH! KILL! DESTROY!”

Thanks, Morfos
After killing the Scarshield Quartermaster – right outside the BRS portal by the opposite wing – by the Blackwing Lair entry orb. The Quatermaster drops Blackhand’s Command letter. Then go to Upper Blackrock Spire(BRS) to kill Drakkisath, and touch the orb behind him. The quest completition dialogue for Blackwing Lair attunement is “Have fun storming the castle!”

This is a direct quote from Billy Crystal’s character Miracle Max from The Princess Bride.

Thanks, Joe
In Orgrimmar there is a weapon shop by the Cleft of Shadows, close to where the rogue trainer is. The name of the shop is “The Slow Blade”.

This is a reference to the book/film Dune.

Quote from film, Gurney Halleck: “The slow blade penetrates the shield”

Thanks,
Sixfeet@Ysera