Easter eggs
From WoWWiki
An Easter Egg is an undocumented, obscure, or otherwise 'hidden' command, usually buried deep within a program's source-code and only triggered by executing a certain series of actions or system commands. Often, an Easter Egg will reveal an inside joke, though Easter Eggs can also be placed into in-game props and scenery, or only in areas visible to those that are actively using 'cheat codes' or otherwise circumventing the 'normal' operation of the software.
While Easter Eggs were once included in virtually all computer software, software companies such as Microsoft have discontinued the practice, citing security concerns associated with undocumented (and often untested) code.
For less hidden in-jokes and references, see In-Jokes and References.
Easter Eggs In-Game
These are mostly Blizzard-related easter eggs. See In-Jokes and References for more.
Guards
Guards of cities will respond to some emotes such as /wave, /rude, /kiss or /salute. This does not apply to all guards though, most notably Darnassus Sentinels do not reply to emotes, and even the same guard will not always respond. However, if you ask a Darnassus Sentinel about the enchanting trainer, she may respond as if you said she was enchanting.
Popeye
Ol'Beasley in the Old Town district of Stormwind says "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." Which is an obvious reference to Wimpy from the Popeye cartoon.
Goblin Shredder Display
If you look into the cockpit of a Goblin Shredder, you can see a picture of 
Kerrigan from Starcraft on the control panel.
Michel Koiter
At the Shrine of the Fallen Warrior, there is a memorial dedicated to an Orc with the initials "M-K". M K was Michel Koiter, one half of Twincruiser, a Blizzard illustrator who passed away during the development of World of Warcraft. If you visit the memorial you’ll find a spirit healer named Koiter. Most likely named in dedication for the once beloved man.
Mountaineer Pebblebitty
Players fed up with the rude female dwarf who presides over the quest chain to obtain the key to Searing Gorge, Mountaineer Pebblebitty in extreme southern Loch Modan, may feel inclined to use /rude on her after all the trouble she puts them through. Blizzard has anticipated this and provided an appropriate response.
Deeprun Tram sightings
When you are riding on the tram, when in the underwater area you can sometimes see Nessy, Naga Siren, Deeprun Diver, Basking Shark or a Deeprun Chest.
Prairie Chicken pet
In Westfall, you can find a Prairie Chicken small pet egg quest at Saldean's Farm. In order to activate the quest, you need to do the emote /chicken to one of the chickens at the farm. You can put the emote in a macro to make it easier and faster. This quest is only available to Alliance players, although it is possible for a Horde player to acquire a chicken with Alliance aid.
Vanity Pets
If you own a non-combat pet and stop moving for a while, it will begin to sleep or do other kinds of emotes.
- The Zergling pet will chomp at air.
- The Murky pet will sing and dance.
- The Mini-Diablo pet spouts out fire when he's idle.
- The Panda Cub and Sleepy Willy lie down and sleep (you see green Z Z Z ...) when idle.
- The Speedy pet will shout, scaring nearby critters.
- The Peanut pet will occasionally blow his nose, making a noticeable elephant noise.
- The Willy pet will occasionally kill nearby critters with an eye-beam.
- The Egbert pet will run around like a caffeinated two year old.
Old Teamster's Skull
While fishing you have a chance to obtain an "[Old Teamster's Skull]" a likely reference to teamster unions and their boss Jimmy Hoffa. One day he mysteriously disappeared and his body was never found. There's a description on the item that says, "Looks like someone didn't like this guy".
Stratholme Civilians
If you type /dance on the civilian ghosts in Stratholme, they will respond in kind and dance with you. Even if you attack them, subsequently dancing with them will make them dance with you instead of continuing to attack you.
Also appropriately, they will respond to the /rude emote with a rude action of their own.
Drysc In Exodar
There is a draenei walking around in Exodar by the name of Drysc after the WoW CM.
Eyonix In Stormspire
The innkeeper of The Stormspire in Netherstorm is named Eyonix after a WoW CM.
Raid Encounters
An NPC named Auctioneer Naxxremis in Undercity references Naxxramas, fortress of Kel'Thuzad, and "Cookie" McWeaksauce in Odesyus' Landing has a parrot named Ragnarose referencing Ragnaros, boss of the Molten Core. Also, when everyone journeys to Blood Watch to celebrate the hero of Bloodmyst and Azuremyst, there is an elekk next to Kessel named Archimindy.
O RLY? YA RLY!
One of the auctioneers in Booty Bay is named O'Reely, and another in the Undercity is named Yarly. This is referring to the common internet phrase "O RLY?" and the reply "YA RLY." This is widely personified by a snowy owl and a great horned owl. Also, there is an NPC owl in the game named O'Reilly.
Potent Potables in Stormspire
In Stormspire, Dealer Sadaqat is a vendor of "Potent Potables" (potions). The game show "Jeopardy!" uses this catchy phrase as a category with unusual frequency, leading to its becoming an oft-reused comedy meme, including in Saturday Night Live's "Celebrity Jeopardy" skits.
Klatu, Verata, Nichto!
In Honor Hold's inn, on the second floor, you can find Assistant Klatu. He assists Anchorite Barada in dispelling the ghosts that haunt Colonel Jules. This is a reference to Sam Raimi's movie "Army of Darkness" in the scene where Bruce Campbell (Ash) has to say a series of words correctly before removing the Necronomicon from its stand. Ash forgot "Nichto" and instead mumbled an incoherent word. This was itself a reference to the 1951 film "The Day the Earth Stood Still", in which the phrase "Klaatu barada nikto" is used to prevent the robot Gort from destroying the Earth, when the alien, Klaatu, was injured. Additionally, Anchorite Barada, also in the inn, is a direct reference to "The Day the Earth Stood Still".
Hidden Mickey
An exceptionally well hidden Hidden Mickey is located in the Valley of Honor within the Horde city of Orgrimmar. It's so large, and so well sculpted into the surroundings, that most people will never know that it's there. The only way to see it is to manually increase the maximum zoom setting of the camera.
Fun Graphics
Along the Webwinder Path there are some felled trees. One end has a large smilie face on it.
There is also a large smiley face underneath Karazhan. You can see it if you log out near Karazhan, once you log back in before the doodads and npcs load up you can see the smiley face. Humans can get under Karazhan to the smilie face by jumping to a certain ditch in the corner of the rubble in the back side of Karazhan(facing the crypt/graveyard).
In Searing Gorge, if you head just a little north of Blackchar Cave and zoom your mini-compass all the way out, you can see a smiley face in it.
When floating underwater, one of the motes that float by will very occasionally be a tiny smiley face.
Snakes on a Plane
At the Nesingwary Safari, on Hemet Nesingwary's crashed plane, there are level 1 critters on the plane, snakes. This is an obvious reference to the movie "Snakes on a Plane".
The Fitz
Also at Nesingwary's Safari in Nagrand is Shado 'Fitz' Farstrider, a possible reference to various characters (Chade, FitzChivalry and the Farseer house) from Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy.
They're coming right for us!
Again at Nesingwary's Safari, Hemet will sometimes be randomly attacked by Talbuks. When he is, he yells out "Look out, Fitz, they're coming right for us!", which is a reference to South Park episode Volcano.
Florist Gump
In Stormwind, there is an NPC selling flowers by the name of Bernard Gump. Obvious reference to the film Forrest Gump as his title shows "Bernard Gump <Florist>"
Shauly Pore
In one of the ecodomes in Netherstorm there is a goblin named Shauly Pore, a reference to Pauly Shore in the movie Bio-Dome.
Junk Loot
Some of the zombie NPCs in Duskwood drop Pound of Flesh - a reference to William Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice".
The apes in ungoro crater drop Empty Barrel - Two possible references - "A barrel of monkeys", and possibly Donkey Kong. See Barrel of Monkeys.
Various NPCs drop Shark Bait, this item is a reference to the movie "Finding Nemo". Shark Bait is the nickname Nemo's fellow tank mates gave to him. "Just keep swimming..." is a quote from the blue fish, Dory. The icon is a Clownfish like Nemo himself.
Pink Floyd
When performing the Horde 
[45] Triage quest, one of the injured soldiers may say, "Goodbye, cruel world... I'm leaving you today... Goodbye... goodbye... goodbye," a reference to the song "Goodbye Cruel World" from Pink Floyd's 1979 album, "The Wall."
Otonambusi, the general goods vendor at Azure Watch, occasionally says, "If you don't eat your fish, you can't have any pudding," and "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your fish?" This references the school master in the song "Another Brick in the Wall" from the same album, who says, "If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding," and "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?"
The Horde NPC Floyd Pinkus at Thrallmar in Hellfire Peninsula is another obvious reference to Pink Floyd.
Mario and Luigi
The items Essence Infused Mushroom and Power Infused Mushroom give 200 life/mana; goombas in the Mario games give 200 points when you jump on them.
Larion and Muigin when you get rid of the N's, and switch around the first letters it appears as Luigi and Mario. They also wear red/green suits and hammers.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
In the Dalaran Underbelly there are four small Dalaran turtles surrounding a large Dalaran Rat. The Turtles don't move as if listening to the Rat who is bobbing up and down like he's speaking to them. It immediately made me think of Master Splinter instructing the TMNT.
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