From where is 'what he said' derived?

November 5, 2001 7:37 PM

Just an idle question: From where is 'What he said' derived? Or 'she,' 'te,' 'it' or *name*... I saw it here first and then heard some character on the now even more craptacular than ever! Andromeda say it: The TV was on when I was writing something last night... So, somebody clue me in here as to where, when, why and how this expression came to be. Just wonderin'...
posted by y2karl to MetaFilter-Related at 7:37 PM (17 comments total)

Oh, for the record:

A solar coronal mass ejection hit Earth's magnetic field at 0150 UT on Nov 6th (8:50 p.m. EST on Nov. 5th) and triggered widespread auroras. Observers as far south as central California have reported vivid Northern Lights. Sky watchers everywhere, even at middle latitudes where auroras are rarely seen, should be alert for Northern Lights while the geomagnetic storm is underway. Visit SpaceWeather.com for details and updates.

What I said...
posted by y2karl at 9:13 PM on November 5, 2001

So far as I know, it comes from New York. I first heard it in the mouth of someone from the East Coast about 30 years ago, and I think it was old then.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 9:26 PM on November 5, 2001

Why don't I understand Y2karl's inquiry? I'm from NYC.????
posted by ParisParamus at 10:19 PM on November 5, 2001

y2karl is asking the origin of the following phenomenon:

'Mmm...bunnyfire, liver and a roll of saran wrap.'
'Yeah...what he said.'
posted by obiwanwasabi at 10:25 PM on November 5, 2001

Guess we went to different prep schools.....Is this a way of saying "the same thing?" Maybe it's sleep deprivation....
posted by ParisParamus at 10:38 PM on November 5, 2001

Yup; it's a way of saying "Ditto"
posted by Steven Den Beste at 10:54 PM on November 5, 2001

"What he said" is usually said when someone else says the same thing you want to say, only more lucidly. So you say "Yeah what he said."
posted by riffola at 11:03 PM on November 5, 2001

Btw here's a site called Origin of Phrases. It doesn't have "what he said" but it has many others.
posted by riffola at 11:05 PM on November 5, 2001

Here's one: Who started the obnoxious trend of punctiating each word in a sentence for dramatic effect? Or the even more obnoxious "Best. BLANK. Ever." Really annoys me.
Not that anyone should care.
posted by Doug at 11:37 PM on November 5, 2001

punctiating

Now who was it that played Grandpappy on the real McCoys? That sounds like something he would say. It's on the tip of my tongue. I'm tired, up past my bedtime...

Oh, yeah, Walter Brennan.

I'm not making fun of the typo, it just sounds like the way Walter Brennan would say it in character...

It.can.be.annoying.for.several.reasons. I agree
posted by y2karl at 1:03 AM on November 6, 2001

alt.binaries.It.can.be.annoying.for.several.reasons - Isn't that a usenet newsgroup?
posted by elvissinatra at 6:38 AM on November 6, 2001

you.pest.,.why.I.oughta. ... .
posted by y2karl at 6:47 AM on November 6, 2001

What. Doug. said.
posted by jennyb at 7:10 AM on November 6, 2001

I've made some typos in the past, but that one is extra special. You'll be interested to know, however, that I AM Walter Brennan.
posted by Doug at 8:06 AM on November 6, 2001

And I have a SHINY GREEN SUIT :)
posted by UncleFes at 9:15 AM on November 6, 2001

I believe the Best Blank Ever comes from the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons, logging on to the internet moments after a Itchy & Scratchy episode in order to complain that it was the "Worst. Episode. Ever."

I think this was actually a dig by the Simpsons' writers at real internet discussion on the Simpson's newsgroup.

posted by bjennings at 10:02 AM on November 6, 2001

I think this was actually a dig by the Simpsons' writers at real internet discussion on the Simpson's newsgroup.

What he said.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 11:48 AM on November 6, 2001