I’ve seen people using “that’s what she said” in a very serious setting, as a way to say “good point/touché”. They had no idea it was from the Office.
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it’s definitely not from the office, lol. it’s an old old joke that probably predates television.
the joke was really that he was so out of touch he was using a quite dated sexist joke.
I thought kid gloves were for dealing with kids but actually they’re made from the skin of kids.
Also of note, I thought the kids were children.
I’ve seen people using “that’s what she said” in a very serious setting, as a way to say “good point/touché”.
As in there was a literal she who literally said that? Otherwise I can’t understand this.
There is, indirectly.
“That’s what she said,” is a descendant of a line that began with “said the actress to the bishop”. And that is, according to folklore, a real event in which a named actress (I forget her name) asked a real bishop (again, don’t know the name anymore) about his “prick” to which the bishop responded that it was “throbbing”. (And according to that same folklore the butler, having overheard that upon entering the room, dropped his tray.)
The backstory being that the bishop had been gardening and injured his thumb on a rose. She was asking about the injury.
But that is supposedly the beginning of the expression “said the actress to the bishop” which is the phrase used in writing for “that’s what she said” as far back as the old Charteris “The Saint” novels at least.
I mean in the context of a serious setting where it’s not being used as a joke.
“That’s what she said” is way older than The Office.
All but impossible and next to impossible.
how were you misusing them?
Fortunately, didn’t get to misuse them. Just took a while to figure out what they really meant. When something is “all but impossible” it shouldn’t be taken literally. Actually just invert the apparent meaning and you get the actual one.
Growing up I always wrote off “it’s always in the last place you look” as just another random thing adults loved to just say all the time.
It’s meant to be humorous or ironic, or to express frustration.
Of course it’s in the last place you look, because once you find it you stop looking.
Hate that phrase. It says nothing. Obviously it’s in the last place you look, because you stop looking! At least “It’s always in the place you least expect.” says something that feels relatable.
It’s a joking expression. It says “hah hah, keep looking” basically.
On King of the Hill, Peggy says that in an episode and it always cracks me up, because she’s an idiot.
So is that phrase a joke? I see people talk about how dumb/obvious it is, but I always thought it meant “it’s always in the last place you [would have thought to] look”, as in a ridiculous place you’d never consider.
However my whole family is ADHD and used to setting things in dumb spots you’d never check.
“It’s a doggy-dog world.”
I went like 20 something years of my life thinking that’s what people were saying.
The sad thing for myself, a Brit that enjoyed the British version ( the original ) and can’t watch more than a minute of that other load of crap, is that this saying is attributed to that shit show when it’s been around for so much longer. It used to carry some weight when used sparingly and in the right context. Now it is so much more cheapened.
Well anyway OP, I hope you’ve learned a thing.If you go into the US office expecting more of the UK office, you will be disappointed.
The first season is the closest to the original, but not great.
Then it found it’s own flavour from season 2 onwards.Might be worth dipping your toes into a random episode in season 2 or 3. If you go in without prejudice or expectations, you might discover it’s charm.
I find that a lot with US series. Season 1 is “see what sticks” and the rest of the seasons get their groove.
Thanks but I doubt that I’ll ever dip my toe in again. Due to Reddit consistently praising “Threat Level Midnight”, a few years ago I gave it a shot. It left me wondering just what the hell the attraction is. I just can’t stand it, and I can’t stand Carrel’s character, or maybe him in general. Having said that I have seen him in a couple of movies where he wasn’t playing the goof and it was fine. Each to their own, and there’s plenty to keep us all entertained out there these days. Peace and love.
For the longest time I thought “limp wristed” meant ineffective, like if you were to hold something with a limp wrist you were more liable to drop it.
That was a fun day at work when I found out what it actually meant… after using the term in the middle of a meeting to describe a vendor’s poor performance.
Same with using the phrase “raw-dogging” (I think there was a cartoon about it.)
My father in law kept using “raw-dogging it” when we last moved. For example:
Should we strap down the couch? Nah, just raw dog it.
I never knew it was from the office but I wouldn’t know how to use it beyond s contextual reference to sex. A serious setting including sex jokes is either a niche industry or a red flag.
I don’t think it’s from The Office. OP must have heard it there first and assumed.
But yeah, agreed. Had a coworker who was a little too comfortable making those jokes, including constant “that’s what she said” jokes. He turned out to be an entitled, abusive creep the first time a woman shut down one of those jokes. Now I see what a big red flag it is.
As an ESL: “IKR” aka “I know, right?”. I thought it has kind of passive-aggressive/sarcastic undertext, meaning something more of a “bro cmon this is obvious/trivial”, while it’s actually seems to be quite the opposite - emphatic affirmation of someones excitement about something. Keep in mind, I’ve never heard it IRL as I rarely talk to native speakers IRL, it was just a wrong impression from chats and online discussions.
In my language I though it was “bære den af” litrally translation, to carry it off. Turns out its “bære nag”, carry a bunch of straws. The saying means to hold a grudge. They do sound super close to each other when spoken
Running “balls out”.
I assumed it was somehow referring to testicles. It’s not.
It refers to the operation of a centrifugal governor.
“That’s what she said” long predates the office. I feel like it was used in SNL in the 80’s.
That’s what she said appears in print as early as Edmond Addeo and Robert Burger’s 1973 book EgoSpeak: Why No One Listens to You: “The cheapest shot of all, of course, is the ancient one-liner, ‘That’s what she said.’ This reply can be used after virtually any remark, however innocent, and the speaker can summon up some hint of double-entendre.”
“that’s what she said” isn’t from the Office though. It’s way older then that. It was already a catchpharse on Saturday Night Live in the 80s. Probably older then that still.
TIL!
It’s time had come and gone, and was a super cringy thing to say when The Office started. And cringy humor in tv shows wasn’t really a thing yet. The Office really pioneered the genre. The joke with Michael saying it was how out of touch he was.
Indefinite leave to remain.
English is a very weird language.
What did you think it meant?
I didn’t know what to make of it. I had to read and double that it means what it is used for.
