who knows

誰知道？ /谁知道？

rhetorical question: anything is possible

It could be one or the other, or both. Who knows?

Do you think I'll get married before I turn 30? – Who knows, you might never marry.

rhetorical question
rhetorical question#English

A rhetorical question asked to show that the person asking it neither knows the answer nor knows who might.


哪

/ⁿdai²¹⁻²¹⁵/

/ⁿdai²¹⁻²¹⁵/

Written as 那 before the 20th century.
It is generally considered to be the fusion of 奈何 (OC *naːls ɡaːl, “how”) (Wang, 1990; Sun, 1992; Shimura, 1995), usually citing Gu Yanwu's (顧炎武) commentary on Zuozhuan. Lü (1985) distinguishes between “which” (choosing among several choices), which he derives from 若 (OC *njaɡ), and “how” (asking for something), which he considers to be a fusion of 若何 (OC *njaɡ ɡaːl, “how”).

他哪像個學生。

他哪像个学生。

我哪知道。

哪會按呢？

哪会按呢？

(rhetorical question) how (used in rhetorical questions)


庸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *loŋ) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): abbreviated semantic 庚 + phonetic 用 (OC *loŋs).

Han compound

Ziyi held the earldom for fourteen years; those who took measures to call in your lordship, how did they not show a divided allegiance?

Zǐyí zàiwèi, shísì nián yǐ; ér móu zhào jūn zhě, yōng fēi èr hū?

子儀在位，十四年矣；而謀召君者，庸非貳乎？

子仪在位，十四年矣；而谋召君者，庸非贰乎？

(literary, rhetorical question) how; how can it be that (used in rhetorical questions)


敢

→ Zhuang: gamj

In oracle bone script, ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): Two hands 廾 holding a weapon 干 hunting a wild boar 豕.
In the Zhou dynasty one of the hands was removed and a phonetic component 甘 (OC *kaːm) was added. The boar shape got progressively corrupted until it looked like a hand 彐, thus obtaining the very old and rather conservative variant 𢼿.
The sound component 甘 and the weapon 干 stylized and merged into 古, leading to the seal script form 𢽤. Then, the wild boar on top stylized into 爫, thus obtaining 𠭖.
Eventually, the left half corrupted further into the traditional version ⿱丅耳, which was then stylized.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/m-wam (“to dare”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).

Alternative form: 豈 /岂

敢通按呢？

(literary or Hokkien, Teochew, Taiwanese Hakka, rhetorical question) can it be possible that; how


肯

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): abbreviated 冎 (“bone”) + 肉 (“meat”) – meat attached to the bone. Originally written more like 肎 or 𦘫, the top component is now written 止.

(archaic, rhetorical question) how could it be that


豈

Possibly a variation of 壴 with the top part modified. May have been the original form of 凱 (“music of triumph”).

豈有此理

岂有此理

Did we not long to return? Yet we were reverent to our command.

The Classic of Poetry, c. 11ᵗʰ – 7ᵗʰ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

豈不懷歸，畏此簡書。

岂不怀归，畏此简书。


邊

我邊記得啫？

我边记得啫？

You did not do this piece of assignment.

你邊有做份功課呀？

你边有做份功课呀？

What will tomorrow be like in the end? How can one think about it so much? [i.e., there is no point in thinking about it so much]

ming⁴ tin¹ gau³ ging² wui⁵ jyu⁴ ho⁴, bin¹ jau⁵ dak¹ nam² gam³ do¹

明天究竟會如何 邊有得諗咁多

明天究竟会如何 边有得谂咁多


what's up

Made popular by the cartoon character Bugs Bunny as part of his catch phrase “What’s up Doc?”, as early as 1940. Originally a common greeting from Bugs Bunny creator Tex Avery's neighborhood in Taylor, Texas.

wassup (alternative)
what up (alternative)
waz up (alternative)
wazzup (alternative)
whassup (alternative)
wuzzup (alternative)
wussup (alternative)
sup (alternative)
wa'up (alternative)
swa'up (alternative)
'sup (alternative)
wsp (alternative)

Hey, what's up? – Hey! Good to see you.

(rhetorical question, colloquial) A casual greeting with a meaning similar to hi or nice to meet you.


what the fuck

What the fuck were you thinking? What the fuck was I thinking? What the fuck are you doing?

What the fuck is going on? What the fuck just happened? What the fuck is wrong with you?

(interrogative, vulgar, slang) An intensive form of what.

What the fuck are you doing? — Τι στο διάολο κάνεις

一体全体なんだ？

いったいぜんたいなんだ？


what the fuck

→ Chinese: 花惹發 /花惹发 (huārěfā)

→ Dutch: wat de fok

→ French: ouate de phoque

The proof is on my computer. It’s on all these people’s computers, and everyone around here is just going along with that. What the fuck? [quoting Emilia Jones as Reality Winner in the film Winner]

2024 September 11, Richard Brody, ““Winner” Takes Political Comedy Seriously”, in The New Yorker:

(vulgar) Used to express astonishment, shock, incredulity, or disbelief (as an ellipsis of longer expressions).

一体全体なんだ？

いったいぜんたいなんだ？

I finally said “eh, what the fuck” and quit my job.

Every now and then say, "What the fuck." "What the fuck" gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future.

1983, Risky Business, spoken by Miles (Curtis Armstrong):

(vulgar) Used to express nonchalance or the dismissal of any consequences of something one is about to do.


is the Pope Catholic

Would you like to go to the beach? ― Is the Pope Catholic?

(colloquial, rhetorical question) A rhetorical question in response to a question to which the answer is an emphatic yes.


what do you know

Near-synonym: who would have thunk it

Well, what do you know, it's raining again.

(colloquial, set phrase, rhetorical question, often sarcastic) What a surprise; guess what.


what's the good of

You can't do anything about it, so what's the good of crying?

(idiomatic) What is the purpose or advantage of


you and whose army

you and what army (alternative)
you and which army (alternative)

–I’m going to stop you from going out with that girl! —Yeah? You and whose army?

Come on, come on / You think you'll drive me crazy? / Well, come on, come on / You and whose army? / You and your cronies

2001, “You and whose army?”, in Amnesiac, performed by Radiohead:

(rhetorical question, sarcastic) Used in response to someone’s threat suggesting that the person in question cannot do what they say alone.

やれるものならやってみろ (yareru mono nara yatte miro, literally “If you can do that, try to do it!”)


where's the beef

From a catchphrase in a 1980s television commercial for the fast food chain Wendy's.

(US, idiomatic) Where is the content? So what?


how do you like them apples

Our governor has just vetoed a bill that would offer more money to our schools. How do you like them apples?

(colloquial, rhetorical question) Question directed jestingly or mockingly at someone who has received surprising information, ridiculing or making light of the situation.

"I can't give you a raise now; if I did, this whole company would go bankrupt, and you wouldn't have a job at all. Now how do you like them apples?"

(colloquial, rhetorical question, Ireland, US) Used after an actual or proposed action with which the listener might be displeased, and also used after refuting an argument.


who ate all the pies

Who ate all the pies? Who ate all the pies? You fat bastard, you fat bastard, you ate all the pies. Loser!

(British, soccer, colloquial, derogatory, rhetorical question) Used pejoratively against a fat person.


不入虎穴，焉得虎子

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˋ ㄏㄨˇ ㄒㄩㄝˊ

ㄧㄢ ㄉㄜˊ ㄏㄨˇ ㄗˇ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˋ ㄏㄨˇ ㄒㄩㄝˋ

bù rù hǔxué, yān dé hǔzǐ [Phonetic:búrùhǔxué,yāndéhúzǐ]

янь дэ хуцзы

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʐu⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ tɤ³⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

bù rù hǔxuè, yān dé hǔzǐ [Phonetic:búrùhǔxuè,yāndéhúzǐ]

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʐu⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹ jɛn⁵⁵ tɤ³⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɐp̚² fuː³⁵ jyːt̚² jiːn⁵⁵ tɐk̚⁵ fuː³⁵ t͡siː³⁵/

(Ban) Chao said: "If you don't enter the tiger's den, you cannot get the tiger's cub. Now there is only one stratagem: we will use fire to attack the (Xiongnu) caitiffs, taking advantage of (the cover of) night and that they don't know how many of us there are; we surely can cause them great terror and kill them all. Once we'll have slain all these caitiffs, Shanshan's resolve shall be shattered, and our endeavor shall succeed."

超曰：「不入虎穴，不得虎子。[[當今#Chinese|]]當今

If you don't enter the tiger's den, how will you get the tiger's cub?

There is an old Chinese saying, “How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair?” This saying holds true for human's practice and it also holds true for the theory of knowledge.

1937, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《實踐論》 (On Practice), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

Zhōngguórén yǒu yī jù lǎohuà: “Bù rù hǔxué, yān dé hǔzǐ.” Zhè jù huà duìyú rénmen de shíjiàn shì zhēnlǐ, duìyú rènshilùn yě shì zhēnlǐ.

中國人有一句老話：「不入虎穴，焉得虎子。」這句話對於人們的實踐是真理，對於認識論也是真理。

中国人有一句老话：「不入虎穴，焉得虎子。」这句话对于人们的实践是真理，对于认识论也是真理。

nothing ventured, nothing gained
nothing ventured, nothing gained

(rhetorical question) No pain, no gain; no risk, no reward; nothing ventured, nothing gained.


what the hell

Shortened from earlier what in the hell.

It’s expensive, but what the hell, you only live once.

Surprisingly, dieters ate more ice cream after eating a large milkshake than after eating a small one. Dr. Polivy calls this the “What the hell” effect, which she describes as thinking “What the hell, my diet’s already broken, so I might as well eat everything in sight.”

i have had my ups and downs / but wotthehell wotthehell / yesterday sceptres and crowns / fried oysters and velvet gowns / and today i herd with bums / but wotthehell wotthehell

1927, Don Marquis, “song of mehitabel”, in archy and mehitabel:

(mildly vulgar, slang) Indicating acceptance, indulgence, or insouciance: Why not? Who cares?


what the heck

So there, I know, was somebody or a combination of somebodys who did not know what the heck they were doing or dealing with.

1974, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Agriculture, Agriculture and the Fuel Crisis: Hearings..., page 88:

- Eggman: What else? I shall take Gizoid back and fulfill my plans to take over the world! Once I have Gizoid acquire my ultimate weapon, "Final Egg Blaster,"… I’ll be able to use it as my final weapon of destruction!!
- Knuckles: What the heck is the "Final Egg Blaster"?!

2003, Sonic Team, Sonic Battle, Sega, published 2003, Game Boy Advance, level/area: Knuckles’ Story:


but who's counting

There are only 258 more shopping days until Christmas, but who's counting?

You've made that mistake eight times now. But who's counting?

I've been looking for a job for six months now, but who's counting?

(colloquial, rhetorical question, sarcastic, humorous) Used as a retort or comeback, often to deprecate oneself or another for excessive concern or attention to detail.


wouldn't you know it

Wouldn't you know it! I left my wallet at home.

(informal) Expresses dismay or annoyance, especially at misfortune.


what of it

Yes, I ate the last cookie. What of it?

"Hiram took my snowballs."
"Aw, what of it, kid?" sneered the bully. "There's lots more snow. Make yourself another set and see what you can do."

1912, Stratemeyer Syndicate, chapter 1, in Baseball Joe on the School Nine:

(idiomatic) So what? Who cares? Expresses disinterest, disregard or lack of concern.


how do you do

how-do-you-do (alternative)
how-d'ye-do (alternative)

"How do you do?" began Pollyanna politely. "I'm from Miss Polly Harrington, and I'd like to see Mrs. Snow, please."

1913, Eleanor H. Porter, chapter 8, in Pollyanna, L.C. Page, →OCLC:

pleased to meet you
pleased to meet you#English

nice to meet you
nice to meet you#English

(formal) A greeting used upon being introduced to someone. Alternatives are how are you, pleased to meet you, and nice to meet you. (Sometimes used as a rhetorical question among familiar parties, depending on the region).

始めてお目にかかります

はじめておめにかかります


why not

Why not try turning the handle in the other direction to see if that opens the window?

(rhetorical) Used to introduce a proposal.


are your ears burning

Are your ears burning? We were just talking about you.

(idiomatic, colloquial, rhetorical question) Asked of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.

no et xiulaven les orelles?

asked of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion

호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다

the tiger comes after the speech about him


so what

I lost my red shoes. – So what? Get a new pair.

I also did a long-wear test, as y'do and after scoffing my face with some food (read: I am feral when it comes to a midday snack, so what), the striking colour that I was wearing, named 'Jet', had stayed put. Pigment, check ✅.

2023 May 12, Lia Mappoura, “I tried Glossier's brand new G Suit lip crèmes so you don't have to – you're welcome”, in Cosmopolitan:

(informal, rhetorical question, impolite) Used to indicate indifference, often as a reply to an unimportant or irrelevant statement.


who writes this stuff

(ironic) A rhetorical question commenting on the writing of a book, play, movie, etc.


chissà

From Vulgar Latin quī sapit (“who knows”). Cognate with Spanish and Galician quizá, Portuguese quiçá.


哪裡

哪里
哪裏
那裡/那裏/那里

/nä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/naː¹³ lɵy̯¹³/

/la²¹³⁻²¹ li¹/

/nã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ li⁵³/

/nã⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ li⁵⁵⁴/

/nã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ li⁵³/

/nã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ li⁵³/

/nã⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ li⁴¹/

/na⁵²⁻³⁵ li⁵²⁻²¹/

/nä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/naː¹³ lɵy̯¹³/

/la²¹³⁻²¹ li¹/

/nã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ li⁵³/

/nã⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ li⁵⁵⁴/

/nã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ li⁵³/

/nã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ li⁵³/

/nã⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ li⁴¹/

/na⁵²⁻³⁵ li⁵²⁻²¹/

他哪裡像個學生。

他哪里像个学生。

(rhetorical question) how (used in rhetorical questions)


what the hey

Hold the phone, folks! What the hey's going on? What happened to the Great Gonzales?!?

2004, Intelligent Systems, translated by Nintendo of America, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Nintendo, GameCube, level/area: Glitzville:


does a bear shit in the woods

First attested in print in the 1960s (see Citations). Earlier attested variations include Does the little brown bear live in the woods? (1952), and Does a bear like the woods? (1959)

do bears shit in the woods? (alternative)
does a bear crap in the woods? (alternative)

(colloquial, rhetorical question, mildly vulgar) A rhetorical question in response to a question to which the answer is an emphatic yes.

schijt een beer in het bos?

emphatic yes by way of an idiomatic, rhetorical question

does the Pope shit in the woods?

A combination of is the Pope Catholic? and does a bear shit in the woods?


who cares

(colloquial, rhetorical question) A reply to an unimportant or irrelevant statement, indicating indifference on the part of the speaker.

"I'll never speak to you again as long as I live," said Joe, rising. "There now!" And he moved moodily away and began to dress himself.
"Who cares!" said Tom. "Nobody wants you to. Go 'long home and get laughed at. Oh, you're a nice pirate. Huck and me ain't crybabies. We'll stay, won't we, Huck? Let him go if he wants to. I reckon we can get along without him, per'aps."

1876, Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Part 4:

"But it's ever so much longer, and we're so late," grumbled Duncan.
"Who cares?" cried Elsie, stolidly. "I'm a girl and I'm not going to climb up the hill in this heat."
Duncan stared again. He had never heard Elsie complain of the hill before. Usually they scampered up it, and rolled down the steepest side—not, truly, when there was milk to carry, but at other times. And now Elsie was walking along in a languid, mincing fashion, as if she had no more fun in her than Robbie himself, and had never scampered bare-foot over the moor six days out of every week, no matter what the weather might be.
"There's Robbie at the garden gate beckoning us. I expect mother's very angry," cried Duncan, despairingly.
"Who cares? let him beckon," Elsie replied, with the most provoking indifference. "Run on by yourself if you're afraid."

1884 July, author not named, “A Little Too Clever”, in Little Folks: A Magazine for the Young:

c.1888, George Manville Fenn, Dick o' the Fens: A Tale of the Great Eastern Swamp,
"No, but it's not nice all the same to live in a place where lots of people were murdered."
"Tchah! who cares! I don't. It's a capital old place, and you never dig anywhere without finding something."
"Yes," said Tom solemnly, "something that isn't always nice."

"Well," said Peter Piper, "we have been called Meg and Peg and Kilmanskeg and Gustibus and Peter Piper instead of our grand names, and now we live in a place called Racketty-Packetty House. Who cares! Let's join hands and have a dance."

1906, Frances H. Burnett, Racketty-Packetty House:

It makes no difference if you fall on the whirl. Who cares? And when you are through dancing you can go out to the faucet and get yourself a drink—provided the water hasn't been turned off.

1922, Robert Benchley, Love Conquers All:

Freddy Farmer added two one-dollar bills to the hockey tickets and walked away. The two soldiers gaped down at the two tickets and the two dollars.
"What's the matter with that guy; is he touched?" one of them mumbled. "And did you hear him, Fuzzy? He didn't even speak English!"
"Who cares?" Fuzzy asked as he came out of his trance. "Two four-buck-forty hockey tickets, and two bucks in cash! Who cares if the guy is touched? He's okay by me!"

1944, Robert Sydney Bowen, Dave Dawson at Casablanca:

(colloquial, rhetorical question) A reply that dismisses the importance of another speaker's immediately preceding statement.


what do you want, a cookie

"I was straight to the point - "Laurie, I'm gay." "Bernard, I've known that for a long time. So, what do you want, a cookie? Now deal the cards!"

1994, R. Jeffrey Ringer, Queer Words, Queer Images: Communication and Construction of Homosexuality, →ISBN, page 230:

DOLL. Buzzet attacked me last night. I have scars! Look at my arm! And my hair is flat too!
SPIDER. What do you want a cookie?

2001, Mary Rogers, Drop Your Webbings! (from Class Acts: High School Plays by High School Writers →ISBN by Randy Lee Hartwig), p.30

"I wait for ju, five minute," He says. "Well what do you want, a cookie" I tell him and he looks at me like he does not understand."

2004, James H. Taylor, Curiosity Killed the Chelsea Boy, →ISBN, page 153:

"The way I see it, I'm already doing all the work, and I'm doing the spells and incantations," stated Bowolf. "So what do you want, a cookie?" laughed Prolok.

2006, Antonio Garza, The House with the Magic Cellar: Realm: I, →ISBN, page 103:

(rhetorical question, sarcastic) A retort to someone who has done something unsurprising or unimpressive and has deemed it necessary to mention it.


what do I know

Maybe girl grasshoppers find long legs attractive in boy grasshoppers, but what do I know?

(rhetorical question) Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.


who's your daddy

I got fisted one time [by] a very short lesbian. [mimes] "Who's your daddy?" "...Eileen?" "That's right, bitch!"

A humorous or sarcastic statement of (often sexual) superiority over someone else.

(BDSM) An assertion that one is the dominant in a relationship or situation.


how about that

(rhetorical question) A general statement of surprise or bemusement with regard to a particular event.; isn't that good, or unexpected, etc.


what am I, chopped liver

You've been nice enough, but what am I, chopped liver or something?

1949, Joey Adams, The Curtain Never Falls, New York, N.Y.: F. Fell, →OCLC, page 175:

A rhetorical question used to indicate that the speaker is feeling left out or slighted by attention given to another person or persons.


since when

Since when do I need your permission?

“[…] We are engaged in a great work, a treatise on our river fortifications, perhaps ? But since when did army officers afford the luxury of amanuenses in this simple republic ? Does your Vehmgerichte pay such extraordinary expenses ?[…]”

1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

(colloquial, rhetorical question, sarcastic) From what time.

The moon is made of green cheese. Since when?

(colloquial, rhetorical question, sarcastic) (as an interrogative interjection) Used to indicate doubt as to the veracity of a statement.


is it just me

I was wondering, is it just me, or do you sometimes find it really hard to be a mom?

2013, Faith Bogdan, Who Are All These Children and Why Are They Calling Me Mom?:

(colloquial, rhetorical question) Am I the only one who thinks this?


哪兒

/naː¹³ jiː²¹/

/naː¹³ jiː²¹/

(chiefly Mandarin, Jin) Erhua form of 哪 (nǎ).

Erhua form of 哪 (nǎ).
how (used in rhetorical questions)


割雞焉用牛刀

desc

鶏を割くに焉んぞ牛刀を用いん

→ Japanese: 鶏を割くに焉んぞ牛刀を用いん (niwatori o saku ni izukunzo/nanzo gyūtō o mochiin) (calque)

→ Vietnamese: giết gà dùng dao mổ trâu (calque)

ㄍㄜ ㄐㄧ ㄧㄢ ㄩㄥˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄠ

гэцзи янь юн нюдао

/kɤ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/kɔːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ jiːn⁵⁵ jʊŋ²² ŋɐu̯²¹ tou̯⁵⁵/

From the Analects, Book 17 (《論語·陽貨》):
:
In this passage, Confucius was joking with his disciple Yan Yan, suggesting that the ritual court music might be a bit over the top, when considering that Wucheng was such a lowly assignment.

The master went to Wucheng. When he heard the sound of ritual court music, the master smiled and said, "Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?" Ziyou replied, "In that past, I have heard you say, 'If a ruler learns the way, then he will love the people. If a person of low station learns the way, then it will be easier for him to serve.'" The master said, "Gentlemen! What Yan said is correct. As for my previous statement, I was only teasing him!"

The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, Wiktionary translation

Zǐ zhī Wǔchéng, wén xiángē zhī shēng, Fūzǐ wǎn'ěr ér xiào, yuē: “Gējī yān yòng niúdāo.” Zǐyóu duì yuē: “Xīzhě, Yǎn yě wén zhū Fūzǐ yuē: ‘Jūnzǐ xué dào zé ài rén, xiǎorén xué dào zé yì shǐ yě.’” Zǐ yuē: “Èrsānzǐ! Yǎn zhī yán shì yě, qiányán xì zhī ěr!”

子之武城，聞弦歌之聲，夫子莞爾而笑，曰：「割雞焉用牛刀。」子游對曰：「昔者，偃也聞諸夫子曰：『君子學道則愛人，小人學道則易使也。』」子曰：「二三子！偃之言是也，前言戲之耳！」

子之武城，闻弦歌之声，夫子莞尔而笑，曰：「割鸡焉用牛刀。」子游对曰：「昔者，偃也闻诸夫子曰：『君子学道则爱人，小人学道则易使也。』」子曰：「二三子！偃之言是也，前言戏之耳！」

He had not yet finished speaking, when a person standing behind Lü Bu said loudly, "'Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?' We shouldn't trouble the Marquis of Wen to go personally.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 5

Yán wèi jué, Lǚ Bù bèihòu yīrén, gāoshēng chū yuē: ‘Gējī yān yòng niúdāo?’ Bùláo wēnhóu qīnwǎng.

言未絕，呂布背後一人，高聲出曰：『割雞焉用牛刀？』不勞溫侯親往。

言未绝，吕布背后一人，高声出曰：『割鸡焉用牛刀？』不劳温侯亲往。

use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
use a sledgehammer to crack a nut

(rhetorical question) something of a big calibre is not necessary to handle small or minor problems; why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut


what would Jesus do

(religion, Christianity, chiefly evangelicalism) Expression intended to help a person facing a choice with moral, ethical or religious implications.


殺雞焉用牛刀

ㄕㄚ ㄐㄧ ㄧㄢ ㄩㄥˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄠ

ша цзи янь юн нюдао

/ʂä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/saːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ jiːn⁵⁵ jʊŋ²² ŋɐu̯²¹ tou̯⁵⁵/

See 割雞焉用牛刀／割鸡焉用牛刀 (gējī yān yòng niúdāo).

zh-l

割雞焉用牛刀／割鸡焉用牛刀 (gējī yān yòng niúdāo)

Besides this, there are times when one creates a simple application in order to meet a special requirement. Perhaps the application will only be run once, or will never doing anything else but that one task. In such cases, why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken? In terms of shortening development time, hard coding would not be a bad strategy.

Chú cǐ zhī wài yǒu shíhòu yīn yìng mǒu xiē tèshū de xūqiú, zhìzuò chū jiǎndān de yìngyòngchéngshì, yìngyòngchéngshì kěnéng zhǐ huì zhíxíng yīcì, huòzhě yǒngyuǎn zhǐ yìngfù yī zhǒng xūqiú, shā jī yān yòng niúdāo, xiěsǐ lái suōduǎn kāifā de shíjiān, yě shì yī zhǒng bùcuò de juécè.

除此之外有時候因應某些特殊的需求，製作出簡單的應用程式，應用程式可能只會執行一次，或者永遠只應付一種需求，殺雞焉用牛刀，寫死來縮短開發的時間，也是一種不錯的決策。

除此之外有时候因应某些特殊的需求，制作出简单的应用程式，应用程式可能只会执行一次，或者永远只应付一种需求，杀鸡焉用牛刀，写死来缩短开发的时间，也是一种不错的决策。

割雞焉用牛刀 割雞焉用牛刀#Chinese

割鸡焉用牛刀 割鸡焉用牛刀#Chinese

(rhetorical question) Synonym of 割雞焉用牛刀 /割鸡焉用牛刀 (gējī yān yòng niúdaō).


who's a pretty boy then

A conventional phrase used when talking to parrots.


how can you sleep at night

A rhetorical question, used to tell someone that they should feel guilty about something.


I know you are but what am I?

I know you are but what am I (canonical)
I know you are, but what am I (alternative)

Uncertain, but dates back at least to the June 15th, 1957 issue of The New Yorker (Vol. 33 No. 17, page 23). In "The Talk of the Town", which was a collaborative effort by the magazine's staff writers: "INTERROGATIVE WISP FOUND IN GUTTER OF MACDOUGAL STREET: 'I know you are but what am I?'" The phrase is often attributed to Pee-Wee Herman.

I know you are but what am I? Jeannie would say out loud, whenever I mouthed a name at her.

At this point Johnny changes tactics and hollers, "I know you are, but what am I?" and the voice echoes, "I know you are, but what am I?"

2003, Mark E. Jones, Echoes of Heaven, page 7:

So when Mr. Macchia states that people who collect state quarters are fools, my son says I should reply, "I know you are, but what am I?"

2005, American Numismatic Association, The Numismatist, page 14:

(rhetorical question, colloquial, childish) Assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party, and not of the person using the phrase. Usually considered to be a playground taunt.

assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party

kdo to říká ten to je, tomu se to rýmuje


who's 'she', the cat's mother

Who's 'she' (canonical)
the cat's mother (canonical)

"She's coming on the trip with us too!"

"Who's 'she', the cat's mother?"

Sorry, Gran is coming with us too.

(idiomatic, somewhat dated, British, Ireland, New England) A rebuke especially directed towards children for having referred to a woman in the nominative case as "she", instead of by her name or an appropriately respectful title.


what the

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-what the.wav

From various expressions such as what the sam hill, what the hey, what the heck, what the hell and what the fuck by aposiopesis.

Hee haw! Did that come out of me? Oh! Huh? What the …? What's going on? Ahhh!

1940, as realization dawns that he is turning into a donkey, in Pinocchio (motion-picture), spoken by Lampwick (Frankie Darrow), Burbank: Disney; distributed by RKO Radio Pictures:

(by ellipsis) Used to express astonishment or incredulity, as a question or questioning of the situation at hand, without requiring any specific vulgarity as intensifier.


what's it to you

"I saw you in the chemist yesterday, what did you buy?" / "What's it to you?"

(defensively) Why are you asking? Why do you want to know?

¿quién te ha dado vela en este entierro?


you know what

Well, you know what, he's got a cloud over him. You have to live with who you are and make your peace with your maker about what you really are.

2001 May 10, "Blake's Attorney on Bakley's Murder", CNN Live (transcript)

Well, I guess I’ve got to say, I love the Madonna one that we did — the Drowned world tour. Actually, you know what? The first Blonde Ambition tour I loved. The “Vogue” thing — that was a memorable moment in my lifetime.

2009 March 23, Alex Hawgood, “The Three-Ring Circus”, in New York Times:

(idiomatic) Used, often as a question, to get someone's attention before announcing something.


am I right or am I right

And next to Rosa is Mont Charre, which is great, but just a hair less great than Rosa, am I right or am I right?

1974, William Goldman, Marathon Man, Delacorte Press:

There are songs to sing, there are feelings to feel, there are thoughts to think. That makes three things, and you can't do three things at the same time. The singing is easy, syrup in my mouth, and the thinking comes with the tune, so that leaves only the feelings. Am I right, or am I right? I can sing the singing. I can think the thinking. But you're not going to catch me feeling the feeling. No, sir.

What I love about this country is that: its genius. Greatest inventors in the world. It's beautiful: am I right or am I right?

1988, Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses:

Do you have life insurance, Phil? Because if you do, you could always use a little more, right? I mean, who couldn't? But you wanna know something? I got the feeling ... [whistles] ... you ain't got any. Am I right or am I right? Or am I right? Am I right?

You take your ileum as Wallace Stevens/and you take my ileum/as Gordon Lish,/am I right or am I right?

1999, Gordon Lish, "Aubade", Salmagundi, No. 121/122 (Winter-Spring 1999), p. 201

Customerize the company! Am I right or am I right? For forty years or thereabouts, marketers have worshipped at the feet of the customer.

2004, Stephen Brown, Free Gift Inside!!: Forget the Customer. Develop Marketease, page 7:

(colloquial, rhetorical question) Alternative form of am I right, implying the speaker can't possibly be wrong.


what did your last slave die of

En-au-what did your last slave die of.ogg

The manager just couldn't get Lorcan to understand that if someone asked for a second cup of coffee, the correct response was 'Certainly, sir, coming right up,' and not 'What did your last slave die of?'

She's trying to meet my every need, waiting on me in ways that would make my mum bleat, 'What did your last slave die of?'

2010, Luisa Plaja, Swapped by a Kiss, page 102:

(idiomatic, humorous) Used to indicate that someone is being unreasonably bossy and demanding.


does Macy's tell Gimbel's

Macy's and Gimbels (without the apostrophe) were popular department stores located within two blocks of one another in Midtown Manhattan in New York City; the latter store is now defunct.

The "Does Macy's tell Gimbel's?" gag has been a standard one in New York for many years. It was somewhat shattered last night at the Copacabana, when two young couples were seated at a ringside table and conversed at great length...."Well, Macy's may not tell Gimbel's," said one of the young men, "But Bloomingdale's does."

1941 January 21, The Washington Post, page 22:

In other words the older circuit will give the Johnny-come-lately as little help and comfort as it can. After all, does Macy's tell Gimbel's?

1946 January 11, The New York Times, page 24:

...As a lesson in merchandising, not only store products, but good-will, this "Miracle on 34th Street" is a dandy. Does Macy's tell Gimbel's? It should!

1947 June 5, The New York Times, page 32:

Col. Hogan (to Col. Klink) Does Macy tell Gimbel?

(US, dated, colloquial, rhetorical question) A rhetorical question with the implied answer being that competitors do not share business secrets with one another.


what are you like

(UK, Ireland, colloquial, US, obsolete) Expressing mock despair at somebody's outrageous behaviour.


what's new

onko mitään uutta

implies that the situation is and always has been unsatisfactory

You're still having problems with that idiot you employed last year? So, what's new?

(rhetorical question, idiomatic) A rhetorical request for some real news, on hearing a report that was not news because it represents a continuing predictable and unsatisfactory situation.


what else is new

My mum is still giving me grief for not getting a job. ― What else is new?

(rhetorical question) A rhetorical request for some real news, on hearing a report that was not news because it represents a continuing predictable and unsatisfactory situation.


you and what army

you and whose army
you and whose army#English

(US) Alternative form of you and whose army


what's with

What's with Jim lately? He always has a frown on his face.

(colloquial, sometimes rhetorical question) What is wrong with.

What's with all the presents? Are you having a birthday party?

(colloquial, sometimes rhetorical question) What is the reason for.


how long is a piece of string

How long is a piece of string (canonical)

(colloquial, often humorous, rhetorical question) Used as a response to a question such as "How long will it take?" or "How big is it?" when the length or size is unknown, infinite, variable, or relative.


what can I say

Near-synonyms: what can you do; it is what it is

A: But it's written right there in the instructions! B: What can I say? We're not dealing with people who are good at reading, here.

(idiomatic) Indicating that nothing that could be said would add to or improve the situation.

شو بدي أحكيلك لأحكيلك؟

indicating that there is nothing to be said which would improve matters


head

En-us-what does that have to do with the price of tea in China.oga

A: "I read that aliens built the Egyptian pyramids." – B: "What medications are you taking?" – A: "What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?"

My reaction is "What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?"

1972, American School Counselor Association, The School counselor, volume 20, page 7:

To quote the old saying, "what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?" Talk about totally irrelevant.

2000, United States Senate, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Agricultural trade options: hearing before the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, →ISBN, page 103:

(rhetorical question, colloquial) Used to indicate that a previous comment is irrelevant or non sequitur.

八竿子打不著

a comment used to indicate that a previous comment is irrelevant or unimportant

τρία πουλάκια κάθονταν και πλέκανε πουλόβερ (tría poulákia káthontan kai plékane poulóver, literally “three little birds were sitting, knitting sweaters”)

в огоро́де — бузина́, а в Ки́еве — дя́дька (v ogoróde — buziná, a v Kíjeve — djádʹka, literally “there's elderberry in the vegetable garden but an uncle in Kiev”)

qué tienen que ver los cojones con comer trigo


who are you and what have you done with (someone)?

who are you and what have you done with (canonical)

who are you and what have you done with someone

Who are you and what have you done with the "real" editors of The Roanoke Times?

2000 May 15, “Letters to the editor”, in Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Virginia:

One thing she has noticed over the years, Dorothea says, is that "he's developed more of a sense of humor. Now, when he'll crack a joke, I'll say, Oh, my God, who are you and what have you done with my husband?"'

2002 November, Tom Gliatto, “Local boy makes good”, in People, volume 58, number 22, page 114:

"Who are you and what have you done with Izzy Zanella?" she finally said. / "Go on," he said. "Mock me. The one time I'm being serious and trying to do the right thing."

2009, Suzanne Brockmann, Into the Fire, page 49:

(colloquial, rhetorical question) Said to express surprise due to a perceived drastic change of behaviour of a person.

Expression to drastic change of a person

wie is jy en wat het jy met iemand gedoen.

Wer sind Sie und was haben Sie mit jemandem gemacht

vem är du och vad har du gjort med någon


誰知道

/ʂeɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/ʂu̯eɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/sɵy̯²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ tou̯³³/

/ʂeɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/ʂu̯eɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/sɵy̯²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ tou̯³³/


you kiss your mother with that mouth

(do) you kiss your mother with that mouth?

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-you kiss your mother with that mouth.wav

No wonder then that I felt compelled when coming upon Tony and John's contest-in-insults to glare and say, "Hey, you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

1983, Reinhold Aman, Maledicta, Volume 6, Issues 1-2, Maledicta Press, page #209

"Chris doesn't like my hair up. I don't like my hair up. I'm not wearing my fucking hair up." ― "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

1998, Anna Quindlen, Black and Blue, Wheeler Pub., page #153

Serena, always the charmer. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

2004, Tim McCleaf, For They Know Not What They Do: Two Novellas, iUniverse, page 64:

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" mocked the man-who-was-ten. Matthew replied, "No, but I kiss yours!"

2009, Ryan Russell, Johnny Long, Timothy Mullen, Stealing the Network: The Complete Series Collector's Edition, Final Chapter, and DVD: The Complete Series, Syngress, page 469:

you kiss your girlfriend with that mouth

you kiss your grandmother with that mouth

you kiss your grandfather with that mouth

(rhetorical question, informal, sarcastic) Used to indicate that the other person's speech has become too obscene or vulgar.

con esa boca comes pan

rhetorical question used to indicate that the other person's speech has become too obscene or vulgar


guess what

Perhaps an ellipsis of "(can you) guess what I am about to say/what happened next?"

I've only had two job interviews and – guess what – no job offers.

Yesterday evening at 6:30 P.M. there's a new charge nurse, he's going to give me my seizure medication and guess what? There isn't any!

2011, Sandra Gila, Vortex: The Journey of a Nursing Home Survivor, page 160:

(idiomatic) Used to dramatize the introduction of an unsurprising outcome.


wouldn't you know

wouldn't you know it
wouldn't you know it#English

(idiomatic) Alternative form of wouldn't you know it


need I say more

Joe Bloggs became president – need I say more?

(colloquial, humorous, rhetorical question) Used to say that audience can predict the result of something.


amirite

It's not like you wouldn't want to jump over those lava fountains, amirite?

2009, Tim Lindquist, New Super Mario Bros Wii Coin Collector's Guide, page 51:

(Internet slang, rhetorical question) Alternative spelling of am I right


難說

/nän³⁵ ʂu̯ɔ⁵⁵/

/lan²⁴⁻²² sueʔ³²/

/lan²⁴⁻²² seʔ³²/

/lan²⁴⁻²² seʔ⁵/

/lan¹³⁻²² sueʔ³²/

/lan¹³⁻²² seʔ³²/

/lan²⁴⁻¹¹ sueʔ³²/

/lan²⁴⁻¹¹ seʔ³²/

/lan²³⁻³³ sueʔ³²/

/lan²³⁻³³ seʔ³²/

/nän³⁵ ʂu̯ɔ⁵⁵/

/lan²⁴⁻²² sueʔ³²/

/lan²⁴⁻²² seʔ³²/

/lan²⁴⁻²² seʔ⁵/

/lan¹³⁻²² sueʔ³²/

/lan¹³⁻²² seʔ³²/

/lan²⁴⁻¹¹ sueʔ³²/

/lan²⁴⁻¹¹ seʔ³²/

/lan²³⁻³³ sueʔ³²/

/lan²³⁻³³ seʔ³²/

(Xuzhou Mandarin, rhetorical question) Indicates a rhetorical question: surely it doesn't mean that...; is it possible that...


what are the odds

(idiomatic, rhetorical question) Used to express surprise at an unlikely outcome.


what was someone smoking

Suggesting the smoking of mind-altering drugs.

The SGZ is primarily a signal that Alfa Romeo is back in business as serious maker of serious cars although the Zagato body puts one in mind of the FI team owner whose response to a new car was to ask his designer 'What were you smoking when you designed that?'

1996, Mark Lawrence, A to Z of sports cars, 1945-1990, page 1943:

“...We don't want to live there. It's dark, creepy and it stank. What were you smoking when you bought this place? Hope you bought it real cheap, where is your change at?”
“Shut the hell up”, James snapped back. “I'm your daddy and you going to live where I move you”.

2005, Gemäse Simmons, Worth Fighting For!: The Tragedies & Triumphs of Professor Renee ..., page 25:

Bush and company had a fantasy that we could bring democracy to Iraq and it would cause a domino effect in the Middle East. Suddenly every Arab nation would embrace democracy. What were they smoking?

2007, Lee A. Iacocca, Catherine Whitney, Where have all the leaders gone?, page 82:

(idiomatic, humorous) Used to express surprise about someone's uncharacteristic or wacky, offbeat past actions.


does the Pope shit in the woods

en-au-does the Pope shit in the woods.ogg

A combination of the two rhetorical questions is the Pope Catholic? and does a bear shit in the woods?

"You still interested in a writing job?" he asked. […] Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear shit in the woods? Or, as one of the guys had said a few weeks before, Does the Pope shit in the woods? A writing job. “Yeah,” was all she could say.

2009, Iris Rainer Dart, Til the Real Thing Comes Along, Grand Central Publishing, →ISBN:

"I asked her if she would like a coffee. She turned round, smiled and said: 'Does the Pope shit in the woods?' The wife was aghast. Of course I got the blame!”

2009, James R. Vance, Killer Butterfly, The eBook Sale, page 233

"[…] do you understand that last point about combining two jokes together?" […] I almost replied 'Does a bear shit in the woods?' but then I […] saw the chance to answer in a way that would show I understood them perfectly. "Does the pope shit in the woods?" There was a huge round of applause from the invisible audience, in fact it wasn't just a round of applause, ...

2014, John Byrne, "Rapt In an Enigma" - "A True-life Tale of the Paranormal Unlike Any You Have Read Before", Lulu Press, Inc, →ISBN:

Rhetorical question
rhetorical question#English

(idiomatic, humorous, vulgar) Obviously! Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.


do bears shit in the woods

does a bear shit in the woods
does a bear shit in the woods#English

(colloquial, rhetorical question, mildly vulgar) Alternative form of does a bear shit in the woods


難道

/nän³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/lan²⁴⁻²² tɔ⁴¹/

/lan²⁴⁻²² to²²/

/lan¹³⁻²² to²²/

/nän³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/lan²⁴⁻²² tɔ⁴¹/

/lan²⁴⁻²² to²²/

/lan¹³⁻²² to²²/

這難道不是事實嗎？

这难道不是事实吗？

Foreigners can do it; can't the Chinese people do it?

Wàiguórén néng zuò dào, nándào Zhōngguórén jiù zuòbudào ma?

外國人能做到，難道中國人就做不到嗎？

外国人能做到，难道中国人就做不到吗？

Don't tell me that you really dare take action arbitrarily without even caring about the royal decree at all, do you?

Nándào nǐ zhēn de dàdǎn wàngwèi, lián shèngzhǐ dōu bùgù le ma.

難道你真的大膽妄為，連聖旨都不顧了嗎。

难道你真的大胆妄为，连圣旨都不顾了吗。

(rhetorical question) Indicates a rhetorical question: surely it doesn't mean that...; is it possible that...


have I got news for you

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-have I got news for you.wav

You think your neighbours are noisy? Well, have I got news for you: I've been living next door to a nightclub for six years.

(rhetorical, often humorous or ironic) Used to announce a fact of which the addressee was, or appeared to be, ignorant.


who am I kidding

The alternative to that is of course the chilling thought of Lucifer. I don't like the idea of that so much. Who am I kidding though? I kill people! People, who do horrible things, but people none the less.

(rhetorical question) Said by someone who, upon the realization that they were kidding themselves, wishes to start thinking in a more sensible, reasonable way.


what are you looking at

(rhetorical question, somewhat hostile) Expresses discomfort because the interlocutor is looking at something; usually, this is said when the interlocutor has been staring at the speaker.


don't I know it

"Here's your shirt," said Slippery. "Make it snappy, we're late."
"Don't I know it," replied the Owl, emerging from the closet with his dinner jacket and vest[…]

(informal) I know; I am very familiar with it (some stated fact).


who died and left you in charge

En-au-who died and left you in charge.ogg

Sarcastic response to somebody assuming a position of authority that they have not earned.


what hath God wrought

Archaic form of the question “what has God made?”, from the Bible, King James Version; popularized especially by being used as the first message sent by telegraph in the United States, by Samuel Morse (May 24, 1844).

A divine unction evidently attended his ministry, and such were the effects produced, that every beholder, with astonishment and admiration, cried "what hath God wrought!"

1855, Thomas Raffles, A Burning and A Shining Light, page 151:

"Oh, my God !" he cried. "He's invented photography." "What hath God wrought?" said the old man, trying to get up.

1925, Donald Ogden Stewart, The Crazy Fool, page 224:

Surely of this work, and of this time, it shall be said, what hath God wrought!

1969, Paul W. Glad, The Process of American History: Early America, page 84:

When Frank put the receiver to his ear, a sepulchral voice asked, "What hath God wrought?"

1987, Edward Fischer, Notre Dame Remembered: An Autobiography, page 173:

The rich man got up, called off the suit and everybody said, “What hath God wrought?”

2011, A. W. Tozer, James L. Snyder, A Disruptive Faith: Expect God to Interrupt Your Life, page 186:

(archaic) An expression of wonder and marvel at something.

مَا شَاءَ ٱللّٰهُ

Expression of wonder and marvel giving glory to God


desde quando

Literally, “since when...”; used both as a rhetorical question and literally.

Desde quando você sabe cozinhar?

(rhetorical question) since when (expresses doubt)


am I right

amiright (alternative)
amirite (alternative)
am I right or am I right (alternative)

"Ah! So much the worse! A bitter taste it is that such poor cattle always have in their mouths, and hard lives they live, Jacques. Am I right, Jacques?"

1859, Charles Dickens, “Book the First, Chapter V”, in A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC:

Not a word out of him, he just sat there taking it all in, am I right? Look at their face and you don't know what's going on inside, am I right? Talking about racial overtones, whose insurance company does he think he's working for, am I right Dan?

"And life's short, paisan. I mean, life is short, am I right?"

I mean, you're paying for $24 billion worth of training, and I'm sure there's not a person here who could name 10, much less 150, of the separate training programs available. Am I right?

1993, Bill Clinton, Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, William J. Clinton, 1993, Bk. 2, August 1 to December 31, 1993, Government Printing Office, page 1467:

(colloquial, rhetorical question) Said by someone who has just stated what they consider to be an unassailable truth, or at least one worthy of an amen (compare can I get an 'Amen'?).


how no

- I don't want to go out today.
- How no?


what are you waiting for

(rhetorical question) What is the delay? Why are you not acting or proceeding?


are you blind

(sarcastic) A rhetorical question to someone who has failed to see or notice something.


LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-what does that have to do with the price of corn.wav

(rhetorical question, colloquial, sarcastic) A comment used to indicate that a previous comment is irrelevant or unimportant.

what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?


você e quem mais

(rhetorical question) you and whose army? (you can't do that on your own)


fazer o quê

(rhetorical question) indicates that the speaker is passively accepting a situation that is at least a little unpleasant


where do I sign up

(rhetorical question) Expresses interest in doing something.


would it kill someone

Would it kill you to pay more attention in lectures?

(rhetorical question) Indicates the speaker is annoyed that someone is not doing something they should do.


you call this

You call this a party?

(rhetorical question, informal) Used to indicate that something is unsatisfactory, inadequate, substandard.


would it hurt

Would it hurt to say "please" once in a while?

(rhetorical question) Used to point out that the interlocutor is failing to do something relatively easy that they should be doing.


are you a man or a mouse

(rhetorical question) Are you a courageous man or a coward?


com que cara

Eu não consegui realizar as minhas tarefas. Com que cara direi isso ao meu chefe?

(literally, “With what face will I tell that to my boss?”)

I've failed to do my assignments. How am I supposed to tell that to my boss?

(idiomatic, rhetorical question) How am I supposed to (face someone after I did)...?


does someone look like

Why are you asking me to make dinner? Do I look like I can cook?

So you're learning the cello. Great. Do I look like someone who cares?

(rhetorical question) Used if the interlocutor seems to believe something inaccurate about (someone); this question serves to free someone of a misconception.


how's the weather up there

(humorous, rhetorical question) Asked to tall people or someone who is at a high vantage point, either literally or metaphorically.


what are you smoking

(slang, derogatory, rhetorical question) An ironic or sarcastic response to an absurd or nonsensical statement, suggestion or other action.


does a bear crap in the woods

does a bear shit in the woods?
does a bear shit in the woods#English

(colloquial, rhetorical question) Synonym of does a bear shit in the woods?


does Dolly Parton sleep on her back

An allusion to the singer's large breasts, which might make sleeping on one's front difficult.

is the Pope Catholic
is the Pope Catholic#English

(US, colloquial, dated, vulgar, rhetorical question) Synonym of is the Pope Catholic


點知

(Cantonese, rhetorical question) how would [someone] know; [someone] doesn't know


why keep a dog and bark yourself

En-au-why keep a dog and bark yourself.ogg

(rhetorical question, colloquial) One should not do something that one has hired someone else to do.


where are the snows of yesteryear

En-au-where are the snows of yesteryear.ogg

Quotation from Dante Gabriel Rossetti's "Ballad of Dead Ladies," an 1869 translation of François Villon's poem "Ballade des dames du temps jadis" (1533) (in the original, où sont les neiges d'antan?).

Pathetic as its passing is, one cannot honestly regret the old school. I was looking last night at the programme of my very first hall, and received a terrible shock to my time-sense. Where are the snows of yesteryear? Where are the entertainers of 1895?

1915, Thomas Burke, “An Entertainment Night: Round the Halls”, in Nights in Town: A London Autobiography, London: George Allen & Unwin […], page 44:

(rhetorical question, informal) Used to emphasize that life passes quickly.

Ballade des dames du temps jadis
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
François Villon


what's the beef

(idiomatic, rhetorical question) Why are you complaining? What are you complaining about?


enuh

(Used as a rhetorical question at the end of a sentence, Jamaica) you know


怎知

/t͡sən²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/t͡sɐm³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵/

/t͡sən²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/t͡sɐm³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵/

(rhetorical question) how would [someone] know; [someone] doesn't know


曷知

(Taiwanese Hokkien, rhetorical question) how would [someone] know; [someone] doesn't know


आदमी हो या चूहा

hi-phrase

آدمی ہو یا چوہا

आदमी हो या चूहा • (ādmī ho yā cūhā) (Urdu spelling آدمی ہو یا چوہا)

ādmī ho yā cūhā (romanization)
آدمی ہو یا چوہا (Urdu)

are you a man or a mouse
are you a man or a mouse

(rhetorical question) are you a man or a mouse


अंधे हो क्या

اندھے ہو کیا

अंधे हो क्या • (andhe ho kyā) (Urdu spelling اندھے ہو کیا)

andhe ho kyā (romanization)
اندھے ہو کیا (Urdu)

[ɐ̃n̪.d̪ʱeː‿ɦoː‿kjäː]

LL-Q1568 (hin)-AryamanA-अंधे हो क्या.wav

(sarcastic, rhetorical question) are you blind (a rhetorical question to an individual who has failed to see or notice something)


who would have thunk it

The word thunk is a humorous, nonstandard past participle of think.

He stayed until he saw she had recovered her self possession, then he left, telegraphed to Mr. Hinsdale of Helen's safe arrival—always the same thoughtful fellow—and then went home and wrote sonnets to his lady love. "Who'd have thunk it of 'im?"

1895 September, Frances Cora Perce, “A Sonata of the Woods”, in W. S. B. Mathews, editor, Music. A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Art, Science, Technic and Literature of Music, volume VIII, Chicago, Ill.: The Music Magazine Publishing Company […], →OCLC, pages 478–479:

"Hello, Muggs!" he cried, vainly trying to bestow a pat upon that unquiet animal. "Say, Trevor, hasn't he grown? He's twice the size he was when you got him!" / "It's a way puppies have." / "You don't say so? Who'd have thunk it![…]"

1906, Ralph Henry Barbour, “In the Rowing-room”, in Captain of the Crew, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton and Company, page 147:

Think of it, the N.A.R.D. Journal has included in its propaganda work a forcible crusade against long speeches! Wonders never cease; who would have "thunk it"? Is brevity a lost art? With all the ridicule, satire, hissing and rotten eggs showered upon long windedness, it still remains with us.

1916 February 15, “Bodemann’s Aphorisms”, in Romaine Pierson, editor, The Practical Druggist and Pharmaceutical Review of Reviews, volume XXXIV, number 2, New York, N.Y.: Published by Romaine Pierson, […], →OCLC, page 31, column 1:

Who would have thunk it? Had anyone told me some 10 years ago that I would be alive to see a black person run for President of the United States and be taken seriously, I would have asked what they were tripping on.

1988, Marcia Ann Gillespie, “Something to Celebrate: Thanks to Jesse Jackson, We are Emerging from the Reagan Years with a New Willingness to Pull Together Again”, in Ms., volume 17, New York, N.Y.: Liberty Media for Women, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 22, column 1:

From somewhere in their well-fed, timorous, it-can't-happen-here ranks, a Spartacus had arisen—who would have thunk it?

2001, Stephen King, Dreamcatcher, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, →ISBN; 1st Gallery Books trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Gallery Books, January 2018, →ISBN, page 462:

(colloquial, sometimes sarcastic) A rhetorical question used to express incredulity: who would have guessed it?; who would have thought that would happen?


how should I know

how am I to know (alternative)
how do I know (alternative)
how would I know (alternative)

A rhetorical question asked to show that the person asking it neither knows the answer nor would be able to know it.


哪知

/nä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/naː¹³ t͡siː³⁵/

/nä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/naː¹³ t͡siː³⁵/


who knew

[…] on at least a dozen occasions, the Supreme Court itself […] had spent the last three decades scrutinizing and parsing, expanding and restricting and harmonizing and distinguishing a decision that had been null and void all along. Who knew!

1999, The New York Times Biographical Service, volume 30, page 1518:

And over the course of a couple of days, albeit in a disjointed and non-linear manner, I had basically watched all of What Women Want. It’s a good film! Sarah Paulson is in it! Who knew?

2023 October 3, Stuart Heritage, “Mean Girls in 23 parts: the rise of movies and shows watched on TikTok”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Expressing surprise, or ironic lack of surprise, upon learning something.


you got a mouse in your pocket

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-you got a mouse in your pocket.wav

From the idea of another referent included in "we," besides the speaker, being invisible.

is there a mouse in your pocket (alternative)

Your back teeth don't know what your front teeth are saying. 'We know nothing about anything.' Who's we, Connors, you got a mouse in your pocket?

1979, Rosemary Edelman, Fireworks: a novel, →ISBN, page 52:

(rhetorical question, informal, sarcastic) Used as a response to statements starting with "we," usually indicating the speaker does not want to be involved in the interlocutor's statements.


豈能

/t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ nɤŋ³⁵/

/hei̯³⁵ nɐŋ²¹/

/t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ nɤŋ³⁵/

/hei̯³⁵ nɐŋ²¹/

(literary, used in a rhetorical question implying a negative answer) how could (one possibly); how is (it possible)


¿eres poeta? ¡pues súbete la bragueta!

¿eres poeta ¡pues súbete la bragueta! (canonical)

/ˌeɾes poˌeta | ˌpwes ˌsubete la bɾaˈɡeta/

[ˌe.ɾes poˌe.t̪a | ˌpwes ˌsu.β̞e.t̪e la β̞ɾaˈɣ̞e.t̪a]

Literally, “are you a poet? So do up your fly!”. Supposedly, the person who is being addressed replies "no" after the question.


can a duck swim

(colloquial, rhetorical question) A rhetorical question in response to a question whose answer is an emphatic yes.


does a bear poop in the woods

(Canada, US, euphemistic, rhetorical question) Synonym of does a bear shit in the woods?


那的

/nä²¹⁴ d̥ə⁴/

/nä²¹⁴ d̥ə⁴/

(obsolete, rhetorical question) how (used in rhetorical questions)


is the sky blue

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-is the sky blue.wav

(colloquial, rhetorical question) A rhetorical question in response to a question to which the answer is an emphatic yes.


nanung pilawe-lawe mu

(rhetorical question, somewhat hostile) expresses discomfort because the interlocutor is looking at something; usually, this is said when the interlocutor has been staring at the speaker


ain't that the truth

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-ain't that the truth.wav

(colloquial) That is very true; I agree (often with a gloomy or pessimistic tone).


what's not to like

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-what's not to like.wav

What's not to like about Robin Hood? I'll steal from the rich and give to a poor bear: me.

1964, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, Hey There, It's Yogi Bear (motion picture), spoken by Yogi Bear (Daws Butler):

[…]–one would think that this comedy offered satisfactions for gender theorists, feminists, queer theorists, Marxists, and ecocritics alike. What's not to like in As You Like It?

2009, Linda Woodbridge, “Country Matters: As You Like It and the Pastoral-Bashing Impulse”, in Harold Bloom, editor, William Shakespeare: Comedies, Infobase Publishing, →ISBN, page 23:

Kill white people and get paid for it? What's not to like?

2012, Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained (motion picture), spoken by Django (Jamie Foxx):

(informal, rhetorical question, sometimes sarcastic) Rhetorically implying that what is spoken of is undoubtedly good.


ᠠᡳᡴᠠ

(rhetorical question) indicates a rhetorical question: surely it doesn't mean that..., is it possible that...


working hard or hardly working

(informal, humorous) Used as a question to point out the listener's laziness.


庸詎

/jʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕy⁵¹/

/jʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕy⁵¹/

Literally, "by what; with what; because of what", according to an explanation given in the Jingdian Shiwen. See quotation below.

How do you know, when I say "I know it," that it's impossible that I do not really know it? How do you know, when I say "I do not know it," that it's impossible that I do know it?

Yōngjù zhī wú suǒwèi “zhī” zhī fēi bùzhī yé? Yōngjù zhī wú suǒwèi “bùzhī” zhī fēi zhī yé?

庸詎知吾所謂「知」之非不知邪？庸詎知吾所謂「不知」之非知邪？

庸讵知吾所谓「知」之非不知邪？庸讵知吾所谓「不知」之非知邪？


云何

The term has been started to detach from its literal meaning since the times of the Classic of Poetry. Cf. 如何, which has undergone a similar route.

Having seen the princely lord, shall we not rejoice? (lit. "how can one say we do not rejoice?")

The Classic of Poetry, c. 11ᵗʰ – 7ᵗʰ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

既見君子，云何不樂？

既见君子，云何不乐？

This strategy leads to certain ruin! Why did he ended up on the throne?

Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5ᵗʰ century CE

Cǐ fǎ dāng shī, yúnhé dé suì yǒu tiānxià?

此法當失，云何得遂有天下？

此法当失，云何得遂有天下？

(You know quite clearly) how the Marshal's relation with (the Governor of) Jiangzhou has been. Yet you still want to seek refuge there?

Dàjiāngjūn píngsù yǔ Jiāngzhōu yúnhé? Ér rǔ yù guī zhī.

大將軍平素與江州云何？而汝欲歸之。

大将军平素与江州云何？而汝欲归之。

(often in a rhetorical question) how; why


how do you like

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-how do you like.wav

How do you like your steak, sir?

How do you like like it here?

How would you like it if I did the same to you??

How do you like this guy!

(humorous, derogatory) Used to deride the character or personality of someone.


embè

Ma sei stato bocciato? — Embè?!

(colloquial, rhetorical question) so what (usually showing annoyance or surliness)


插走

/t͡sʰap̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sau⁵³/

/t͡sʰap̚⁵⁻²⁴ t͡sau⁵⁵⁴/

/t͡sʰap̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sau⁵³/

/t͡sʰap̚⁵⁻²⁴ t͡sau⁵⁵⁴/

(Quanzhou and Xiamen Hokkien, rhetorical question) why on the other hand


難不成

/nän³⁵ b̥u³ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵/

/nän³⁵ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵/

/naːn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ²¹/

/nän³⁵ b̥u³ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵/

/nän³⁵ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵/

/naːn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ²¹/

(rhetorical question) Indicates a rhetorical question: surely it doesn't mean that...; is it possible that...


what has someone done

What have you done to the bathroom? It’s spotless. Thanks!

What has he done to his hair? I’ve seen bomb sites tidier than that.

A method of drawing attention to some changed aspect of a person or thing.


have you met me

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-have you met me.wav

From meet (“to get acquainted with someone”). This phrase sarcastically implies that the interlocutor does not know the speaker as well as they should.

(colloquial, sarcastic, rhetorical question) Said when the interlocutor has shown surprise at the speaker's typical attitudes or behavior.


geht's noch

Jetzt habe ich gerade gelesen, dass eine Frau einen Polizisten ins Bein gebissen hat. Geht’s noch? Ich verstehe schon, wenn der einen oder dem anderen da die Hutschnur reißt.

2022 January 13, Dominik Baur, quoting Katharina Schulze, “Grüne Schulze über Corona-Demos: „Schluss mit Appeasement-Politik“”, in Die Tageszeitung: taz, →ISSN:

(colloquial) rhetorical question to indicate disapproval; what's wrong with you (people)?


who would have known

A rhetorical question used to express incredulity or surprise: who would have guessed it?; who would have thought that would happen?


head

if someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-if someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it.wav

(colloquial, sarcastic) A rhetorical question used to discourage the interlocutor from blind obedience.


if someone told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?

if someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it#English

(rhetorical question) Alternative form of if someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it


é mole ou quer mais

Literally, “is it soft or do you want more?”

lit

(Brazil, idiomatic, colloquial) Synonym of é mole?


é mole

(Brazil, idiomatic, colloquial) can you believe it? (rhetorical question asked in disbelief or dismay)


nawmean

(informal, rhetorical question) Do you know what I mean?


does the Pope wear a funny hat

(idiomatic, humorous) Obviously! Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.


what does it matter

(colloquial, rhetorical question, impolite) A reply indicating uncaring.


只勿

/t͡səʔ³³ vəʔ⁴⁴/

/t͡səʔ³³ vəʔ⁴⁴/

(Shanghainese, rhetorical question) Indicates a rhetorical question: surely it doesn't mean that...; is it possible that...


what the crap

There's a duck in my car. What the crap?

Timothy woke up. "What the crap," he said. "Can't you let a guy get some sleep?"

2011, Robert Silverberg, The Book Of Skulls, Orion Publishing Group:

DeeAnn Reisenberg, 41, and her sister were at the mall early Friday, but the lack of crowds stood out to them. "I am thinking, 'What the crap am I doing out here at 4 a.m.?'"

2013 November 29, Jere Downs, The Courier-Journal, page A8:

And tell them if they want me to tell them privately what the crap I think of them, I’ll do that.

2016 January 30, Andrew Carter, The News & Observer, page 4B:

(mildly vulgar, slang) An intensive form of what.


ano'ng malay ko

tl-head

anó'ng malay ko (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜈᜓᜅ᜔ ᜋᜎᜌ᜔ ᜃᜓ)

anó'ng malay ko (canonical)
ᜀᜈᜓᜅ᜔ ᜋᜎᜌ᜔ ᜃᜓ (Baybayin)
anong malay ko (alternative)
malay ko (alternative)


head

kalau tidak dipecahkan ruyung, manakan dapat sagunya

(rhetorical question) no pain, no gain; no guts, no glory


are the Kennedies gun-shy

(colloquial, rhetorical question) A rhetorical question in response to a question to which the answer is an emphatic yes.


what color is your Bugatti

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-what color is your Bugatti.wav

Coined by Andrew Tate in March 2022 during a video with YouTuber Mike Thurston, and was popularized not long after. In the video, Tate flaunts his newest Bugatti Chiron to Thurston, and explains to him how he handles the people who say they dislike its color: he deridingly asks them, “what color is your Bugatti?” knowing that the vast majority of them are unlikely to own one.

what colour is your Bugatti (alternative)

Many secondary school teachers feel they were slow to pick up on Tate’s influence. Last year, they began to notice pupils using phrases they didn’t recognise: “What colour is your Bugatti?” (a way of bragging about status); “Make me a sandwich” (to belittle women and girls).

2023 February 2, Sally Weale, “‘We see misogyny every day’: how Andrew Tate’s twisted ideology infiltrated British schools”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 2024-05-08:

Here’s a more innocuous example: If students are making repeated references to Bugatti, the luxury sports car, they might be watching Andrew Tate videos. The influencer’s infamous retort, “What color is your Bugatti?,” has been popularized as a way of bragging about one’s possessions.

2023 February 10, Madeline Will, “5 Ways Teachers Can Confront Students’ Exposure to Andrew Tate and Other Online Extremists”, in Education Week, archived from the original on 2024-04-11:

At a school in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a line popularized by Mr. Tate to deride people who do not own luxury cars — “What color is your Bugatti?” — became widespread, said Charlotte Carson, a history and civics teacher.

2023 February 19, Emma Bubola, Isabella Kwai, “‘Brainwashing a Generation’: British Schools Combat Andrew Tate’s Views”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 2024-07-28:

(often humorous, rhetorical question, sarcastic, slang) Expression intended to flaunt one’s own material possessions and simultaneously deride another person for not having them.


who's a good boy

Fetch! Fetch! — (dog fetches stick) — Who's a good boy!

A conventional phrase used to praise an obedient male dog or other male domesticated animal.


who's a good girl

Fetch! Fetch! — (dog fetches stick) — Who's a good girl!

A conventional phrase used to praise an obedient female dog (bitch) or other female domesticated animal.


who was your servant last year

what did your last slave die of
what did your last slave die of#English

Synonym of what did your last slave die of


what can I tell you

A: If we could get a decent signal around here, our phones would actually work, instead of being expensive bricks. B: What can I tell ya?