"I know you are but what am I" meaning in English

See I know you are but what am I in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Phrase

Audio: en-au-I know you are but what am I.ogg [Australia], en-us-I know you are but what am I.ogg [US]
Etymology: Uncertain, but dates back at least to the 1960s, and was featured in Alan Arkin’s Academy Award-winning short film “People Soup” from 1969. The short stars Arkin’s sons. After the older brother calls his younger brother a rat, the younger replies with “I know you are, but what am I?” The phrase is often attributed to Pee-Wee Herman. Etymology templates: {{unc|en}} Uncertain Head templates: {{head|en|phrase|head=I know you are but what am I?}} I know you are but what am I?
  1. (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. Tags: childish, colloquial, rhetoric Categories (topical): English rhetorical questions Synonyms: I know you are, but what am I Related terms: it takes one to know one, I'm rubber, you're glue, pot calling the kettle black Translations (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 (Czech), wat je zegt, ben je zelf (Dutch), itse olet (Finnish), ite oot [colloquial] (Finnish), niin oletkin (Finnish), nii ootki [colloquial] (Finnish), joka toista haukkuu, on itse (Finnish), c’est celui qui dit qui y est (French), c’est celui qui dit qui l’est (French), ჩემი შენ გითხარიო (čemi šen gitxario) (Georgian), wer es sagt, der ist es selber (German), selber, selber, lachen alle Kälber (German), όποιος το λέει είναι (ópoios to léei eínai) (Greek), aki mondja másra, az mondja magára (Hungarian), il bue che dice cornuto all'asino (Italian), det kan du være selv (Norwegian), jeg vet du er, men hva er jeg? (Norwegian), chyba ty (Polish), quem o diz é quem o é [plural] (Portuguese), от такого и слышу (ot takovo i slyšu) (english: I hear it from such one) (Russian), el burro hablando de orejas (Spanish), el comal le dijo a la olla (Spanish), mira quién habla (Spanish), den som sa det kan va det (Swedish), kendi diyen kendi olur (Turkish), sensin o (Turkish), Kam vano zana beno ey (Zazaki)

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for I know you are but what am I meaning in English (9.0kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain",
      "name": "unc"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Uncertain, but dates back at least to the 1960s, and was featured in Alan Arkin’s Academy Award-winning short film “People Soup” from 1969. The short stars Arkin’s sons. After the older brother calls his younger brother a rat, the younger replies with “I know you are, but what am I?” The phrase is often attributed to Pee-Wee Herman.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase",
        "head": "I know you are but what am I?"
      },
      "expansion": "I know you are but what am I?",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "name": "English rhetorical questions",
          "parents": [
            "Rhetorical questions",
            "Idioms",
            "Questions",
            "Sentences",
            "Figures of speech",
            "Terms by semantic function",
            "Rhetoric",
            "Language",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English sentences",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Georgian terms with redundant script codes",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with redundant script codes",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1984, McCall's, volume 111, page 62",
          "text": "I know you are but what am I? Jeannie would say out loud, whenever I mouthed a name at her.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2003, Mark E. Jones, Echoes of Heaven, page 7",
          "text": "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?\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, American Numismatic Association, The Numismatist, page 14",
          "text": "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?\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "id": "en-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I-en-phrase-HQrJUwaO",
      "links": [
        [
          "childish",
          "childish"
        ],
        [
          "insult",
          "insult"
        ],
        [
          "playground taunt",
          "playground taunt"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(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."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "it takes one to know one"
        },
        {
          "word": "I'm rubber, you're glue"
        },
        {
          "word": "pot calling the kettle black"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "I know you are, but what am I"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "childish",
        "colloquial",
        "rhetoric"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "kdo to říká ten to je, tomu se to rýmuje"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "wat je zegt, ben je zelf"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "itse olet"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "ite oot"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "niin oletkin"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "nii ootki"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "joka toista haukkuu, on itse"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "c’est celui qui dit qui y est"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "c’est celui qui dit qui l’est"
        },
        {
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "čemi šen gitxario",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "ჩემი შენ გითხარიო"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "wer es sagt, der ist es selber"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "selber, selber, lachen alle Kälber"
        },
        {
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "ópoios to léei eínai",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "όποιος το λέει είναι"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "aki mondja másra, az mondja magára"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "il bue che dice cornuto all'asino"
        },
        {
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "det kan du være selv"
        },
        {
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "jeg vet du er, men hva er jeg?"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "chyba ty"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "tags": [
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "quem o diz é quem o é"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "english": "I hear it from such one",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ot takovo i slyšu",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "от такого и слышу"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "el burro hablando de orejas"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "el comal le dijo a la olla"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "mira quién habla"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "den som sa det kan va det"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "kendi diyen kendi olur"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "sensin o"
        },
        {
          "code": "zza",
          "lang": "Zazaki",
          "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
          "word": "Kam vano zana beno ey"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-I know you are but what am I.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/80/En-au-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg/En-au-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/En-au-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-I know you are but what am I.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/9d/En-us-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg/En-us-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/En-us-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "I know you are but what am I"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain",
      "name": "unc"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Uncertain, but dates back at least to the 1960s, and was featured in Alan Arkin’s Academy Award-winning short film “People Soup” from 1969. The short stars Arkin’s sons. After the older brother calls his younger brother a rat, the younger replies with “I know you are, but what am I?” The phrase is often attributed to Pee-Wee Herman.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase",
        "head": "I know you are but what am I?"
      },
      "expansion": "I know you are but what am I?",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "it takes one to know one"
    },
    {
      "word": "I'm rubber, you're glue"
    },
    {
      "word": "pot calling the kettle black"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English childish terms",
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English phrases",
        "English rhetorical questions",
        "English sentences",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with unknown etymologies",
        "Georgian terms with redundant script codes",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1984, McCall's, volume 111, page 62",
          "text": "I know you are but what am I? Jeannie would say out loud, whenever I mouthed a name at her.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2003, Mark E. Jones, Echoes of Heaven, page 7",
          "text": "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?\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, American Numismatic Association, The Numismatist, page 14",
          "text": "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?\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "childish",
          "childish"
        ],
        [
          "insult",
          "insult"
        ],
        [
          "playground taunt",
          "playground taunt"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(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."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "childish",
        "colloquial",
        "rhetoric"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-I know you are but what am I.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/80/En-au-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg/En-au-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/En-au-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-I know you are but what am I.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/9d/En-us-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg/En-us-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/En-us-I_know_you_are_but_what_am_I.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "I know you are, but what am I"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "kdo to říká ten to je, tomu se to rýmuje"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "wat je zegt, ben je zelf"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "itse olet"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "ite oot"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "niin oletkin"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "nii ootki"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "joka toista haukkuu, on itse"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "c’est celui qui dit qui y est"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "c’est celui qui dit qui l’est"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "čemi šen gitxario",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "ჩემი შენ გითხარიო"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "wer es sagt, der ist es selber"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "selber, selber, lachen alle Kälber"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "ópoios to léei eínai",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "όποιος το λέει είναι"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "aki mondja másra, az mondja magára"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "il bue che dice cornuto all'asino"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "det kan du være selv"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "jeg vet du er, men hva er jeg?"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "chyba ty"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "quem o diz é quem o é"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "english": "I hear it from such one",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ot takovo i slyšu",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "от такого и слышу"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "el burro hablando de orejas"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "el comal le dijo a la olla"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "mira quién habla"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "den som sa det kan va det"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "kendi diyen kendi olur"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "sensin o"
    },
    {
      "code": "zza",
      "lang": "Zazaki",
      "sense": "assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party",
      "word": "Kam vano zana beno ey"
    }
  ],
  "word": "I know you are but what am I"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-17 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-01 using wiktextract (0b52755 and 5cb0836). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.