Slang dictionary
that鈥檚 what she said
or TWSS
What does that鈥檚 what she said mean?
That鈥檚 what she said is a form of innuendo that takes innocent statements out of context and makes them sound lewd or sexual.
Where does that鈥檚 what she said come from?
That鈥檚 what she said is best illustrated in use. For example, if a person were to comment 鈥淚t鈥檚 not long enough鈥� while trying on an article of clothing, say, someone might respond, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what she said.鈥� Here, the joke imagines a woman lamenting the size of a man鈥檚 penis.
While it鈥檚 not clear exactly when that鈥檚 what she said emerged, it does appear to continue in long tradition of innuendo. It may be based on a form of wordplay known as Wellerisms, named after a character in Charles Dickens鈥檚 The Pickwick Papers. Wellerisms make puns out of idioms and cliches for humorous effect, e.g., “Let’s dig up that body,” he said gravely. It may also harken back to a double entendre popular in British English in the early 19th century, e.g., 鈥溾�榃hy don鈥檛 you come inside,鈥� said the actress to the bishop.鈥� Alfred Hitchcock used a variation of the vulgar joke in a test reel for his 1929 film Blackmail, 鈥溾�業t will not come out right,鈥� as the girl said to the soldier.鈥� This is popularly cited as the first that鈥檚 what she said joke.
That鈥檚 what she said appears in print as early as Edmond Addeo and Robert Burger鈥檚 1973 book EgoSpeak: Why No One Listens to You: 鈥淭he cheapest shot of all, of course, is the ancient one-liner, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 what she said.鈥� This reply can be used after virtually any remark, however innocent, and the speaker can summon up some hint of double-entendre.鈥� Its first appearance on TV is popularly credited to comedian Chevy Chase on a 1975 鈥淲eekend Update鈥� skit on Saturday Night Live.
That鈥檚 what she said became a popular catchphrase on Saturday Night Live鈥檚 late 1980s and early 1990s 鈥淲ayne鈥檚 World鈥� sketches. These starred Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as two metalheads broadcasting a show from their basement. The character of Wayne (Mike Myers) would often fire off that鈥檚 what she said jokes. For example, in one scene, Garth says he鈥檚 鈥済etting tired of holding it,鈥� and Wayne replies, 鈥淵eah, that鈥檚 what she said.鈥� When 鈥淲ayne鈥檚 World鈥� spun off into a film series in 1992, that鈥檚 what she said made its way to the big screen as well.
In the 2000s, the joke was a popular one-liner from the character Michael Scott in the US remake of The Office. Since Michael Scott (Steve Carell) plays a lovable loser with an ill-timed, groan-worthy sense of humor, his frequent that鈥檚 what she said jokes were considered tired and old hat in the universe of the show, not to mention inappropriate in an office setting. The Office is filled with that鈥檚 what she said jokes. For example, in one episode Pam says that her mother is coming, and Michael responds 鈥�that鈥檚 what she said.鈥�
On February 15, 2007, engineering student John Hughes launched an 鈥淚nternational That鈥檚 What She Said Day鈥� on Facebook, which gained a following of 148,477 fans. In 2012, the phrase was also used as the title of a popular comedy film starring Anne Heche.
Examples of that鈥檚 what she said
Who uses that鈥檚 what she said?
That鈥檚 what she said is a response to when someone makes a comment that could be taken sexually, often as a pun, if viewed outside of the original context. Of course, not every instance of the phrase that’s what she said, with its common and everyday words, is joking.
That鈥檚 what she said is often used to disparage a man, imagining the phrase as something a woman would say about him in bed. Because of this, there are some who view the joke as inherently sexist against women, portraying them only in a sexual light. However, one collection of that鈥檚 what she said jokes has called it 鈥渢he most versatile joke on Earth,鈥� since the joke often is said by women as well as men and is easily used in everyday contexts.
Because of its sexual content, that鈥檚 what she said can be offensive and inappropriate, especially in polite and formal settings.
There is also a sex-swapped version of the joke: that鈥檚 what he said. Here, the context is flipped, so that it鈥檚 something a woman鈥檚 boyfriend or male lover might say. For example, if one person said about the ocean, 鈥淲ow, it鈥檚 really wet,鈥� a second person might respond 鈥�That鈥檚 what he said.鈥� It also works to sexualize comments that might not work with the more common she said motif, such as if someone says, 鈥淚 keep putting it in the wrong hole.鈥�
The joke鈥檚 familiarity, as well as its association with Michael Scott of The Office, means that it is usually viewed as a cheap, unfunny attempt at humor, though others still view the joke as hilarious. Sometimes, the negative perception of the joke is exactly the reason that someone tells one鈥攋ust as many found Michael Scott鈥檚 use of that鈥檚 what she said humorous for being so bad, the same holds true for real life references.
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of that鈥檚 what she said like most terms we define on 亚洲网紅露点, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of that鈥檚 what she said that will help our users expand their word mastery.