Slang dictionary
this is why I鈥檓 broke
[th is iz wahy ahym brohk]
What does聽this is why I'm broke mean?
This is why I鈥檓 broke is a phrase and internet meme used to bemoan one鈥檚 finances, especially as a facetious complaint about one鈥檚 impulse purchases online.
Where does this is why I鈥檓 broke come from?
The term broke has been slang for being 鈥渙ut of money鈥� since the 17th century. While the particular phrase this is why I鈥檓 broke was undoubtedly used in colloquial speech and writing since then, the expression emerges as a meme in the late 1990s and early 2000s in online forums, where it鈥檚 humorously used to introduce a list of reasons why someone is short on cash (e.g., a slew of birthdays falling in the same month).
This is why I鈥檓 broke reached Twitter in 2008. One tweeter,@MacGeekGirl, may have helped explained why: 鈥淲hat better way to stave off boredom at work than by shopping online? Oh…this is why I’m broke鈥︹�� The rise of online shopping made it easier for consumers to buy more鈥攁nd increasingly niche and novel鈥攑roducts, often as impulse purchases. And, the spread of advertising tracking made it easier for sellers to entice them.
This is why I鈥檓 broke takes off in the late 2000s. In 2009, many tweeters were beginning to tag descriptions of expenditures, especially when sharing about over-shopping or complaining about everyday expenses deemed too high, with this is why I鈥檓 broke. In many instances, people post the phrase with a link or an image of what they spent (or wanted to spend) their money on, which is an indicator of the growth of image-based social media which could have further helped to popularize the phrase.
By 2011, this is why I鈥檓 broke had become a familiar enough phrase online that Adam Freeman launched the popular website, This Is Why I鈥檓 Broke, which sells an extensive range of curious or strange gifts and gadgets. Sellers can also pitch their products to the site for display and sale.
Examples of this is why I鈥檓 broke
Who uses this is why I鈥檓 broke?
This is why I鈥檓 broke is frequently used to humorously caption a picture or description of an expensive product or novelty item (e.g., designer sneakers or a shark-shaped adult onesie). It鈥檚 used to express, often as a humblebrag, feelings of buyer鈥檚 remorse following an unnecessary expenditure or impulse purchase.
Occasionally, and in facetious reference to the meme, the phrase is used to describe examples of unfair practices by financial institutions. For example, one Twitter user complained 鈥淭his is why I鈥檓 broke鈥� after finding out about unfair service charges from his bank.
The subreddit ProductPorn on Reddit notably features the tagline This is why I鈥檓 Broke. Members of the group post pictures of interesting or innovative novelty products, like a levitating LED lamp shaped as a cloud.
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of this is why I鈥檓 broke 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 this is why I鈥檓 broke that will help our users expand their word mastery.