"I knew that"--Martin Short doing Nathan Thurm

Posted by Bruce Kahl on May 05, 2002

In Reply to: "I knew that" posted by ESC on May 04, 2002

: : Maybe five or six years ago we started hearing a frequent semi-comic rejoinder (here in America): "I knew that". This was something people were saying whether they had actually known the fact under discussion or not.

: : I have a feeling it is a phrase that was popularized by some character on a TV sitcom, or a movie of that sort. I also have a feeling there is some sociological comment wrapped up in the apparent humor of it, but I'm not sure what. Any comments?

: : Thanks. - Patty

: It sounds like a Pee Wee Herman phrase ("I meant to do that"). But I didn't find it on any of the Pee Wee sound pages -- www.geocities.com/ Hollywood/Bungalow/5153/sounds.html
: members.tripod.com/ ~Pweee/Sounds.html

I think it might have been Martin Short on Saturday Night Live who portrayed Nathan Thurm, an agitated, cigarette smoking lawyer ("I knew that, Yeah, I knew that, Do you think I didn't know that?")

• "I knew that"--Martin Short doing Nathan Thurm ESC 05/06/02