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Yada yada yada!

Posted by Bob on June 08, 2000

In Reply to: Yada yada yada! posted by ESC on June 08, 2000

: : Does anyone know where that comes from? I just learned that 'yada" means to know in Hebrew. Could it have been
: : a retort to a "know it all/"

: Yada, yada, yada. Couldn't find an origin. But I did find this Associated Press (Dec. 27, 1997) article about the U.S. television show, Seinfeld. The title character is Jewish, so it makes sense that the phrase probably was too:

: A few helpful items of "Seinfeld"-speak

: When you watch 'Seinfeld,' you step into a foreign land. For viewers who came in late, a little help in breaking that code:
: -- Yada yada yada: Mindless, frequently obnoxious fill-in verbiage to complete an otherwise uncompleted thought.
: -- Regifting: Regrettable practice of accepting a gift from someone, then rewrapping it and giving it to someone else as a gift from you.
: -- Puffy shirt: A stupid-looking shirt Jerry inadvertently agreed to wear for his appearance on the "Today" show. Bottom line: You don't want to own one.
: -- Pick: Socially frowned-upon practice of inserting finger in nostril. Contrast with a simple side-of-the-nose Scratch, for which a Pick can be disastrously mistaken by a casual observer.
: -- Double Dip: Re-inserting your nibbled-upon chip for a second helping of dip, thus -- yuck! -- contaminating the entire bowl with your bacteria.
: -- Master of Your Domain: Title conferred on those who successfully resist the urge for sexual self-relief.
: -- Not That There's Anything Wrong With That: A phrase that is quickly added on after one denies that one is gay.

:
: Copyright 1997, The Detroit News

It's worth noting that "yada yada yada" did not originate with that Seinfeld episode... the phrase, denoting verbal boilerplate, predated it. The episode found the characters lamenting the over-use of the phrase, which had the magical effect of causing its overuse. "Regifting" and "doubledipping," by contrast, are brilliantly original additions to the language.

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