What’s the origin of the phrase ‘What are you like?’?
The expression is of Irish origin although since the 1990s it has been used extensively in the UK, mostly by the young.
Meaning
What are you like?
What's the meaning of the phrase 'What are you like?'?
This rhetorical question is asked of someone who has done something stupid or outrageous. The point being that it is quite obvious what the person in question is like.
Historical trend
“What are you like ?” in printed material over time
Source: Google Books Ngrams (1860–2020).
- What are you like ?