Yada yada yada!

Posted by ESC on June 08, 2000

In Reply to: Yada yada yada! posted by Glenn on June 06, 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.

Yada yada yada! Bob 06/08/00
- Yada yada/Jada, jada! DMA 08/11/00