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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.

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.

The history of “What are you like ?” in printed materials

Trend of what are you like ? in printed material over time

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Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
What are you like?

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