Meanings
alternative I know you are, but what am I
- childishhumorousrhetoricUsed to assert that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party, and not of the person using the phrase. Usually considered to be a playground taunt.
I know you are but what am I? Jeannie would say out loud, whenever I mouthed a name at her.
1984, McCall's, volume 111, page 624 more examples
At this point Johnny changes tactics and hollers, "I know you are, but what am I?" and the voice echoes, "I know you are, but what am I?"
2003, Mark E. Jones, Echoes of Heaven, page 7So when Mr. Macchia states that people who collect state quarters are fools, my son says I should reply, "I know you are, but what am I?"
2005, American Numismatic Association, The Numismatist, page 14“Are you thinking about his cock?” snaps Holly. “Nooo! God, you’re disgusting.” “I know you are, but what am I?” I spit back as instinctively as I had when we were nine. “I know you are, but what am I?” “Infinity.”
2005 June 6, Emma Forrest, “Tingle”, in Cherries in the Snow, London: Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 88“Now credit card information.” “I’m putting it in right now!” “That sounds DIRTY!” “Pervert. Real mature, too.” “I know you are but what am I?” “K, I’m hitting enter! One, two, three!”
2020 November 23, Amie Gabriel, “Eighteen Dollars”, in Kintsukuroi Heart: More Beautiful for Having Been Broken, →ISBN, page 46 - humorousrareUsed to direct back a statement as a compliment.
> Vince, you're cute! O.o I know you are but what am I?
1999 August 6, Vincent Kelgar Valentine, “Vince finally has a picture!”, in alt.games.final-fantasy (Usenet), archived from the original on 18 Apr 20262 more examples
> Smile. I see I have another admirer. How cute. I know you are but what am I?
2001 April 8, Mike Curmudgeon, “critique my Logo Number 1”, in alt.design.graphics (Usenet), archived from the original on 18 Apr 2026This was wonderful too, being able to study him without his knowing. […] Right where he had kept me all the long night, snug against him. “Beautiful,” I whispered. He grinned. “I know you are, but what am I?”
2016 December 23, John Inman, chapter 9, in Acting Up, Tallahassee, Fla.: Dreamspinner Press, →ISBN, page 124
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseUsed to mock a retort in a dispute that tries to reverse an insult on its original speaker.
Origin
Uncertain, but dates back at least to the June 15th, 1957 issue of The New Yorker (Vol. 33 No. 17, page 23). In "The Talk of the Town", which was a collaborative effort by the magazine's staff writers: "INTERROGATIVE WISP FOUND IN GUTTER OF MACDOUGAL STREET: 'I know you are but what am I?'" The phrase is often attributed to Pee-Wee Herman.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic الكلامُ صِفَةُ المتَكَلِّم
- الكلامُ صِفَةُ المتَكَلِّم (al-kalāmu ṣifatu al-mutakallim)assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Chinese Mandarin 駡人的罵到自己 /骂人的骂到自己
- 駡人的罵到自己 /骂人的骂到自己 (mà rén de mà dào zì jǐ)assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Czech kdo to říká ten to je, tomu se to rýmuje
- kdo to říká ten to je, tomu se to rýmujeassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Dutch wat je zegt, ben je zelf
- wat je zegt, ben je zelfassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Finnish itse olet, ite oot
- itse oletassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
- ite ootassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
- niin oletkinassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
- nii ootkiassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
- joka toista haukkuu, on itseassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
French c'est celui qui dit qui y est, c'est celui qui dit qui l'est
- c'est celui qui dit qui y estassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
- c'est celui qui dit qui l'estassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
German wer es sagt, der ist es selber, selber, selber, lachen alle Kälber
- wer es sagt, der ist es selberassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
- selber, selber, lachen alle Kälberassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Greek όποιος το λέει είναι
- όποιος το λέει είναι (ópoios to léei eínai)assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Hindi जो बोलता है वही होता है
- जो बोलता है वही होता है (jo boltā hai vahī hotā hai)assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Hungarian aki mondja másra, az mondja magára
- aki mondja másra, az mondja magáraassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Italian il bue che dice cornuto all'asino
- il bue che dice cornuto all'asinoassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Japanese 言った方が、そうなんだよ
- 言った方が、そうなんだよ (itta hō ga, sō nan da yo)assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Norwegian det kan du være selv, jeg vet du er, men hva er jeg?
- det kan du være selvassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
- jeg vet du er, men hva er jeg?assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Polish chyba ty
- chyba tyassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Portuguese quem o diz é quem o é
- quem o diz é quem o éassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Russian от такого и слышу
- от такого и слышу (ot takovo i slyšu)assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Spanish el burro hablando de orejas, el comal le dijo a la olla
- el burro hablando de orejasassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
- el comal le dijo a la ollaassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
- mira quién hablaassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Swedish den som sa det kan va det
- den som sa det kan va detassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Turkish kendi diyen kendi olur, sensin o
- kendi diyen kendi olurassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
- sensin oassertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
Cite this entry
I know you are but what am I. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/I%20know%20you%20are%20but%20what%20am%20I
“I know you are but what am I.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/I%20know%20you%20are%20but%20what%20am%20I. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “I know you are but what am I,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/I%20know%20you%20are%20but%20what%20am%20I.
Source: I know you are but what am I on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.