Meanings
present singular third person knows what is what · participle present knowing what is what · past knew what was what · participle past known what was what · alternative know what's what
- idiomaticTo understand the current situation; to know what is going on.
Everything is changing so fast... I just don't know what's what anymore!
2 more examples
He seems to have no trouble understanding stuff that, to me, sounds like hot garbage. He really does know what's what.
She said she was going to house to study French, but I wasn't born yesterday. I know what's what.
Synonyms: know what's o'clock
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo understand the current situation; to know what is going on.
Translations
Dutch weten hoe laat het is
- weten hoe laat het isTranslations
Finnish tietää mikä on mitäkin
- tietää mikä on mitäkinTranslations
Italian sapere il fatto proprio
- sapere il fatto proprioTranslations
Polish wiedzieć, co jest pięć
- wiedzieć, co jest pięćTranslations
Cite this entry
know what is what. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know%20what%20is%20what
“know what is what.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know%20what%20is%20what. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “know what is what,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know%20what%20is%20what.
Source: know what is what on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.