said the thing

phrase

Used to point out when a character in a work of fiction has spoken the title of the work they appear in, or has spoken an iconic phrase.

“Doc Brown: "If we could somehow harness this lightning, channel it into the flux capacitor, it just might work. Next Saturday night, we're sending you back... to the future!" Viewer: "He said it! He said the thing!"”

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Meanings

phrase
  1. InternetUsed to point out when a character in a work of fiction has spoken the title of the work they appear in, or has spoken an iconic phrase.

    Doc Brown: "If we could somehow harness this lightning, channel it into the flux capacitor, it just might work. Next Saturday night, we're sending you back... to the future!" Viewer: "He said it! He said the thing!"

Origin

From an internet meme referencing a scene from episode “420” of Family Guy in which Peter Griffin excitedly says a similar phrase while at a movie theater.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

said the thing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/said%20the%20thing

MLA

“said the thing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/said%20the%20thing. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “said the thing,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/said%20the%20thing.

Source: said the thing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.