you-know-who

pronoun

Person or entity whose name one does not want to mention but which is known to the person to whom one is speaking.

Similar
what's-his-name
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Meanings

you-know-who1

pronoun

alternative you know who · alternative You Know Who · alternative You-know-who · alternative You-Know-Who

  1. Person or entity whose name one does not want to mention but which is known to the person to whom one is speaking.

    And 'St—'st—'st and What's-his-name, and also You-know-who / The task of filling up the blanks I'd rather leave to you.

    1885, “The Mikado”, W. S. Gilbert (lyrics), Arthur Sullivan (music)

    Synonyms: what's-his-name

You-Know-Who2

pronoun
  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of you-know-who.

Synonyms & antonyms

pronounPerson or entity whose name one does not want to mention but which is known to the person to whom one is speaking.

Similar
what's-his-name
Also see
whatchamacallherwhatchamacallhimwhat's-her-facewhat's-her-namewhat's-his-facewhat's-his-namewhat's-their-facewhat's-their-name

Origin

From you + know + who.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَعْرِفُ مَن, تَعْرِفِينَ مَن
  • تَعْرِفُ مَن (taʕrifu man)known and unmentioned person
  • تَعْرِفِينَ مَن (taʕrifīna man)known and unmentioned person
  • تَعْرِفَانِ مَن (taʕrifāni man)known and unmentioned person
  • تَعْرِفُونَ مَن (taʕrifūna man)known and unmentioned person
  • تَعْرِفْنَ مَن (taʕrifna man)known and unmentioned person
Chinese Mandarin 那誰 /那谁, 那個人 /那个人
  • 那誰 /那谁 (nàshéi)known and unmentioned person
  • 那個人 /那个人 (nàgè rén)known and unmentioned person
Dutch jeweetwel
  • jeweetwelknown and unmentioned person
Estonian tead küll kes
  • tead küll kesknown and unmentioned person
Finnish tiedät-kyllä-kuka, tiedätte-kyllä-ketkä
  • tiedät-kyllä-kukaknown and unmentioned person
  • tiedätte-kyllä-ketkäknown and unmentioned person
French tu sais qui, qui tu sais (said to c sg)
  • tu sais quiknown and unmentioned person
  • qui tu sais (said to c sg)known and unmentioned person
  • vous savez quiknown and unmentioned person
  • qui vous savez (formal to c sg or said to c pl)known and unmentioned person
German du-weißt-schon-wer
  • du-weißt-schon-werknown and unmentioned person
Hebrew אתה־יודע־מי, את־יודעת־מי
  • אתה־יודע־מי (ata-yodea-mi)known and unmentioned person
  • את־יודעת־מי (at-yoda'at-mi)known and unmentioned person
  • אתם־יודעים־מי (atem-yod'im-mi)known and unmentioned person
  • אתן־יודעות־מי (aten-yod'ot-mi)known and unmentioned person
Icelandic þú-veist-hver
  • þú-veist-hverknown and unmentioned person
Italian lei-sa-chi (to c sg), tu-sai-chi (said to c sg)
  • lei-sa-chi (to c sg)known and unmentioned person
  • tu-sai-chi (said to c sg)known and unmentioned person
Japanese 例の, くだんの
  • 例の (rei no)known and unmentioned person
  • くだんの (kudan no)known and unmentioned person
Korean 예의, 건의
  • 예의 (yeui)known and unmentioned person
  • 건의 (geonui)known and unmentioned person
Polish wiesz, kto, wiesz, o kim mówię
  • wiesz, ktoknown and unmentioned person
  • wiesz, o kim mówięknown and unmentioned person
Portuguese você-sabe-quem, quem-nós-sabemos
  • você-sabe-quemknown and unmentioned person
  • quem-nós-sabemosknown and unmentioned person
Romanian știi tu cine
  • știi tu cineknown and unmentioned person
Russian сам зна́ешь кто, са́ми зна́ете кто
  • сам зна́ешь кто (sam znáješʹ kto)known and unmentioned person
  • са́ми зна́ете кто (sámi znájete kto)known and unmentioned person
  • изве́стно кто (izvéstno kto)known and unmentioned person
Spanish Fulano, Quien-usted-sabe
  • Fulanoknown and unmentioned person
  • Quien-usted-sabeknown and unmentioned person
  • Mengano y Zutanoknown and unmentioned person
  • ya sabes quiénknown and unmentioned person
  • individuo de marrasknown and unmentioned person
Swedish du-vet-vem (said to c sg, about one person), ni-vet-vem (said to c pl, about one person)
  • du-vet-vem (said to c sg, about one person)known and unmentioned person
  • ni-vet-vem (said to c pl, about one person)known and unmentioned person
  • du-vet-vilka (said to c sg, about multiple persons)known and unmentioned person
  • ni-vet-vilka (said to c pl, about multiple persons)known and unmentioned person
Turkish falan, falan kişi
  • falan, falan kişiknown and unmentioned person

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with you-know-who

younewdowhoviewtwothroughreviewutooqfewbluefaqduetruecontinuegnuquesushoeCPUvenuePeru
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

you-know-who. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you-know-who

MLA

“you-know-who.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you-know-who. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “you-know-who,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you-know-who.

Source: you-know-who on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.