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Question about a phrase in English

tanteva

tanteva

Even the professionals are bewildered
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
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I just saw this on Facebook, and I thought I'd ask you native speakers about it. I've seen it used many times, and I don't get it.

Often in social media you can see someone say something like "only 2 days to go" or "I'm so happy" or something like that - and then they add: "if you know you know". I find that so incredibly rude! It's like saying "if you don't know, you're not my friend, and don't bother to ask, you &%¤&".

I was just wondering: is this rude for a native speaker too? Or is it just a phrase, that actually means like nothing? Or is it an invitation to ask what's happening?

I'm confused.
 
I see it as, the people that need to know already know but I could be way off course with that. I know I sometimes use it when I want to share something important but not everyone needs to know everything about it right now
 
I don't care for that phrase either @tanteva Eva... I feel as you do, that it is rude, that if you don't know you are not in on it... I am getting old. I wish people would just be nice :) Hugs and Happy Holidays my dear!

I also think that if you only want the people that know to know something additional then bring it to the attention of those that already know and not annoy everyone else guessing or wanting to ask but don't want to feel awkward.
 
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I'm English and I've never heard or seen that phrase at all. I'm wondering if it's an American phrase. If someone said that here they would get a weird look, and maybe this response "What on earth are you on about?"

If it's just a social media thing, and it's about saying something but without explaining it to everyone - then they need to learn how to change the audience on their posting so only family or close friends see it.
 
Angela Toucan said:
I'm English and I've never heard or seen that phrase at all. I'm wondering if it's an American phrase. If someone said that here they would get a weird look, and maybe this response "What on earth are you on about?"

If it's just a social media thing, and it's about saying something but without explaining it to everyone - then they need to learn how to change the audience on their posting so only family or close friends see it.
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Exactly.. i believe it is an American phrase Angela.. and you are exactly correct re changing their audience!
 
Love the word "vaguebooking"! I'm so gonna start using it.

Thanks everyone for your input. It's so hard at times to know if I have my "Swedish glasses" on, and just misinterpret things. Things can get lost in translation. I think my understanding of English is fairly good (just be glad you don't have to hear me speak LOL), but at times I get confused.

Sometimes social media is way too similar to high school....
 
estir_bune said:
I really dislike "vague-booking". I usually see these types of posts from attention seeking people... and yes they are rude...
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Definitely “vague-booking” … I find it annoying and rude.

Eva, I can guarantee that your English is 100% better than my Swedish or any other language.
 
I think it is American, and it is used more on social media than in real life. I don't find it particularly rude, but it is sort of a way of saying - there are some in this audience who will understand what I'm saying on a deeper level, and I connect in a special way with those of you that get it.
 
I agree it seems to have come into use after we've have social media. I haven't used it myself and I generally ignore vague posts like that, figuring they're not for me. But I am also a curious person so I have sometimes gotten annoyed at them!
 
Most people I know who are vague bookers are attention-seekers and thrive on people asking follow up questions, etc. I just keep scrolling! That behavior drives me nuts and I don't tolerate it off social media either.

I belong to a few large FB groups where members use IYKYK -- mostly when they don't want to out themselves that they've done (or experienced) something embarrassing, but want to commiserate with others who have.
 
I tend to also keep scrolling, declining to respond to vaguebooking and IFYKYK, which took me ages to work out.
Not my type of humour.
 
I don't think of it as rude, but for me it is always either something I immediately understand or something I probably would never get anyway... For instance, If I were to see one with a picture of tamales at Christmastime... 4 years ago, I would have been out of the loop. But, now, we are adopting a Hispanic teenager so we have tamales at Christmas every year. So, if you know about Christmas tamales, you know what it is like either trying to buy them or make them, or just needing to have them to feel like it's Christmas. But, if you don't, you just don't. I do sometimes try to look it up and figure out if I know, but if it's something I know it usually just is. I don't feel like there is any judgement on it, though. I don't feel like someone posting that is saying if you don't know you're out of the loop or less than. It's just a popular phrase right now...

Huggles!!
~Sarah~
 
I usually see it used referring to movie quotes, or television things. Like, there's a person in our town with a bumper sticker that says
"in omnia paratus"
(silhouette of an umbrella)
IYKYK.

It's a reference to a very specific Gilmore Girls episode, and if you've seen it, you know exactly what it's referring to. But if you haven't, then you probably wouldn't care what it's referring to. My sister has posted some too, usually about dispatching for 911. Those don't bother me either, because you can tell it's about her job. I've seen nurses do it too.

I do think it would be really rude as a social media post referring to an event. But in the television/tv reference/jobs like above, it doesn't bother me.
 
bestcee said:
I usually see it used referring to movie quotes, or television things. Like, there's a person in our town with a bumper sticker that says
"in omnia paratus"
(silhouette of an umbrella)
IYKYK.

It's a reference to a very specific Gilmore Girls episode, and if you've seen it, you know exactly what it's referring to. But if you haven't, then you probably wouldn't care what it's referring to. My sister has posted some too, usually about dispatching for 911. Those don't bother me either, because you can tell it's about her job. I've seen nurses do it too.

I do think it would be really rude as a social media post referring to an event. But in the television/tv reference/jobs like above, it doesn't bother me.
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I love that episode!!!:)
 
I honestly don't get riled up over posts on FB or social media. Not worth my time. If I know it great, if I don't know it, oh well... scrolling on. Social media is just social media - not my day to day "real" existence. I also take things on social media with an understanding of who (and who they are as a person) is posting it.
 
tanteva said:
Only seen Gilmore Girls once ... I really should see it again. I have a friend who watches nothing but GG. She just starts over again and again and again. LOL
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I was re watching over and over as well :)
 
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