Street voices
Hugues
·
United States
"No shit, Sherlock. Something you say to someone when they say something so painfully obvious, it doesn't even need to be stated. Alternatively, can also be shortened to simply, no shit. Dude, you know like, during the sunset, the water of the ocean turns orange because it reflects the orange of the sky. No shit, Sherlock, why did you think the water was orange?"
What it means
A sharp, sarcastic clapback you drop when someone states something painfully obvious, like they’ve just discovered water is wet. It can be playful with friends or properly snippy if you’re annoyed. Often shortened to no shit for extra speed. Use it as a response, not a starter, unless you fancy sounding like a walking eye roll.
Usage examples
"He goes The printer jammed because it’s out of paper. I go No shit, Sherlock, grab a ream instead of narrating my misery."
"It's raining so the picnic's off? No shit, Sherlock, we've been watching the storm for an hour."
"You're telling me the shop's shut on Christmas Day? No shit, Sherlock."
"You mean the server's down because nobody paid the internet bill? No shit, Sherlock."
"Oh, so if you leave your phone in the taxi you won't have it later? No shit, Sherlock."
Where it comes from
It riffs on Sherlock Holmes, the detective who spots clues other people miss. The gag is that you call someone Sherlock when they've just announced something blindingly obvious. The no shit part cranks up the sarcasm. It was around in American English by the late 20th century and spread wide through film, TV, and everyday banter.
Other ways to say it
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