A
Stock Phrase used in comedic situations. One person will
speak at length, often intelligently and involving either an excellent explanation of what's going on and why, or a highly practical solution to the current problem. Other characters, upon being consulted, will reply with "What He Said".
This is especially true when the one speaking is a temporary or new authority figure, and the one saying 'what he said' is the previous one or a more well-known and respected authority, proving that the new guy
does know what he's talking about.
Especially
funny when the previous or 'true' authority figure demands to have the last say, and that he be recognized as the ultimate authority... and then simply repeats the ideas presented by the upstart, often with these same words.
Does not actually require
Exposition on the part of the first speaker, only a statement agreed with by the second person with the words "What he said".
Very common on internet forums, where
Me Too is one of the archetypal
online personas. This has, in turn, given rise to the acronym QFT, "Quoted For Truth".
Not to be confused with "
That's What She Said".
Examples:
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Film
Live Action TV
- Angel episode "Damage"
Angel: Let's go over it again, just in case you left out any details.
Spike: What he said, but with a bit more of a threat at the end.
- Dark Angel
Logan Cale: In case you haven't caught on by now, this girl's gonna do what she's gonna do no matter what you or anyone else says, so you've got two choices: back off or pitch in.
Max Guevara: What he said.
- Dead Like Me episode "Death Defying". Mason and Ray are playing pool.
Guy: Hey. We got next.
Ray Summers: Take a walk, Junior. There's plenty of tables available.
Mason: Yeah, yeah, yeah. What he said.
- Psych episode "Extradition: British Columbia"
Shawn Spencer: [having a "vision"] I see a man... net. I see the painter... John Manet.
Burton 'Gus' Guster: Edouard.
Spencer: Where in town might one find a...
Guster: Edouard Manet?
Spencer: What he said.
- Supernatural episode "Free to Be You and Me"
Raphael: I'm warning you. Do not leave me here. I will find you.
Castiel: Maybe one day. But today you're my little bitch.
Dean Winchester: What he said!
Professional Wrestling
- TNA wrestlers Taylor Wilde and Sarita once went through a phase of, during interviews, Sarita reeling off a string of Spanish and Wilde finishing off the interview with "What she said!"
- They did the EXACT same thing with Matt Morgan & Hernandez. And at the same tine too, although it was never acknowledged.
Video Games
Web Comics
Western Animation
- Animaniacs
Yakko: If we have unearned luck, Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue
Dot: [translating for the audience] What he said.
- Justice League
Flash: Hate to interrupt this special live performance of The Thing With Two Heads, but it's time to go to jail now.
Real Life
- It is quite common in case write-ups for one judge to talk at length about their reasons for coming to a certain decision, at times going on for dozens of pages, only for a later judge to only write a couple of lines that basically amount to this. Often they'll add a short extra reason as well, but it's definitely not unheard of for their entire judgment to be easily paraphrased as 'yeah, what ____ J said'.
