You Know What That Means

Whenever one or more characters recognizes something ominous, they apparently feel the need to point it out by saying something like "And you know what that means!" or "Do you know what this means?" This will almost always be followed up by an explanation of what it means, either apropos of nothing or because one member of the group really doesn't know what it means. In a rare few cases, it instead leads to a Cryptic Conversation, and the audience doesn't find out what "that" means until later.

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Examples:

Films — Live Action

• Subverted in Back to the Future, when Marty first meets the younger Doc Brown. After Doc tries to read Marty's mind, and Marty tries to tell Doc his problem, Doc says this:
  Doc: My God. Do you know what this means? [Beat] It means that this damn thing doesn't work at all!
  Rips the helmet off.

Literature

• Used in Lords and Ladies by Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, regarding the Crop Circles appearing across Lancre. Magrat is the one who doesn't know what it means (that the elves are trying to invade), and the other two don't enlighten her because they think Magrat won't understand that the return of the elves is a bad thing.

Video Games

• In the first Destroy All Humans! game, two Majestic agents are surveying the damage done by Crypto during the first level.
  Agent #1: Don't be a stiff. You know what it means?
  Agent #2: Absolutely... what?

Web Original

• From the Homestar Runner cartoon "Fish-Eye Lens":
  Coach Z: I'm sorry, did you just say "waugmph waugmph?"
  Strong Bad: That's right, and you know what that means...
  Coach Z: I don't!
  Strong Bad: Things are about to get... bulbous.

Western Animation

• Used in the Dexter's Laboratory episode "Filet of Soul", when Dee Dee and Dexter realize they're being haunted by the ghost of their dead goldfish.
  Dee Dee: You know what this means, don't you? (Dexter shakes his head no) That's right... suit-up!
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
  • Used in first episode after Twilight reads up on the legend of Nightmare Moon:
    Twilight: Spike, do you know what this means?
    Spike: ...No?
  • Later used in "Feeling Pinkie Keen":
    Pinkie Pie: It's my tail! It's my tail! It's a-twitchin' twitchin'! And you know what that means!
    Twilight Sparkle: Actually, Pinkie, I haven't the slightest idea.
• The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police: In "Big Trouble at the Earth's Core", Sam notices the temperature of the Earth's core is reaching critical levels.
  Sam: Do you realize what this means?!
  Max: No, but let me guess!
• SpongeBob SquarePants: In "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost", Squidward tricks SpongeBob and Patrick into thinking he's a ghost to guilt them into being his servants. At one point, SpongeBob gets inspired when he reads a story about the Flying Dutchman, whose body was used as a window display and now haunts the seas because never put to rest.
  SpongeBob: Well, don't you get it, Patrick?
  Patrick: We're gonna go shopping?
  SpongeBob: No! We're gonna put poor old Squidward to rest!

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