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."
Where it comes from
Built on Sherlock Holmes, the detective famous for spotting what everyone else missed. The joke flips it: you call someone Sherlock precisely when their big deduction was painfully obvious, with a no shit slapped on front for sarcastic bite. Mock praise dressed up as a backhanded compliment.
Editors of this term
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