I like turtles

English

Etymology

Originated from a 2007 viral video in which a boy with a zombie face paint gets asked by an interviewer, "Jonathon just got an awesome face paint job. What do you think?", to which he responds with "I like turtles."

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /aj laɪk ˈtɜːtl̩z/
(General American) IPA^(key): /aj laɪk ˈtɝtl̩z/

Phrase

I like turtles

(humorous) Used as a non-sequitur to express indifference or ignorance towards a topic.
- 2010 December 10, J.D., “Rallying to restore God”, in The Economist‎^[1], archived from the original on 18 September 2020:
  But what impressed me were the signs I saw people carrying. It was a sea of plucky disaffection: "This is a sign"; "One sign to rule them all"; "I want more tortillas when I order fajitas at a restaurant"; "I have a PhD in horribleness"; "I Like Turtles"; "Eat Some Sushi"; "My president is black and this sign is blue"; and "I already regret carrying this sign around all day."
- 2017 April 24, Sharon Guynup, “The March for Science makes its stand: ‘There is no Planet B’”, in Mongabay‎^[2], archived from the original on 2 June 2017:
  Many [signs] like one that said “The Dinosaurs Never Saw That Asteroid Coming. What’s Our Excuse?”, addressed the need for action on climate change. Others were more political: “Keep Your Tiny Hands Off The EPA.” One simply read: “I like turtles.”
- 2022 May 9, @communisturtle6, Twitter‎^[3], archived from the original on 1 December 2024:
  ok that’s cool but I like turtles
- 2023 July 19, @cliftonaduncan, Twitter‎^[4], archived from the original on 3 December 2024:
  [Replying to a CNN news article] I like turtles
- 2024 September 24, @MaineAntifa, Twitter‎^[5], archived from the original on 6 December 2024:
  Your honor. I like turtles, I rest my case

References

“I like turtles”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.