sir, this is an Arby's

English

Alternative forms

• sir, this is a Wendy's

Etymology

From a humorous Internet meme that envisions a character giving a strange, rambling monologue, with the punchline being a fast-food employee reminding them that they are in a restaurant. This format of joke is first attested in a November 2011 tweet by American screenwriter Ethan Hunter (@ethanhunter).

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Interjection

sir, this is an Arby's

1. (Internet slang) Used to indicate that one finds a statement to be bizarre, tangential, or inappropriate for the context in which it is made.
   • 2019 April 9, Bess Levin, “Trump's Radical Anti-Impeachment: Fat Jokes”, in Vanity Fair:

     Setting aside the fact that Trump inviting a group of lawmakers to the White House to discuss trade policy only to launch into an out-of-nowhere rant about one of his enemies being fat is the definition of the phrase “ma’am, this is an Arby’s,” Trump’s hatred for Nadler goes way back.

   • 2021 October 13, Blair Stenvick, “If I Ever Run for Governor, Please Don't Vote for Me”, in Portland Mercury:

     When you’re doing your job as a journalistic commentator in its highest form, you’re drawing new parallels, expanding the Overton Window, opening people’s minds and also ensuring them they aren’t alone in their frustrations with the status quo. When done at its most hacky, however, you’re ranting at people, making leaps and assumptions that gloss over reality, casting yourself as omniscient genius, and generally just pulling real “Sir, this is an Arby’s” shit.

   • 2020 September, Alex Duke, “'Sir, This Is a Local Church'— Or, How an Absurdist Meme about a Roast Beef Shop Might Help Heal Our Church”, in 9Marks Journal, page 142:

     I wonder if you’re familiar with the “Sir, this is an Arby’s” meme. Let me illustrate it for you:
     Person A [with aggressive aggravation]: Can you believe it? The other day, I heard someone refer to the book of Genesis. Surely you KNOW that Genesis is not just “a book,” but the first part of the Pentateuch, and the Pentateuch is a five-fold book, not five books. Do you know what the first word is in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy? It’s and. BOOM. What did Jesus call the Torah? “The book of Moses.” Not the books of Moses.
     Person B [laconically]: Sir, this is an Arby's.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:sir, this is an Arby's.

Coordinate terms

• ma'am, this is an Arby's

See also

• weird flex, but OK