All the things
Meaning: A humorous, emphatic way of saying 'everything,' often used with a verb for dramatic effect.
All the things comes from the iconic 'X ALL the Y!' meme format (from Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half blog). 'Eat all the things,' 'buy all the things,' 'clean all the things' — it takes a simple activity and makes it sound like an epic, overwhelming mission.
Examples
- Black Friday sale? Time to buy all the things! 黑色星期五打折?是时候买买买了!¿Rebajas del Black Friday? ¡Hora de comprarlo todo!ブラックフライデーセール?全部買う時が来た!블랙프라이데이 세일? 다 사는 거야!
- I'm so hungry I could eat all the things. 我饿得能把所有东西都吃掉。Tengo tanta hambre que podría comer absolutamente todo.お腹空きすぎて何もかも食べられそう。배고파서 뭐든지 다 먹을 수 있을 것 같아.
- Moving day means packing all the things and questioning why I own so much stuff. 搬家日就是把所有东西都打包,然后质疑自己为什么有这么多东西的日子。Día de mudanza significa empaquetar todas las cosas y preguntarse por qué tengo tantas.引越しの日は全部の荷物を詰めて、なんでこんなに物持ってるんだろうと自問する日。이사하는 날은 짐을 다 싸면서 왜 이렇게 물건이 많은지 자문하는 날.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: social media, texting, casual conversation
Tone: enthusiastic, humorous
✓ Do Say
- Do all the things!把所有的事都做了!¡Hacerlo todo!全部やれ!전부 다 해!
- I want to eat all the things at this buffet.我想把这个自助餐里的东西全吃了。Quiero comer absolutamente todo en este bufé.このビュッフェで全部食べたい。이 뷔페에서 다 먹고 싶어.
✗ Don't Say
- The meme format is somewhat dated — using it sincerely might get knowing smiles from millennials and blank stares from Gen Z这个梗有点过时了——认真使用的话千禧一代会会心一笑,Z世代可能一脸茫然El formato del meme está algo anticuado — usarlo en serio puede provocar sonrisas cómplices de los millennials y miradas en blanco de la generación Zこのミームフォーマットはやや古い——本気で使うとミレニアル世代からは懐かしい笑みを、Z世代からはキョトン顔をされるかもしれない이 밈 형식은 다소 구식이다 — 진지하게 쓰면 밀레니얼에게는 공감의 미소를, Z세대에게는 멍한 시선을 받을 수 있다
Origin & History
From Allie Brosh's 2010 blog post 'This is Why I'll Never be an Adult' on Hyperbole and a Half, featuring a crudely drawn character shouting 'CLEAN ALL THE THINGS!' The meme format became one of the most recognizable of the early 2010s.
Cultural Context
Era: 2010-2015
Generation: Millennials
Social background: Universal
More From This Topic
More from Millennial Slang
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free