Etymology Journal ยท W
What's the damage?
Meaning
- A casual, slightly humorous way to ask for the price or the total cost of a bill. It implies the bill might be painfully high.
Casual, ironic
Used in a sentence
- When the mechanic finished the oil change, I sighed and asked, so what's the damage?
- I handed the bill to my husband and he jokingly asked, what's the damage this time?
- After we finished our meal at the fancy restaurant, we looked at each other and asked, what's the damage?
The backstory
Likely stems from the idea that paying money is a form of injury or loss to one's wallet. It became a staple of service industry small talk during the mid-to-late 20th century.
Heard in
Nationwide
Vibe check