Etymology Journal ยท W
Who died and made you king?
Meaning
- A variation of the bossy-rebuttal, specifically used when someone is acting arrogant or superior. It implies they have delusions of grandeur.
Sarcastic, cutting
Used in a sentence
- He was strutting around the office barking orders, so I asked, who died and made you king?
- When he started deciding for everyone what we would eat, I asked, who died and made you king?
- I am sick of your attitude, who died and made you king around here?
The backstory
Closely related to the boss version, this phrase plays on the idea of absolute monarchy as the ultimate form of unearned, overbearing authority.
Heard in
Nationwide
Vibe check