The Archive

Etymology Journal · Y

You do the math

Meaning

A dismissive way of telling someone the answer is obvious if they just look at the evidence. It is often used when someone is acting dense about a clear situation.

Sassy, impatient

Used in a sentence

  • If he is never home and spends all his money on hobbies then you do the math.
  • The project failed because nobody followed the instructions so you do the math.
  • I have been working ten hour days every single week and I am still broke so you do the math.

The backstory

This phrase gained popularity as a way to assert intellectual superiority in an argument. It frames common sense as a simple arithmetic problem.

Heard in

Nationwide

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