L: Hey Michelle I got a question for you.
M: okay what is it?
L: Well you know how you pay to stay at someone’s place or to get a ride from them with Uber or Airbnb?
M: Yeah
L: Well would you ever pay for someone to cook you a meal then would you go and eat it at their house with a group of strangers?
M: wow is that a thing now?
L: Yeah it’s a thing. I was reading about it in the New York Times last week. There are a bunch of apps that are trying to help amateur chefs start small meal-cooking services out of their home.
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Today we are talking about the phrase “It’s a thing”
This is a funny little phrase that is in style now.
We like to keep you guys up to date on what natives are saying now.
What does it mean?
- It exists.
- It’s real.
- I am being serious.
- I’m serious.
We use this the most when we’re talking about current things.
It’s not really used about things that have happened in the past.
There aren’t really good substitutes for this phrase so we encourage you to use it.
When do we use it:
- When someone tells us about something new- a trend, a service, an idea
- Used by people in their twenties and thirties (maybe teens?)
- It’s casual language
- A good way to share your surprise with someone when they tell you about something new and build the connection
Structures:
- Yeah. It’s a thing.
- Is that (really) a thing?
- Is it a thing?
- Is that really a thing? (skeptical)
- It’s becoming a thing.
- It’s a thing now.
- No! (like) It’s not a thing.
- I don’t think that’s a thing.
Check out this article about beer and yoga and notice how they use this phrase in the title.
What’s the takeaway from today?
Now that you know about this phrase, listen for it.
Next, try throwing it into your conversations.
Stay current with your language.
