What Does "I Know You Are But What Am I" Mean?

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Your ultimate guide to this classic playground comeback

Co-authored by Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: August 28, 2025 Fact Checked

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The phrase “I know you are but what am I” has been a popular comeback for as long as we can remember. Although it may have been initially introduced in the 1950s, PeeWee Herman brought it to movie audiences in the 1980s in PeeWee’s Big Adventure. But—what does this witty and silly response actually mean? Keep reading to learn all about the expression, from its murky origins to how you can use it to defend yourself.

“I Know You Are But What Am I” Meaning

This expression is used to deflect an insult. If someone calls another person "stupid," the other person can say, "I know you are but what am I?" The comeback implies that the aggressor is actually the stupid one. This phrase works to mirror back all sorts of insults. It was made popular by PeeWee's Big Adventure.

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Section 1 of 3:

What does “I know you are but what am I” mean?

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1. 
   This expression is a way to deflect an insult. Picture this: you’re in elementary school, on the playground during recess, minding your own business. The class bully comes up to you and says, “You’re stupid.” By replying with, “I know you are but what am I,” you would be deflecting the bully’s insult and pinning it right back on them. Telling them “I know you are but what am I” in this context implies that you’re calling them stupid. If they continue insulting you, it wouldn’t be uncommon for you to keep repeating, “I know you are but what am I?”

   • This phrase is used as a defensive strategy, suggesting that the aggressor possesses the exact quality that they’re accusing the other person of.
   • This comeback is typically used in casual, playful interactions, not as a serious retort in real, tense situations.
   • “I know you are but am I” doesn’t offer sound logic, and the person saying may simply be projecting their own insecurities as a means of defense.
   • The phrase is formatted as a question, but it’s a rhetorical question.
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Section 2 of 3:

How to Use “I Know You Are But What Am I”

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1. 
   Use the comeback when someone insults you. Think of “I know you are but what am I” as synonymous with, “I’m rubber, you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.” Both are considered lighthearted playground banter and can be used interchangeably. If someone insults you, whether that insult is calling you “stupid,” “ugly,” or anything disparaging of the sort, you can reply with “I know you are but what am I” to use their own insult against them. Here are some examples:

   • Them: “You’re boring.” You: “I know you are but what am I?”
   • Them: “You’re a fun-sucker.” You: “I know you are but what am I?”
   • Them: “You’re the dumbest person I’ve ever met.” You: “I know you are but what am I?”

Section 3 of 3:

Where “I Know You Are But What Am I” Came From

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1. This phrase may have first appeared in a 1957 issue of The New Yorker. The exact origins of “I know you are but what am I” are not known. However, according to some sources, the phrase may have first appeared in the June 15th, 1957 issue of The New Yorker, Vol. 33 No. 17, page 23. The piece was written by the publication’s staff writers and titled "The Talk of the Town.” The expression would be reintroduced into the zeitgeist nearly 30 years later in the 1985 cult classic, PeeWee’s Big Adventure.

   • In the film, PeeWee comes head to head with his neighborhood nemesis, Francis. Francis wants to buy PeeWee’s most prized possession: his bike. PeeWee refuses, causing Francis to call him “crazy,” “a nerd,” and an “idiot.”
   • PeeWee hilariously replies with “I know you are but what am I” over and over, unrelenting in his conviction.
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