# Do you want (thing)? Because that's how you get (thing)!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-thing-because-thats-how-you-get-thing/970745>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 1, 2022, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-thing-because-thats-how-you-get-thing/970745 "2022-09-01T17:37:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-thing-because-thats-how-you-get-thing/970745/1 "2022-09-01T17:37:03Z")

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The thing was was originally ‘ants’, I believe. And I hear it in Jessica Walter’s voice. Did it originate with her? And if it did, was it Archer or Arrested Development? Or is this construct older?

Asking because I use this often and would like to know where my dumb catch phrases are coming from.

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**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-thing-because-thats-how-you-get-thing/970745/2 "2022-09-01T17:55:51Z")

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It’s from Archer.

> **[Do You Want Ants?](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/do-you-want-ants)**
>
> “Do you want ants? Because that’s how you get ants” is a memorable quote said by the character Malory Archer from the American animated TV series Archer while explaining the dangers of leaving sugary food products uncovered in an office. Online, the...

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-thing-because-thats-how-you-get-thing/970745/3 "2022-09-01T18:03:43Z")

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Thank you. Dunno why I thought it could have been older. Like a saying from the 50s revisited.

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**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-thing-because-thats-how-you-get-thing/970745/4 "2022-09-01T18:06:00Z")

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It could be, but I know it from Archer.

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**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-want-thing-because-thats-how-you-get-thing/970745/5 "2022-09-01T18:41:58Z")

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It’s very similar to a line from the “Failure to communicate” [scene from Cool Hand Luke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WUyZXhLHMk#t=1m31s)

“Some men you just can’t reach, so you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it.”