# Meaning of obscure internet catchphrase **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990 "2003-03-17T14:11:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/1 "2003-03-17T14:11:30Z")
From time to time I’ve come across internet posters referring to the phrase “All your base are belong to us.” What does this mean, and does anyone know its origins? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/2 "2003-03-17T14:14:13Z")
It came from a badly-translated video game. When come back, bring link. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/3 "2003-03-17T14:15:28Z")
It’s a bad translation of a phrase from a Japanese video game. You can see the flash movie inspired by it here. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/4 "2003-03-18T14:11:38Z")
Thanks, QED, the link was hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![Jumping\_Bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@Jumping\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jumping_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/5 "2003-03-18T14:33:38Z")
The game was Zero Wing by Toaplan. It was a Japanese arcade side scrolling shooter released 1989. The goofy translations came in 1991 when they converted the game for the Sega Megadrive (the foreign version of the Genesis system - they couldn’t make a Genesis version in the US due to conflicts with Midway who owned the rights to the arcade game in the US). ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/6 "2003-03-18T15:46:55Z")
When come back, burninate all your pie that are belong to… ahhh, forget it… ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/7 "2003-03-18T16:20:04Z")
Wait a minute. You’re not a newbie, Guy Propski. How could you have not seen the many SDMB threads that discussed this phrase? ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/8 "2003-03-18T22:01:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guy Propski \* > **From time to time I’ve come across internet posters referring to the phrase “All your base are belong to us.” What does this mean, and does anyone know its origins?** It means you have no chance to survive. Make your time. Ha ha ha ha!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/9 "2003-03-18T22:24:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*You can see the flash movie inspired by it here. \*\* Someone set us up the link! ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/10 "2003-03-18T22:39:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joey G \* > \*\*Someone set us up the link! \*\* :smack: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/11 "2003-03-18T23:42:38Z")
In Soviet Russia, link sets up you! ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/12 "2003-03-19T01:26:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joey G \* > \*\*Someone set us up the link! \*\* No one ever gets this line right. The goofy translation said “Somebody set up us the bomb.” Set up us, not set us up. I know, I know… who cares, right? But “set up us” sounds even sillier to my ears. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/13 "2003-03-19T03:10:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arcite \* > **No one ever gets this line right. The goofy translation said “Somebody set up us the bomb.” Set up us, not set us up** What you say? :o ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/14 "2003-03-19T03:12:03Z")
Hey, I just noticed that the “Launch all Zig” wasn’t in that link. Bummer. I love a good zig launching. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/15 "2003-03-19T03:12:23Z")
Take off every zig for great justice! Or something… ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/16 "2003-03-19T03:13:29Z")
Oh yeah, launch. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/17 "2003-03-19T03:20:45Z")
Wait, is it launch? I wish I could find the whole game intro, unmodified. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/18 "2003-03-19T03:23:54Z")
In the link I provided, there was a photo of a Ziggy cartoon that said “Take off every Ziggy for great justice”. I thought that was it, but "launch"makes mer sense. Then again, making sense wasn’t the point, was it? ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/19 "2003-03-19T03:34:54Z")
Ah! Found the intro as an animated .gif. It is “take off all zig” [FOR GREAT JUSTICE](http://www.mtsu.edu/~aerodept/zwintro.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990/20 "2003-03-19T03:39:31Z")
I watched that twice, just to be sure. It’s “Take off **every** ‘zig’”. Cool find, btw. I’ve never seen the whole intro before. Main screen turn on! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-obscure-internet-catchphrase/161990.md?page=2)