# This. This what? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 18, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935 "2009-03-18T19:48:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ClintPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@ClintPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClintPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/1 "2009-03-18T19:48:24Z")
Disclaimer: I would be surprised if this hasn’t been asked and answered before, but believe me, I’ve tried to find the answer and not found it. If it is somewhere obvious, I apologize in advance. Now my question: I have noticed people quoting earlier posters in a thread and right below that quote they will type “This.” [Example](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10903529&postcount=34) I previously assumed that this was a message board filter catching something and replacing it, but I could never figure out what the bad word or phrase was. Now I think it’s on purpose and it means something - probably indicating agreement with the quote, but I’m not sure. Can anyone enlighten me as to what it means and why people do it? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/2 "2009-03-18T19:52:48Z")
It means “I agree with this. This is what I would say, except you already said it.” Some people do it because they think it’s cute, some people do it in solidarity with the person whom they are quoting. Some people hate it because they think the people who do it are too lazy to come up with their own take on the matter; others like it because it allows people who are being polled to say “I concur, and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ has summed it up to my satisfaction.” It’s the same thing as saying “Right on.” ---
**Author:** ![ClintPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@ClintPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClintPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/3 "2009-03-18T19:57:48Z")
Thanks for the quick answer. It is as I suspected. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/4 "2009-03-18T20:05:55Z")
You know, as much as I absolutely detest the practice of making the obvious joke and the inevitability of somebody doing same, I’ve got to say, the temptation to quote **Sigmagirl** ’s post and respond with “This.” is pretty intense even for me. I’m still not going to do it, because I’d have to punch myself in the face and that hurts, but I’m feeling more understanding toward the people who do this. Hopefully, one day, those people can feel more understanding toward my obvious-joke-face-punching proclivities, and we can all hold hands 'round the campfire and sing of peace and love. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/5 "2009-03-18T20:52:15Z")
> [@ClintPhoenix](#): > > Disclaimer: I would be surprised if this hasn’t been asked and answered before, but believe me, I’ve tried to find the answer and not found it. If it is somewhere obvious, I apologize in advance. I only know because I asked it myself. > **[This. Word.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=478120)** > > As an answer to a post. What’s it all about then? ---
**Author:** ![ClintPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@ClintPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClintPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/6 "2009-03-18T21:29:53Z")
Oh man, not only does that thread answer my question - it’s gold, Jerry! ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/7 "2009-03-18T21:47:01Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > It means “I agree with this. This is what I would say, except you already said it.” This. More precisely, I think, is that the poster making the comment not only agrees with the quote but also thinks it is responsive to a question asked in the thread. That is, it’s short for “You asked why; _this_ is why,” more than simply “I agree.” One hopes that the subsequent poster will amplify, add clarification, provide example, or otherwise add some additional substance to the thread after signaling his agreement, as I have tried to do here. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/8 "2009-03-19T05:56:52Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > This. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/9 "2009-03-19T14:53:16Z")
I understand the “this”, but what does “+1” mean. I’ve been seeing it all over the place, even with mailing lists with people who are in their 50s+. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/10 "2009-03-19T15:15:19Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > I understand the “this”, but what does “+1” mean. I’ve been seeing it all over the place, even with mailing lists with people who are in their 50s+. Same thing, another shorthand for “I agree with this post/poster”. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/11 "2009-03-19T15:36:45Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Same thing, another shorthand for “I agree with this post/poster”. Word. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/12 "2009-03-19T15:52:09Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Same thing, another shorthand for “I agree with this post/poster”. QFT! (Another obnoxious way of saying ‘I agree’) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/13 "2009-03-19T15:58:13Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > It means “I agree with this. This is what I would say, except you already said it.” > > Some people do it because they think it’s cute, some people do it in solidarity with the person whom they are quoting. Some people hate it because they think the people who do it are too lazy to come up with their own take on the matter; others like it because it allows people who are being polled to say “I concur, and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ has summed it up to my satisfaction.” > > It’s the same thing as saying “Right on.” > [@Cliffy](#): > > This. > > More precisely, I think, is that the poster making the comment not only agrees with the quote but also thinks it is responsive to a question asked in the thread. That is, it’s short for “You asked why; _this_ is why,” more than simply “I agree.” > > One hopes that the subsequent poster will amplify, add clarification, provide example, or otherwise add some additional substance to the thread after signaling his agreement, as I have tried to do here. > > –Cliffy > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Ditto. > [@runner pat](#): > > Same thing, another shorthand for “I agree with this post/poster”. This. +3. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/14 "2009-03-19T16:03:06Z")
“QFT” has a slightly different meaning than “This” – very slight but significant. “This” means “I agree with what I’ve quoted”; “QFT” means “This quoted post has memorably said the truth in a thread that has had a lot of red herrings, prevarications, misrepresentations, and the like.” The first adds one’s subjective agreement; the second claims to be backing a stand for absolute truth. Picky but real, at least in the minds of those using the two memes. ---
**Author:** ![ClintPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@ClintPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClintPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/15 "2009-03-19T18:07:44Z")
So I take it that QFT is then “Quoted For Truth” or something like that. Which is much better than what I inferred, “Quite f-ing true”, which I think I got from my younger days when I thought that Q.E.D. stood for “Quite Easily Done”. I’m learning things every day! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/16 "2009-03-20T01:29:43Z")
Yeah, “Quoted For Truth.” I thought someone had already defined it, or I would’ve. Don’t feel embarrassed, though. For a long time, I thought that “YMMV” (“Your mileage may vary”, meaning, roughly, “This is my experience/considered view, but yours may well be different.”) stood for “You make me vomit” – and the (particularly snarky) post in which I first encountered it was one that made that reading sensible. 😊 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/17 "2009-03-20T02:08:19Z")
> [@polycarp](#): > > … For a long time, i thought that “ymmv” … Stood for “you make me vomit”… roflmao. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/18 "2009-03-20T02:10:24Z")
> [@ClintPhoenix](#): > > So I take it that QFT is then “Quoted For Truth” or something like that. Which is much better than what I inferred, “Quite f-ing true”, which I think I got from my younger days when I thought that Q.E.D. stood for “Quite Easily Done”. > > I’m learning things every day! I know what QFT means, and I still read it as “Quite fucking true.” In almost every instance it makes at least as much sense read that way. > [@twickster](#): > > roflmao. What she said. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/19 "2009-03-30T14:24:58Z")
the +n comes from the practice where on some boards if you like a post you can “rate” it by giving it a point ( or taking one away ) and the highest rated posts float to the top (and conversely the lowest tend to flow out of view pretty quick) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935/20 "2009-03-30T15:40:06Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Yeah, “Quoted For Truth.” I thought someone had already defined it, or I would’ve. I had a vague notion that it stood for “Quit Feeding the Troll,” but that didn’t fit the context. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-this-what/489935.md?page=2)