Many causal phrases have questionable origins, even if they sound and look innocent on their faces.
One teacher says she repeated a phrase she had been using her whole life to student in front of an administrator. They then advised that she not say such things as they were inappropriate.
When the teacher found out the real meaning of the turn of phrase, she was shocked at its meaning and that she had been using it so casually.
In a video that has drawn over 8.4 million views on TikTok, teacher and content creator Steph (@stephlynncam) says she repeated a simple phrase she had used her whole life when she was warned not to repeat it to students by an administrator.
“Storytime about how I found out I’ve been saying something extremely inappropriate to children for my entire career,” she says in the video.
Steph says a student simply handed in their essay when she used the phrase in response.
“They were really excited about it, so I gave a big ol’ high-five,” she says. “And I said, ‘Wham-bam, thank you ma’am.’”
Her vice principal had walked nearby at that exact moment. “My lovely vice principal walked by, and they said, ‘What did you just say?’ And I said, ‘Wham-bam, thank you ma’am,’ and they’re like, ‘Yeah, you shouldn’t say that, like, that doesn’t mean what you think it means.’”
Steph was stunned. “I was super confused because I think I’ve been saying that for my entire life, and nobody’s ever said anything about it,” she says.
@stephlynncam WELP ☠️ #teachertok #teachersoftiktok #teacherfail #teacher #lol #fyp ♬ original sound – Steph
An unfortunate phrase
When she learned the real meaning of the phrase, Steph was surprised. However, she did agree with the administrator that it was not a phrase she should repeat in front of students.
“So after school, on the school Wi-Fi mind you, I Googled what it meant, and yeah. I shouldn’t be saying it,” she says.
But, she’s not alone. As evidenced by a commercial she says she later saw on television, the idea that people do not know the true meaning of the phrase isn’t far-fetched at all.
“Then about two weeks later, my husband and I are watching a commercial for a TV show, and a woman says it to her colleagues and they’re like, ‘that doesn’t mean what you think it means,’” she says. “So I know this is not a unique experience. So how many of us are there out there walking around saying that not knowing what it means?”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @stephlynncam via email regarding the video.
So… What does it mean?
The phrase “wham, bam, thank you, ma’am” is an idiom that refers primarily to a hasty sexual activity. However, a secondary definition indicates that it can refer to a plan or idea that is roughly pulled together.
Where does the phrase come from?
While claims to the origin of popular phrases are usually wide and varied, the earliest use of “wham, bam, thank you, ma’am” is thought to be the 1948 play “Mister Roberts.”
A learning experience
Some commenters shared that this was also the first time they had heard that this turn of phrase was inappropriate.
“Me today apparently learning ‘wham bam thank you maam’ is not appropriate thing to say,” one commenter wrote.
“Huh, well this is how I find out that is an inappropriate phrase,” another said.
“I say this all the time…. Without knowing???” a third added. “What the heck lol.”
Others shared their own experiences with loved ones and friends using phrases without understanding what they mean, often to hilarious effect.
“My coworker was adoringly calling her kids dingleberries,’” one commented. “She 100% did not know.”
“Our principal said ‘Netflix and chill’ during a recent staff meeting,” another commenter wrote.
“I had a roommate who was using ‘hot and bothered’ to describe her being mad and we had to tell her that is not what that means,” a further user added.
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