"Brotherisms"

What are Brotherisms?

"Brotherisms" are recurring terms, names and phrases that have been invented, modified or implemented by the McElroy brothers in their lifelong pursuit of hilarious goofs. Although they may include one-offs that are harped on in one episode and then never again addressed or referenced, the McElroy patois is rife with these delightful and recurring turns of phrase. Strongly recurring Brotherisms are typically coined during the McElroys' real lives as brothers outside of the podcast, but anything appearing on the show may be considered a canonical Brotherism.

List of Brotherisms (And Their Contexts)

The Brothers Three

• "Behind the veil" (Often used during liveshows to reference why they are doing something.)
• "Boy" (Used to refer to any given person. Expect to hear this one a lot. Can be prefixed by nearly any adjective, verb, or noun.)
• "Buckwild" or "hogwild" (Another way to say "wild.")
• "Chomping flavor" (Appropriating someone's signature schtick as one's own.)
• "Deep cut" (A particularly obscure reference. Believed to come from radio broadcasting parlance, through Clint.)
• "From downtown" (Describes a joke that landed well. A phrase taken from the sport of basketball.)
• "Goof" (A joke or premise for a bit.)
• "GREAT JOB" (It was originally a celebratory car horn, but evolved into a saying that Lin "The Most Precious Boy" Manuel Miranda forces his famous friends into saying on camera so he can later show the McElroy boys.)
• "Is this anything?"/"This is nothing." (When the boys question whether a goof is going well, or actively declare that a goof isn't very funny.)
• "Keep your grades up" (A sort of catch-all good advice before you set out on any type of journey in your life. From the Wizard of the Cloud segment.)
• "Lean into it." (To embrace something momentarily uncomfortable, usually for some long-term benefit.)
• "My dude" (Usually addressing a question-asker.)
• "Not like this!" (To indicate distress over something going extremely wrong. Originally from The Matrix, in which a character expressed their wish for a better death than the one they had.)
• "Part/open the kimono." (To reveal all secrets about something. Taken from a game developer. Depreciated, due to orientalist undertones.)
• "Pobody’s Nerfect" (A beautiful statement that the brothers make when they are saying that everyone's an idiot and no one should give a FUCK.)
• "Put the tiger on the table and yell at it" (To call attention to something.)
• "Put on blast" (To be harshly critical of someone for some specific misdeed.)
• "Salting your game" (Similar to "putting on blast." To be overly negative about someone's plan or actions to the point of disappointing that person.)
• "Scrowdy row" (In a messy/incomplete state.)
• "Speak on that." (When another brother has said something particularly wild or out of pocket, as to not let it go but highlight the absurdity of the statement.)
• "That dog don't hunt." (When describing a plan that is either not working or will not work.)
• "The juice" or "the vig" (Used to mean interest on a loan, usually a shady one with poorly defined terms.)
• The War between Humans and Birds (An ongoing conflict between mankind and birdkind. Acts of aggression by birds, such as seagulls hitting people in the face, birds pulling the Earth into the sun, and the swan that bit a young Griffin McElroy, are part of this war. Humans that have won battles against birds include Randy Johnson and Sully Sullenberger.)
• "This is (comedy/audio) poison." (Used to refer to bits that are boring in podcast form and are believed to lose listeners.)
• "™ ™ ™" (The brothers apparently think saying "™" repeatedly trademarks an original idea of theirs and prevents big corporations from profiting off it.)
• "Unless..." (Said by one brother and then immediately echoed by the other two. Typically followed by a hypothetical situation that totally contradicts their immediately previous, often adamant advice. Frequently used to interrupt another brother's point mid-sentence.)
• ”Walk (it/this one) back.” (Used to describe the process of backtracking, and trying to undo the verbal damage done with immediately previous conversation.)
• "Would a sign help?" (A suggested initial response to questions asking for advice on the show. Originated in Episode 568.)
• "Yuck your yum" or "yuck any yums" (To pass judgment or be negative about someone's personal tastes, usually sexual. Over the years, the brothers have learned not to yuck any yums.)

Justin McElroy

• "Doubles" (Doubles refers the practice of going to a restaurant and ordering two meals, one to eat now, one to take home and eat later. The term was coined by Justin, who first mentioned it in Episode 160, but Sydnee finds it embarrassing and unacceptable.)
• Cookie Points (A system in which you earn points for eating healthful foods that can be redeemed for junk foods.)
• "Dummo" (Synonymous with "dumbass." As in, "Those guys are real dummos.")
• "Grossaroony" (Another way to say "gross.")
• "'Gized" (An abbreviation of "energized." Typically used to express extreme interest or excitement. Do not pronounce it the way it is spelled.)
• "That's where I'm at." (Used to emphasize one's current mental/spiritual state.)
• "Hachi Machi" (An expression of shock. Taken from The Critic.)
• "Hey, guys?" (Often used when Justin is addressing the entire male gender for some behavior as well as call out the audience for some stupid shit.)
• "I'm [age]-years-old." (Used to point out that the speaker is too old for something.)
• "Modren" (The way that Justin often, but not always, pronounces "modern." It was thought to possibly be lifted from the short film "Your Studio And You" or the Styx song "Mr. Roboto," but he actually just said it wrong in the first ever episode and it became a bit.)
• "Natch" (An abbreviation of "naturally.")
• ”Now, hold on...” (Used after saying something troubling or debatable, to—usually unsuccessfully—curb argument or interruption from the other boys before explaining himself.)
• "Oofa Doofa" (An exclamation of discomfort, often sympathetic discomfort.)
• "Put some jelly on it." (In order to make something sticky and gross, not more delicious. A frequent suggestion for a solution to a problem early on.)
• "Skewed perspective" (Justin will often refer to the concept of giving advice or making observation with ironic disdain using this phrase. Often paired with: "That South Park humor.")
• "That killed ten minutes." (Used when another brother's bit has ended and Justin can now read a fast food ad copy uninhibited)
• “This one” (Used as an adverb, to refer to ANYTHING, often an impractical and unspecified concept existing only in Justin’s head.)

Travis McElroy

• "Have you guys seen Looper?" (Travis often brings up the film and its core premise of time travel loops when trying to problem-solve.)
• "I can't stress this enough..." (Often before giving a well-considered, but quite possibly ridiculous, warning or tidbit of information.)
• "Is it possible..." (Often said before offering a possible excuse for behavior deemed unacceptable by the other brothers.)
• "It's like jazz; it's all about the notes you don't play.”
• "Let me throw this out there." (A suggestion that Travis has no faith in, even as he suggests it. Travis has been making an effort to stop using this, after it was brought to his attention that it had become a verbal tic of his.)
• "We-ell..." and "Hoolld on..." (Used to express doubt about a usually absurd statement. Said in a high-pitched voice.)

Griffin McElroy

• "Aw beans" (Said when something unfortunate occurs.)
• "Chopped and screwed" (To appropriate and reinterpret something aggressively, far beyond the original intent.)
• "Cotton" (Referring to the cloud produced while vaping.)
• "Do the damn thing."
• "Down to clown" (Ready to do something, usually something illegal.)
• "Explore the space." (To exercise one's creativity to the fullest extent; usually in the context of continuing a bit, but also used sarcastically in contexts where creativity is not necessarily desirable, e.g. during a driving exam. Often used in conjunction with "Play with me!")
• "Extremely good" or "good good"
• "Ghost ride the whip." (To dance/swagger alongside your car while it rolls in neutral.)
• "Gourd" (As a synonym for head or brain, also alternated with "Bean")
• "Graveyard dead" (To describe something as very dead. Often used as in "He will kill you graveyard dead.")
• "...Idiot." (Variation of the above.)
• "In the Japanese style" (Griffin maintains an intense admiration for Japanese culture since a visit to Japan during his honeymoon. He often notes the ways he finds Japanese culture superior with this phrase.)
• "Jeezer Creezer!" (An exclamation, vis a vis ‘Jesus Christ!’)
• "No rules, just right." (A tagline for Outback Steakhouse. Also said by the Final Pam.)
• "OOOOOOOOOH MOOOMY" (Referring to a good flavor. This comes from comically pronouncing "umami.")
• "Pack your bags and move away." (Often used during relationship advice during the podcast's early years.)
• "Play with me!" (Inviting a brother, usually Travis, to suspend disbelief and take part in the bit, usually when a brother thinks the question might not be true.)
• "So right" (Doing an action to great satisfaction e.g. "Jerkin' it so right." Primarily used by Griffin, but Justin has used it too.)
• "That kind bud" (Also referring to marijuana.)
• "That DANK KUSH" (Referring to marijuana. Capitalized letters wildly mispronounced for comedic effect.)
• "That sweet, sweet Doja" (Referring to marijuana.)
• "That South Park humor." or "That Family Guy humor." (Griffin occasionally says he "loves that South Park humor" in a sarcastic or derisive tone; refers to humor that is crass or offensive for offensiveness' sake.)
• "Trim" (Used as a reference to ‘getting pussy.’ Travis vehemently dislikes this terminology. Like 'dank kush', it is often wildly mispronounced.)
• "...What are you talking about?" (After one of the brothers makes a statement that Griffin finds ridiculous, Griffin will appear to tacitly agree with the statement before punctuating it with, "...What are you talking about?")
• "Yeah baby, grip it and rip it!" (Enthusiasm for when someone [Justin] opens a can of soda on-air.)

References & Links

• On-going list of all made-up names from across the McElverse