yada yada yada

What it means

Yada yada yada is used to skip over boring, predictable, or obvious details in a story — basically 'and the rest of that stuff'. It implies the listener can fill in the gaps themselves. It is informal American English, popularized worldwide by the 1997 Seinfeld episode of the same name.

Examples

• She gave me the whole speech — be respectful, work hard, yada yada yada.
• We met, we chatted, yada yada yada, now we're engaged.
• He started explaining the rules — terms, conditions, fine print, yada yada yada.
• And then she said she'd call me back, yada yada yada — never heard from her again.

Where it comes from

Yiddish-influenced American English, popularized by the 1997 Seinfeld episode 'The Yada Yada'. Earlier related forms like 'yatata-yatata' appeared in 1940s American slang for chatter.

Related slang