About

"Wait For It…" is an expression used to build up suspense in anticipation of an impending spectacle or climactic event. Online, the phrase is typically employed in the title or description of a video to inform the viewer of a gradual and uninteresting build-up before the sudden reveal of a surprising act or event.

Origin

While the phrase most likely entered the English vernacular through its appearance in several popular films released since the late 1990s, such as Notting Hill^[9] and Harold and Kumar Goes to White Castle^[10], its colloquial usage as a dramatic interjection has been attributed to Barney Stinson (played by Neil Patrick Harris), one of the main characters in the American TV sitcom How I Met Your Mother (shown below).

Spread

On June 11th, 2008, Urban Dictionary user Dude of Life submitted an entry for "wait for it," crediting How I Met Your Mother with popularizing the phrase. On November 10th, 2010, an entry for the phrase was created on the How I Met Your Mother Wiki.^[4] On June 31st, 2011, YouTuber DoctorJay2012 uploaded a video titled "Thriller Cat…wait for it," featuring a cat walking in a defensive stance with the 1982 pop song "Thriller" by Michael Jackson playing in the background. In the first three years, the video gained over 5.9 million views and 4,000 comments.

On May 12th, 2013, Redditor lanadeathray submitted a post about the catchphrase to the /r/HIMYM^[5] subreddit, gathering more than 789 votes (90% upvoted) and 80 comments prior to being archived. On March 31st, 2014, Vulture^[2] published an article listing every time Barney Stinson says "wait for it" in all nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother. On June 20th, Redditor CharlieDarwin2 posted an animated GIF titled "Wait for it…", featuring a Jimmy Kimmel comedy sketch mocking television graphics displaying the United States soccer team (shown below). In the first month, the post garnered upwards of 3,700 upvotes (92% upvoted) and 500 comments in the /r/funny^[6] subreddit.

Search Interest

External References