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Yesterday, we took a stab at explaining the origin myth of annoying catchphrase "I just threw up in my mouth a little bit," Safire-steez. Unfortunately, our lack of etymological credentials shone through: we received several tips admonishing us for citing one of 2004's top Stiller/Wilson flicks, Dodgeball, as the original reference to intra-mouth vomiting. Apparently, the phrase has been irritating pompous, self-important/referential bloggers for much longer than that. After the jump, three alternate explanations, and an exciting opportunity for You — yes, the Time Magazine person of the year! — to decide which is right.

  • pretty sure the expression is a result of jim benton's "happy bunny"...shitty keychains/stickers were sold all over america (claire's, hot topic, other pre-teen stores with crappy t-shirts) with the phrase "you just made me throw up in my mouth a little." and a bunny looking happily embarrassed . . . anyway, it's really hard to find information on just when happy bunny infiltrated suburban malls, but i could swear he's been around about 5 years. also, this interview with jim benton acknowledges that happy bunny is at least 3 years old.
  • I first heard the phrase uttered by Jay Mohr's agent character in the 1999 TV series "Action"
  • Just so you know, although I'm not sure if it was the first use ever, but Parker Posey used the sentence "I (think I) just threw up in my mouth a little bit" in one of the episodes of Will and Grace that she was on (not sure which one though, but it was the one where she thought Will wanted her because of Jack's manipulative ploy - how original!). According to imdb, she appeared twice on W&G, in 2001 - way before 2004.
  • I think the phrase "I just threw up a little bit in my mouth" actually originated on an episode of Friends, long before 2004. I believe it was Monica's quote.
  • Jim McKay's film "Our Song" from 2000 about three high school girls who are members of Brooklyn's "Jackie
    Robinson Steppers Marching Band" — one thinks she's pregnant. The
    tip-off for the audience is when she suddenly says, "Oh my god, I think
    I just threw up in my own mouth." (I'm quoting from memory.) Admittedly,
    the emphasis is more on the location ("in my own mouth") of the throw-up
    than on the amount ("a little bit").
  • This phrase has been around since the dawn of fucking time

Okay, your call:

Earlier: A Deeper Look At Bad Lingo