How Long Has “It’s a Thing” Been a Thing?

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Victoria in Madison, Wisconsin, is curious about saying something is a thing, meaning that a particular phenomenon exists or is genuine. This phrase has been around since at least the time of Jane Austen, who used it in Pride and Prejudice. Other phrases involving the word thing include my thing is meaning “what concerns me is” and the thing of it is meaning something along the lines of “the most significant element is.” This is part of a complete episode.

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