Meaning
What does Big, If True mean?
Big, if true is a comment dropped after someone tells an unbelievably incredible story.
It is especially prevalent among news reporters, who mostly use the phrase after hearing an interesting rumor.
Online, it is mostly seen on Twitter and Reddit, in the comments under posts containing rumors, or clickbait articles.
Origin
What's the origin of Big, If True?
The exact origin of the phrase is not known; however, it became highly prevalent in sports journalism during the 1990’s.
One of the earliest parodies of “big, if true” comes from the Season 2 Episode 8 of Futurama, which was first aired on February 27th, 2000, under the title Raging Bender.
Spread & Usage
How did Big, If True spread?
The expression started to be parodied and used on Twitter following 2008, mostly seen in tweets related to sports, especially football.
In the 2010’s, “big, if true” would also show up on Reddit and other social media sites, like Facebook and Instagram.
It was first defined on Urban Dictionary in 2018.
External resources
- Reddit – r/OutOfTheLoop
- Know Your Meme – Big, If True