Meaning
What does They Don’t Think It Be Like It Is, But It Do mean?
“They don’t think it be like it is, but it do” is a quote from Major League Baseball player, Oscar Gamble.
It is highly popular online due to its indecipherable nature and is often mocked or mentioned on forums and image boards.
According to the interpretation of Reddit user ThrustVectoring, the phrase means “They incorrectly believe that this is an atypical state of affairs”.
Origin
What's the origin of They Don’t Think It Be Like It Is, But It Do?
The exact origin of the quote is unknown, although it is attributed to Oscar Gamble.
Some claim that it was said in relation to the prevalence of racism in Major League Baseball, while others say that he made the statement while talking about the disorderly management of New York Yankees.
“They don’t think it be like it is, but it do” was posted to Tumblr alongside a grainy, black-and-white photo of Gamble on May 4th, 2010.
Spread & Usage
How did They Don’t Think It Be Like It Is, But It Do spread?
The meaning of the phrase was inquired about and debated on several sites, including Yahoo Answers as well as Reddit, where finally it was interpreted in the r/linguistics subreddit ThrustVectoring.
The quote had circulated the web over the years, appearing on Facebook, Reddit as well as YouTube.
External resources
- Know Your Meme – They Don’t Think It Be Like It Is But It Do