History of International Yada, Yada, Yada Day
The expression “yada yada yada” has been used for years as a way of skipping over uninteresting and/or irrelevant details. Renowned comedian Lenny Bruce, for example, famously used the phrase on many occasions, and there are also many records of it being used in 1940s vaudeville as well. However, it was only in the 1990s, when the TV show Seinfeld’s popularity and power over pop culture was undeniable, that “yada yada yada” really became a ubiquitous catchphrase—in fact, “The Yada Yada” was the name of the 153rd episode of the sitcom. This episode focused on just how much using the phrase can backfire when the details being omitted are actually extremely important, for example the fact that George’s new girlfriend is actually a kleptomaniac who steals to kill time, or that Jerry’s new girlfriend is both racist and antisemitic. Hilarity ensues when both these unwitting men find out what kind of people they have been dating, and they must face reality and break off the relationships. In 2009, the Paley Center for Media named “Yada Yada Yada” the No. 1 funniest phrase on “TV’s 50 Funniest Phrases”, with several other Seinfeld catchphrases also making that list.