been there, done that, bought the T-shirt
Expresses the speaker's complete familiarity with a situation, with overtones of cynicism or exhaustion.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Don't tell me about heartbreak; I've been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.”
“When my friend started complaining about his difficult boss, I just sighed and said, I've been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.”
“If you are thinking about moving to a tiny apartment to save money, I have been there, done that, bought the T-shirt and moved back out.”
“She listened to the traveler's stories about lost luggage and missed flights with a look that said she had been there, done that, and bought the T-shirt.”
“Having endured every imaginable failure in the industry, he dismissed the young entrepreneur's advice with a weary, I've been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.”
The phrase originates from the late 20th-century practice of purchasing mass-produced apparel at a tourist destination to verify one’s presence there. It implies that the experience in question was a standard itinerary item, now concluded and evidenced by the acquisition of a souvenir.
- 01
all there
Mentally competent; not absent-minded or insane.
- 02
as if there were no tomorrow
To an excessive degree, oftentimes with little to no regard to future consequences; desperately; recklessly or wantonly; frantically; very quickly or very much.
- 03
be there
To be available to provide comfort and support for someone, especially in a period of difficulty.
- 04
been there, done that
An assertion that the speaker has personal experience or knowledge of a particular place or topic and is not too keen on revisiting or redoing it again.
- 05
been there, done that, got the T-shirt
Alternative form of been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.
- 06
buy a dog and bark oneself
To do something that one has hired someone else to do.
- 07
buy a ticket to
Used to indicate that someone is in agreement with an assertion, statement, or suggestion.
- 08
buy and hold
A passive investment strategy where an investor purchases an asset and retains it for many years, rather than trading it frequently.
Last updated August 10, 2026