# been there, done that, bought the T-shirt

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/been-there-done-that-bought-the-t-shirt
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Expresses the speaker's complete familiarity with a situation, with overtones of cynicism or exhaustion.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.