A statement of arrogance and self-importance deliberately disguised as a humble, offhand observation. Usually delivered as the capstone line in a dialog peppered with other faux-humble socially-enhancing references intended to make you think the speaker is both cool AND humble. Attempts to accomplish with faux-humility what the Internet tough
guy attempts to accomplish with raw force.
Hearing this line spoken in earnest is a clear indication you're probably dealing with a
yuppie or hipster
douchebag, as anybody who's actually a "big deal" lets their actions speak for themselves and doesn'
t need to mention it to strangers, even jokingly.
Since the original meaning has now been clearly identified as being douchey in the extreme, many
people now use the phrase as a witty, ironic form of self-deprecation. The line between the
two remains very grey and contextual, however; just because somebody's aiming for a humorous reaction doesn'
t mean they're not actually serious.
"So Bob, what do you do for work?"
"Oh, not much. I just do corporate law for Fnortner and
Finch...gave me a corner office and a Jaguar last year. Got to meet Jude Law last week. Eh, I'm kind of a big deal over there, you know?"
"Oh
wow! You're such a cool and
humble dude!"
"Yeah, I know, right?"