Original artwork, not a still
That's what she said!
— The Office (U.S.) ‧ 2005
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is Michael's compulsion in four words: he cannot hear an innocent sentence without turning it into a double entendre, and he is always proud of it. The joke is that the show treats it as a character flaw rather than a talent. It escaped the series and became a stock office-banter punchline, used by people who have never seen a frame of Scranton.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Office (U.S.)Show the scene
Michael Scott's most famous habit first surfaces in "Sexual Harassment", the second episode of season 2 (September 2005, written by B.J. Novak). After a harassment-training scare, Michael announces that nobody in the office may joke about anything that isn't work. Jim asks whether that includes "That's what she said". Michael says yes, then cannot resist saying it himself when Jim answers with a suggestive line of his own. Fans count that as the catchphrase's debut, and later episodes keep a running tally of every time Michael, and eventually other characters, land it on an unsuspecting straight line.
Sources (3)
- The Office Wiki: Sexual HarassmentTrivia sectionReference checked
- Wikiquote: The Office, season 2Sexual Harassment [2.02]Reference checked
- The Office Wiki: list of the times somebody says itTable of instancesReference checked
Context reviewed
