he who smelt it dealt it
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: whoever smelt it dealt it
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A person who calls attention to or complains about a flatus is likely trying to pretend it wasn't their own.
Register: colloquial
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A person calling attention to or complaining about a given problem may in fact be the source of the problem.
Register: colloquial
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.
Common questions
What does “he who smelt it dealt it” mean?
A person who calls attention to or complains about a flatus is likely trying to pretend it wasn't their own.
Is “he who smelt it dealt it” formal or informal?
he who smelt it dealt it is generally colloquial.
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.