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).
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.