0072 You've got to be kidding me

Explanation

An expression of disbelief, astonishment, frustration, or annoyance.
Used when something is so surprising, ridiculous, or inconvenient that it seems like a joke.

Origin

Combines You have got to be (emphatic you must be) with kidding me (joking with me).
Popularized in the 20th century as a common reaction to surprising or frustrating situations. Often shortened to You've gotta be kidding me or just Kidding me?

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

Are you for real? / Fr?
Bruh. (Can express disbelief/frustration, common online/Gen Z)
Get outta here!
No cap? (AAVE/Gen Z, asking 'are you serious/not lying?')

Vulgar/Emphatic:

Are you fucking kidding me?!
You've got to be shitting me!
What the fuck?! / WTF?!
For fuck's sake! / FFS!

Milder/Standard:

Oh dear.
Goodness me.
Surely not.
I can hardly believe it.
That's quite surprising/frustrating.

Situational Appropriateness

Informal to semi-formal.
Common in everyday conversation.
The level of frustration or annoyance conveyed depends heavily on tone. Can sound unprofessional if expressed with strong anger in a formal setting.

Misunderstanding Warnings

Non-native speakers might not grasp the intensity of the frustration or disbelief intended.
They might occasionally take kidding too literally, thinking the person genuinely believes they are being joked with, rather than using it as an idiom for astonishment/frustration.

Examples

(Seeing a huge traffic jam) You've got to be kidding me! We'll be late for sure.
(Hearing unbelievable news) He quit his job to become a street performer? / You've got to be kidding me!
(Finding out something is broken) The coffee machine is broken again? You've got to be kidding me.

Dialogue

Alex: My flight just got cancelled.

Ben: You've got to be kidding me! What are you going to do?

Alex: I have no idea. I need to call the airline.

Chris: I accidentally deleted the entire presentation file.

Dana: You've got to be kidding me. Please tell me there's a backup.

Response Patterns

I wish I were kidding.
Nope, seriously.
I know, right? (Sharing the exasperation)
Silence (if the situation speaks for itself, like the traffic jam).

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After someone exclaims You've got to be kidding me!:

If reacting to news, they might ask for more details (How did that happen?!).
If reacting to an inconvenience, they might express frustration further or try to find a solution (Ugh, now what do we do?).

The person who caused the reaction might confirm the reality (Yeah, it's true.) or explain the situation.

Conversation Starter

No. It's a reaction to a situation or piece of information.

Intonation

Typically exclaimed with a tone of disbelief or exasperation.
Often has rising intonation on kidding. You've got to be KIDDING me?!
Can be said with annoyance, stress falling on got or kidding.

Generation Differences

Very common across most generations.

Regional Variations

Widely used in all major English-speaking regions.

I'm not buying it

🎲 Give me a break

[0072] You've got to be kidding me