I know you are but what am I

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Uncertain, but dates back at least to the June 15th, 1957 issue of The New Yorker (Vol. 33 No. 17, page 23). In "The Talk of the Town", which was a collaborative effort by the magazine's staff writers: "INTERROGATIVE WISP FOUND IN GUTTER OF MACDOUGAL STREET: 'I know you are but what am I?'" The phrase is often attributed to Pee-Wee Herman.

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Czech: kdo to říká ten to je, tomu se to rýmuje — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Dutch: wat je zegt, ben je zelf — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Finnish: itse olet — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Finnish: ite oot — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Finnish: niin oletkin — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Finnish: nii ootki — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Finnish: joka toista haukkuu, on itse — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• French: c'est celui qui dit qui y est — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• French: c'est celui qui dit qui l'est — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Georgian: ჩემი შენ გითხარიო (čemi šen gitxario) — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• German: wer es sagt, der ist es selber — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• German: selber, selber, lachen alle Kälber — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Greek: όποιος το λέει είναι (ópoios to léei eínai) — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Hungarian: aki mondja másra, az mondja magára — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Italian: il bue che dice cornuto all'asino — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Norwegian: det kan du være selv — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Norwegian: jeg vet du er, men hva er jeg? — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Polish: chyba ty — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Portuguese: quem o diz é quem o é — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Russian: от такого и слышу (ot takovo i slyšu) — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Spanish: el burro hablando de orejas — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Spanish: el comal le dijo a la olla — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Spanish: mira quién habla — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Swedish: den som sa det kan va det — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Turkish: kendi diyen kendi olur — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Turkish: sensin o — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party
• Zazaki: Kam vano zana beno ey — assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is directed is actually true of that party