become the Joker en · VERB
Etymology
From a fake screenshot of the 2019 movie Joker posted by Twitter user @internethippo, in which the eponymous character says "I can't believe mother threw away my Nintendo. I'm going to become the Joker."
Meanings
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(Internet, humorous) To have a breakdown; especially to be driven to violence by something maddening.
“I don’t mean to overreact, but if anything happens to Dogmeat I’m going to become the Joker,” said one Reddit user while on X, some fans have promised to “riot” if Dogmeat gets hurt in the show.
2023 December 4, Ali Shutler, “Fans react to ‘Fallout’ trailer: “If they hurt Dogmeat, we riot””, in NME:Doesn’t it feel like everyone is claiming to become The Joker these days? If you still want to have a highly-characterised breakdown whilst still being original about it, here are some alternatives.
2021 October 16, Dan Saxotweet, “Alternatives To Becoming The Joker”, in Lemon Press:Listen, Shepard’s story is great, but it’s finished. Please. Don’t make me become The Joker.
2021 February 9, Cian Maher, “If Commander Shepard Is In The Next Mass Effect Game, I Will Become The Joker”, in The Gamer:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| became the Joker | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| becomes the Joker | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| become the Joker | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| becoming the Joker | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |