"Are You Kidding?" Idiom Meaning, Origin & History | Superduper English Idioms
Channel: Superduper English Idioms
Date: 30/09/2020

0:00 - How to Say, “Are you kidding?”
0:40 - Examples of “Are you kidding?”
1:18 - Meaning of “Are you kidding?”
1:52 - Origin of “Are you kidding?”
3:40 - More Examples of “Are you kidding?”
4:21 - Conclusion

“Are you kidding?”

It’s common to hear someone ask, “Are you kidding?” when they hear or see something that they don’t quite believe.

You may also hear, “Are you kidding?” as a reply to a question in which the answer is a definite “yes”.

“Are you kidding?” is not really a question; but is a rhetorical question, a statement in the form of a question.

“Are you kidding? You don’t tip at restaurants here?” you might say while on vacation somewhere in Asia.

Maybe you and your family just arrived at a park for a picnic, “Are you kidding? It’s raining cats and dogs, but I checked the weather!”

“Do you want to go for a coffee?” your crush might ask. “Are you kidding? Of course I do!” you reply.

As you can see, there are many situations in which you can say, “Are you kidding?” and it’s not usually used as a question.

“Are you kidding?” is like saying one of the following; “Really?” “For real?” “Oh my gosh!” “Oh, wow!” or “Yes, of course,” “For sure!” and more.

Alfred Kriman via Quora explains that “kid”, a word from Middle English via Old Norse and German, originally meant young goat (and still does) and was then applied to children metaphorically…

… then, “kid” came to be used to describe that which “kids” do, which is play, have fun, joke around or lie for fun. Thus, “Are you kidding?” truly means, “Are you lying to me for fun?”

There are several other phrases that can be used in place of “Are you kidding?”; such as “You must be kidding,” “No kidding,” “You’re kidding.” “You’ve got to be kidding,” “Are you kidding me?”

A great reply to, “Are you kidding?” or any of the other aforementioned phrases is, “I kid you not.” - unless of course, you really are kidding and it’s a practical joke.

The practical joke of making someone feel disappointed by lying to them, then revealing your lie and watching as relief or happiness washes over their face, is enjoyed in all cultures.

“This is for me? Are you kidding?” your partner might say in regard to the fabulous birthday gift you’ve presented.

Perhaps you’re out for a walk and you step in dog poop just moments after bird poop lands on your shoulder, “Are you kidding?! What is going on today?!”

“I’m getting a new car, do you want my old one?” your aunt might ask you. “Are you kidding? I’ll gladly take your old car!”

So, the next time you are surprised, shocked, amazed, astonished or want to reply positively to a question, just say, “Are you kidding?”

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References: https://www.quora.com/Where-did-the-expression-are-you-kidding-me-come-from