search me

INFORMAL
This page is about the conversational phrase search me

Meaning

You can say this to emphasize that you don't know the answer to someone's question.

For example

  • "Why didn't your brother do the dishes?"
    "Search me. Why don't you ask him?"

  • Liam said, "What's wrong my phone?" and Dylan said, "Search me. I don't know how they work."

Note:
Often said when someone's annoyed or puzzled because they've being asked about something they know nothing about.

Quick Quiz

Her mother said, "Who took my lipstick?" and Julie said, "Search me." She was

a. claiming not to know

b. offering to be searched

c. admitting that she took it
a) claiming not to know b) offering to be searched c) admitting that she took it

Contributor: Matt Errey