5 Reasons Why 'You Can't Just Say Perchance' Became The Internet's Most Iconic Grammar Meme

The "You Can't Just Say Perchance" meme has cemented its place as one of the internet's most enduring and delightfully absurd linguistic jokes. As of December 17, 2025, the phrase continues to appear across Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), and other social platforms, reigniting conversations about archaic language, academic pretension, and the philosophical depth of a certain Italian plumber. Its longevity is a testament to its unique origin story, which combines high-brow critique with low-brow comedy, creating a perfect storm of viral content that users simply cannot resist.

The meme’s curious resurgence, often timed with major events like the release of *The Super Mario Bros. Movie* in 2023, is a direct result of its specific source material: a joke academic paper. This article dives deep into the mind-boggling origin of the phrase, exploring the comedian who created it, the ridiculous essay that spawned it, and the definitive reasons why this simple, antiquated word became a cornerstone of modern internet humor.

The Man Behind the Meme: Phil Jamesson's Biography

The entire "perchance" phenomenon can be traced back to one creative individual: New York-based comedian and writer Phil Jamesson. While the meme itself is a viral sensation, the man who authored its source material has a rich background in comedy and performance.

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• Name: Phil Jamesson
• Occupation: Comedian, Writer, Actor, Internet Personality
• Location: New York City, USA
• Education: Graduated from New York University (NYU).
• Early Career: Jamesson has a surprisingly diverse background, having been a former competitive fencer and magician.
• Comedy Work: He is an active sketch comedian, known for writing and starring in numerous sketches for his popular YouTube channel. He has performed stand-up comedy throughout the New York comedy scene.
• Internet Fame Catalyst: His most famous creation, the satirical philosophy essay, "Mario, the Idea vs. Mario, the Man," is the direct source of the "You can't just say perchance" meme.
• Style: Jamesson's comedy often blends academic language with absurd, low-stakes topics, a style perfectly encapsulated by the Mario essay.

Jamesson's identity as a professional comedian is crucial to understanding the meme. The essay was not a genuine academic failure but a masterful piece of intentional satire, designed to mimic the pretension of collegiate philosophy papers while discussing the trivialities of a video game.

The Philosophical Absurdity of 'Mario, the Idea vs. Mario, the Man'

To truly grasp the meme, one must understand the context of the essay it came from. "Mario, the Idea vs. Mario, the Man" is a comedy philosophy paper, intentionally written to be terrible, nonsensical, and riddled with grammatical and stylistic errors.

The Essay's Core Premise

The paper attempts to explore the complex duality of the Super Mario protagonist. It delves into the existential crisis of Mario as a concept ("Mario, the Idea") versus Mario as a physical, pipe-crawling, "turts crushing" entity ("Mario, the Man"). The entire piece is a parody of overly ambitious student essays that use complex philosophical frameworks—like the Socratic method or existentialism—to analyze pop culture subjects without any real substance.

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The Birth of the Phrase

The meme itself is a screenshot of the essay allegedly "graded" by a professor or editor. The paper is marked with a big, red "F" and littered with harsh, often hilarious, critiques. The iconic line, "You can't just say 'perchance'," is one of these critiques, written in the margin next to the word's inappropriate use in a sentence. The original tweet that went viral was a joke about a student's paper being proofread by an editor, though the essay itself was written by Jamesson.

The humor stems from the editor's stern, almost existential frustration with the word. In the context of a paper already struggling with coherence, the sudden, jarring use of the archaic adverb "perchance" (meaning 'perhaps' or 'by chance') is the final straw for the fictional grader.

The Legacy of Perchance: How to Use the Meme Today

The phrase "You Can't Just Say Perchance" has evolved into a versatile linguistic tool, transcending its origin to become a general comment on pretension, over-formality, and the humorous misuse of language. Its use is a hallmark of topical authority in certain internet circles, signaling an understanding of deep-cut meme history.

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1. The Archaic Adverb and Ironic Usage

The word "perchance" is genuinely archaic and rarely used in modern English except in highly formal, literary, or ironic contexts. The meme weaponizes this fact. When someone uses "perchance" today, it is almost always a deliberate, self-aware attempt to invoke the meme. It has become a one-word punchline used to respond to a question with overly dramatic, faux-intellectual hesitation.

Example Usage:

• Question: "Did you, perchance, take the last slice of pizza?"
• Meme Response: "Perchance." (Often used as a one-word sentence, which is part of the joke.)

2. The Critique of Over-Formality

The phrase "You can't just say perchance" is now used to mock anyone who uses unnecessarily complicated or formal language in a casual setting. It serves as a gentle, yet firm, reminder that sometimes, the simplest word is the best word. It's a critique of academic jargon and the tendency to substitute common words with overly flowery, outmoded synonyms.

3. The 'Crushing Turts' Connection

The essay is also responsible for popularizing other memorable phrases, most notably the bizarre description of Mario's actions as "crushing turts" (a misspelling of "crushing Goombas/Koopa Troopas"). The entire paper is a goldmine of quotable absurdity, but "perchance" remains the most potent and grammatically focused meme of the bunch.

4. The Viral Resurgence Cycle

The meme maintains its freshness because it experiences periodic viral cycles. The 2023 release of *The Super Mario Bros. Movie* brought the source material back into the spotlight, as fans and comedians revisited the most famous philosophical take on the character. This pattern ensures that the meme is constantly being introduced to new generations of internet users, solidifying its status as a timeless piece of digital folklore.

Entities and LSI Keywords Related to the Perchance Meme

The topical authority of the "perchance" meme is built on a network of interconnected entities and linguistic concepts. Understanding these related terms provides a deeper context for the joke's enduring appeal:

• Phil Jamesson: The comedian and satirical author.
• Mario, the Idea vs. Mario, the Man: The title of the infamous joke philosophy essay.
• Archaic Adverb: The grammatical term that describes the word "perchance."
• Ironic Language Use: The primary way the word is used in modern internet culture.
• Crushing Turts: Another memorable, nonsensical phrase from the same essay.
• Reddit Meme Culture: The platform where the meme gained most of its initial traction and has seen the most resurgences.
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie: The 2023 film that caused the essay to go viral again.
• Existentialism: The philosophical school of thought the essay parodically attempts to engage with.
• Proofreading Critique: The context of the original phrase, presented as an editor's comment.
• Academic Pretension: The target of the joke's satire, mocking overly complicated academic writing.
• Synonyms for Perchance: Perhaps, maybe, possibly, by chance.
• Shakespearean English: The linguistic era from which "perchance" originates.

In the end, the "You Can't Just Say Perchance" meme is a perfect storm of internet humor: it's a joke about grammar, a critique of academic writing, a nod to a beloved video game, and a testament to the fact that sometimes, the simplest, most absurd linguistic quirks make the biggest impact. It proves that even in the digital age, a single, old-fashioned word can become a rallying cry for an entire online community.