been there, done that, Informal. (used to say that you have experienced or are familiar with something and now think it is boring or of little worth): A big house in the suburbs? Been there, done that.
Origin of there
before 900;Middle English (adv.), Old Englishthǣr thēr, cognate with Dutchdaar,Old High Germandār; akin to Gothic,Old Norsethar; cf. that
7. The verb following there is singular or plural according to the number of the subject that follows the verb: There is a message for you. There are patients in the waiting room. With compound subjects in which all the coordinate words are singular, a singular verb often occurs, although the plural may also be used: There was (or were ) a horse and a cow in the pasture. When a compound subject contains both singular and plural words, the verb usually agrees with the subject closest to the verb, although a plural verb sometimes occurs regardless, especially if the compound has more than two elements: There were staff meetings and a press conference daily. There was (or were ) a glass, two plates, two cups, and a teapot on the shelf. 11. It is nonstandard usage to place there between a demonstrative adjective and the noun it modifies: that there car. The same is true of here : these here nails. Placed after the noun, both there and here are entirely standard: that car there; these nails here.
-there
a combining form meaning “wild animal, beast,” used in the formation of compound words, usually denoting extinct mammals, as adaptions of zoological taxa ending in -therium or -theria: baluchithere.
Origin of -there
< New Latin-therium (singular), -theria (plural) < Greekthēríon, derivative of thḗr beast of prey; akin to feral1, fierce
there's
[th airz]
contraction of there is:There's the hotel we were looking for.
contraction of there has: There's been entirely too much said on the subject.
in, at, or to that place, point, case, or respectwe never go there; I'm afraid I disagree with you there
pronoun
used as a grammatical subject with some verbs, esp be, when the true subject is an indefinite or mass noun phrase following the verb as complementthere is a girl in that office; there doesn't seem to be any water left
adjective
(postpositive)who or which is in that place or positionthat boy there did it
all there(predicative)having his or her wits about him or her; of normal intelligence
so therean exclamation that usually follows a declaration of refusal or defianceyou can't have any more, so there!
there and thenorthen and thereon the spot; immediately; instantly
there it isthat is the state of affairs
there you are
an expression used when handing a person something requested or desired
an exclamation of triumphthere you are, I knew that would happen!
noun
that placenear there; from there
interjection
an expression of sympathy, as in consoling a child
Word Origin for there
Old English thǣr; related to Old Frisian thēr, Old Saxon, Old High German thār, Old Norse, Gothic thar
usage
In correct usage, the verb should agree with the number of the subject in such constructions as there is a man waiting and there are several people waiting. However, where the subject is compound, it is common in speech to use the singular as in there's a police car and an ambulance outside
Old English þær "in or at that place," from Proto-Germanic *thær (cf. Old Saxon thar, Old Frisian ther, Middle Low German dar, Middle Dutch daer, Dutch daar, Old High German dar, German da, Gothic þar, Old Norse þar), from PIE *tar- "there" (cf. Sanskrit tar-hi "then"), from root *to- (see the) + adverbial suffix -r.
Interjectional use is recorded from 1530s. To have been there "had previous experience of some activity" is recorded from 1877.
