Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

computer says no

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.84 in modern English

Syllables
com-put-er says no
IPA
23
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
3
Syllables
12
Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

Alluding to an attitude where decisions are based solely on the output of a computer system, apparently without using common sense and without any desire to help, especially in customer or public service.

Humorous

Example Sentences

Etymology

From the British sketch comedy series Little Britain (2004), where it was the catchphrase of the character Carol Beer, a bank worker and later holiday rep and hospital receptionist, who dealt with customer enquiries by typing them into her computer and responding with computer says no.

Usage

Inflected Forms

the computer says no (alternative)

Phrases

automation bias

Frequently Paired Words

jobsworth officialism Kafkaesque automation bias

Questions

What does computer says no mean?
Alluding to an attitude where decisions are based solely on the output of a computer system, apparently without using common sense and without any desire to help, especially in customer or public service.
Where does computer says no come from?
From the British sketch comedy series Little Britain (2004), where it was the catchphrase of the character Carol Beer, a bank worker and later holiday rep and hospital receptionist, who dealt with customer enquiries by typing them into her computer and responding with computer says no.

How to pronounce computer says no

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “computer says no”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “computer says no”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “computer says no” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.