Also: You and Whose Army.
Meaning of Idiom ‘You and What Army?’
Expressed as a rhetorical question, you and what army is meant as a sarcastic/ironic reply to a threat from someone whose ability to carry out the threat is not taken seriously. The idiom is a facetious way of saying ‘I do not find you or your threat frightening.’
The speaker is not implying, necessarily, that it would take an army to defeat him/her, but that the other is so very weak that only an army could provide enough strength to make up for it.
There is always some humor in this phrase, and it is usually used by children as a clever reply to a challenge or threat.
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Sentence Examples
“Keep it up and I’ll hit you, said Owen. “Yeah? You and what army?” answered Foster.”
“Keep talking to me that way and I’ll have your job, said Raymond. “You and whose army? replied Drew, the owner’s son.”
“I am authorized to place you both under arrest and transport you to a designated resettlement facility. Oh, really? You and what army?” I Am Legend (2007)
“We’re not all nocturnal, you know!” “I’ll knock your “turnal” right off, pal.” “Yeah, you and what army, stripes?” Madagascar (2005)
“I’m taking you in, Rex.” “You and what army?” “My army.” G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
Origin
You and what army is American slang from dating from at least the mid-1950’s. Its precise origins are unknown but it may be an exaggerated variant of the idiom you and who else.
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