bring receipts

Meaning

Originating in Black English and popularized by internet and pop culture, 'bring receipts' means to provide concrete proof or evidence to back up a claim, accusation, or rumor. The 'receipts' are usually screenshots, text messages, emails, or videos.

Examples

• If you're going to accuse him of cheating, you'd better bring receipts.

  If you're going to accuse him of cheating, you'd better bring receipts.

• She claimed she didn't get the invite, but I brought receipts and showed her the sent email.

  She claimed she didn't get the invite, but I brought receipts and showed her the sent email.

• The blogger promised to bring receipts in her next video to prove the rumors were true.

  The blogger promised to bring receipts in her next video to prove the rumors were true.

• Don't just talk trash on Twitter; bring receipts or stay quiet.

  Don't just talk trash on Twitter; bring receipts or stay quiet.

• He tried to deny saying those things, but thankfully someone brought receipts.

  He tried to deny saying those things, but thankfully someone brought receipts.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Bring your shopping receipts.

  ✓ Bring receipts.

  While literal shopping receipts exist, using 'shopping' ruins the slang metaphor, which refers to digital evidence like screenshots.

• ✗ She brought the receipt.

  ✓ She brought receipts.

  The slang expression is almost exclusively plural ('receipts') when referring to digital proof or evidence.

Related Expressions

Practice

• You can't just make wild accusations without evidence; you need to ___.

  💡 Provide proof or screenshots.

  Show answer

  bring receipts

• She accused him of lying, but she forgot to ___ to back up her story.

  💡 Show the evidence.

  Show answer

  bring receipts