Get the Memo

A memo is a short message that gets circulated to the employees of an office, a company, a business, etc. Memos are usually sent by the managers of an organization or a boss to inform people about important matters or policies. One typical purpose of a memo is to inform employees about a meeting. Often, memos are sent to remind workers of something they should already be aware of, just to make sure everyone is on the same page. While people in work environments literally receive written memos, to ‘get the memo’ is used figuratively as an idiom in English.

Meaning of Idiom ‘Get the Memo’

To get the memo is to know something that everyone else knows about; to be aware of something; to become informed about something. This idiom is almost always used in the negative.

To ‘not get the memo‘ means to be unaware of something that should be obvious or common knowledge.

This idiom is posed as a question when someone is not aware of something, e.g, “Didn’t you get the memo?” or “I guess you didn’t get the memo.”

Sentence Examples

“This is a costume party? I guess I didn’t get the memo.”

“I guess we don’t do desert anymore. I didn’t get that memo.” — The Hangover Part II (2011)

“Where the hell is Farraday?” “I don’t know, Cap. I didn’t know I had to babysit him today. I didn’t get the memo.” — Contraband (2012)

“Can`t we forget work for one night and enjoy each other as friends? It`s Christmas.” “It`s Christmas?” ” Yeah. You didn`t get the memo?” — The American President (1995)

“That’s what we always said this company was about, right? Taking risks, adventures, and bringing stories to life. Although she clearly didn’t get the memo that mindset only applies to adventures we have together.” — Unforgettable (2017)

Origin

The modern idiom ‘get the memo’ is a humorous allusion to the literal memos used in work settings, suggesting that when a person doesn’t know something that everyone else knows, it is because they did not receive the circulated written message.