The phrase "that guy" is generally used to describe the
subjective "
lowest common denominator" of humanity, with regards to a given situation, place, or event. For example, "you know,
that guy who picks his nose during team meetings, there's always one", or "
Oh my God, look at the him, in the
Bermuda shorts and
Hawaiian shirt, he's completely
that guy!"
Yes, we've all heard the phrase before. It has probably existed, to some degree, since the dawn of time. However,
everything changed, starting in
1994, with the movie
PCU.
It was a movie on the
borderline of amusing; it's generally
nothing to write home about. However, it did
spawn one famous
quip of
zen wisdom.
Droz: You're gonna wear the shirt of the band you're gonna go see. Don't be that guy.
The rest is history. The phrase stuck, and now it has become a
fringe part of the
vernacular.
...Kind of like the
Truffle Shuffle.