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“Join the club” is an American idiom used to show empathy towards someone’s problem or situation. Similar expressions include “welcome to the club” and “been there, done that”. These idioms are not meant to be taken literally and are often used to bond over shared experiences. The phrase has been used for generations and is commonly used in casual conversation.
“Join the club” is an American idiom which means that other people, especially the person using the idiom, can relate to the problem or situation the person they are talking to is in. In essence, it means that the speaker is not only but is, in fact, in the same position as the others. English sayings like “join the club” are not meant to be taken literally, but are instead figurative forms of expression.
Similar idiomatic expressions include “welcome to the club”, “welcome to my life” or “been there, done that”. Much like the phrase “join the club,” these expressions portray a familiarity with a particular issue or set of circumstances. The meanings of idioms like these are not always immediately understood by non-native English speakers or people with cognitive disabilities and can even be interpreted literally, but most Americans automatically understand these expressions without the need for clarification.
It is not uncommon to hear one person say “join the club” to another person who is expressing difficulty or discomfort. This expression is most often used in relation to negative events or circumstances. For example, one parent may complain to a friend about a child’s misbehavior at a certain age and the other parent, to show that they identify with the speaker, may say “join the club” as an indication that similar parenting issues are currently experienced.
Other than ‘join the club’ which is a popular American idiom, the similar expression of ‘welcome to the club’ is used by Australians in much the same way. Much like its American usage, this phrase is an informal expression that can lead to two or more people bonding over a sharing of thoughts and feelings about certain events. While this idiom does not refer to an actual club or actively recruiting new members into a club, people who use the expression sometimes form actual clubs and support groups after discovering that others can relate to or face similar circumstances .
There is no record of the original use of this phrase, but “join the club” has been used as an expression for several generations. It is unlikely that many Americans or Australians have wondered about the origins of the expression since it is so commonly used in casual conversation. Unless you’re talking to a native English speaker who isn’t familiar with the term, “join the club” usually doesn’t require researching its definition.
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