<P> "Where's the beef?" is a catchphrase in the United States and Canada introduced in 1984 . The phrase originated as a slogan for the fast food chain Wendy's . Since then it has become an all - purpose phrase questioning the substance of an idea, event or product . </P> <P> The phrase first came to public attention in a U.S. television commercial for the Wendy's chain of hamburger restaurants in 1984 . In reality, the strategy behind the campaign was to distinguish competitors (McDonald's and Burger King) big name hamburgers (Big Mac and Whopper respectively) from Wendy's' modest' Single by focusing on the large bun used by the competitors and the larger beef patty in Wendy's hamburger . In the ad, titled "Fluffy Bun", actress Clara Peller receives a burger with a massive bun from a fictional competitor, which uses the slogan "Home of the Big Bun". The small patty prompts Peller angrily to exclaim, "Where's the beef?" Director Joe Sedelmaier actually wanted Peller to say, "Where is all the beef?" but because of emphysema, that was too hard for her . </P>

Where did the phrase got beef come from