Originating from the 1993 episode of The Simpsons titled 'Last Exit to Springfield,' this quote is delivered by Abraham 'Grampa' Simpson during a strike meeting. Grampa goes on a legendary, nonsensical tangent about how 'nineteen-dickety-two' required carrying onions on belts because of the war. The meme serves as the ultimate shorthand for a long-winded, irrelevant, or senile anecdote that goes nowhere. It is widely used across social media to poke fun at unnecessary backstories, overly detailed explanations of simple things, or the rambling nature of older generations. The phrase 'which was the style at the time' has since become a catchphrase for justifying any bizarre or outdated behavior.