What do you mean, 'Are you sitting down?'?

Question

I was reading The Lexus and the Olive Tree when I came upon this sentence.

While in Chicago, he was assigned a car by the Dukakis campaign staff that had - are you sitting down? - a phone in it.

What exactly do the words, are you sitting down, mean in this context?

Answer 1

It means that he was about to say something that might shock or surprise the person who he was talking to, and says this to prepare him for the 'big news'. I guess this person was amazed that there was a phone in the car. The usage would be the same as "I opened the jar and -are you sitting down?- I found a thumb in it.

Answer 2

In this context it means

"Wait for it..
in the sense 'You're not going to believe what's about to follow.'
It's the author laying stress on what he about to reveal and is designed to attract the reader's attention

Answer 3

Its what you say to someone before breaking exciting or tragic news in this context i think there is a degree of sarcasm to it hope this helps

Answer 4

when somebody checks to see if you are sitting down, the next thing they are about to say is supposed to be surprising enough to knock you off your feet and make you collapse. If you are already sitting down, collapsing can be prevented.

Answer 5

Are you sitting down, is a preparation to shock some one with what you are about to say.

Answer 6

it's saying "you wont believe it". the writer is say Are you sitting down, because when you hear this you're going to fall over, but shorter. it reads sort of sarcastic to me, but i haven't read the book.

Answer 7

They thought you would find the question surprising