Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US) a dismissive phr. used to imply that one has already experienced the so-called ‘novelty’ of which another person is speaking.

1877		Sat. Eve. Post in Ware (1909) 24/1: Some reasons why I left off drinking whiskey, by one who has been there.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Aug. 5/1: Finch Hatton says [...] he found a snake nine feet long curled up in his bed. We’ve ‘been there’ ourselves.
1888		Atlanta Constitution 4 May n.p.: The Japanese say: ‘A man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, and next the drink takes the man.’ Evidently the ‘Japanese have been there.’ [F&H].
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 Jan. 24/4: No one who hasn’t ‘been there’ himself has a full idea of the luck, cunning, and determination needed to make a win ‘backin’ ’em’ at Sydney’s small pony meetings.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.
1956		E.J. Ruppelt Report on UFOs 121: In essence, he knew UFO history from A to Z because he had ‘been there’.
1999		Observer Life 24 Oct. 35: Yeah, been there, love.

2. a remark passed by a man on seeing a passing woman with whom (he claims) he has slept.

1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 7 Dec. 2/1: Girls in New Brunswick, N.J , have organised and passed resolutions declaring that they will allow no young man to escort them home from church or a party [...] who has not been there. Quite right.
1890		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 July 9/2: One of Bret Harte’s sons has just had to pay 10,000 dollars for alienating the affections of the wife of one J. J. Smith. From this we conclude that young Harte has been finding material for old Harte’s stories of Sierran yum-yum, which are so circumstantial as to place it beyond doubt that either he or his son must have ‘been there.’.
1929		(con. 1900s) J.B. Booth London Town 107: ‘Jolly good luck to the gurl who loves a soldier! / Gurrls! Have you been there?’ Again comes the appreciative roar from the gods mingled with shrill giggles.
1966		(con. 1948–52) L. Thomas Virgin Soldiers 41: You’ve been there?
2008		D. Jenkins Franchise Babe 108: ‘You sure you ain’t been there with the mama?’ he said. ‘Not even close’.