# 'Go Figure'

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-figure/66097>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 21, 2001, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-figure/66097 "2001-05-21T16:03:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2001, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-figure/66097/1 "2001-05-21T16:03:15Z")

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Would somebody be kind enough to enlighten a poor ignorant Englishman as to the meaning and origin of this phrase?

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**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-figure/66097/2 "2001-05-21T16:25:34Z")

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This website [click here](http://www.alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxgofigu.html) implies that it derives from a Yiddish phrase that basically translates in to :

“Go and figure it out.”

In other words, “Go and try to figure it out if you want to, but it will probably be a waste of time.”

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2001, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-figure/66097/3 "2001-05-22T07:15:33Z")

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Thanks, that’s very helpful.