# What's the origin of this phrase?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-this-phrase/143410
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 17, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-this-phrase/143410 "2002-12-17T21:03:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Twin\_Tattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Twin\_Tattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twin_Tattoo)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-this-phrase/143410/1 "2002-12-17T21:03:35Z")

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“F\*ck off and die!”

Now seriously how did this become a slam? Think about it. Why would you want your enemy to have the pleasure of sex before death? I don’t get it. Enlightenment please. Thanks.

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### Author: ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-this-phrase/143410/2 "2002-12-17T21:19:53Z")

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F-off does not mean go off somewhere and shag your life away.

It merely means 'Get out of here" ------or like statements in more lurid forms.

So------"F off and die"merely means “go away and don’t come back!”

Until recently it’s been more a common Brit expression.

Well–some Brits anyway.

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### Author: ![racekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@racekarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racekarl)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2002, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-this-phrase/143410/3 "2002-12-17T21:34:00Z")

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Wasn’t it George Carlin who declared that he told people “Unfuck you!” because he thought it was more insulting than wishing someone get laid?

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### Author: ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-this-phrase/143410/4 "2002-12-18T02:24:20Z")

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_fuck off_ as a verb exists in print since WWI. And at that time it meant “to run away” such as a "shirker’ might do.

It doesn’t seem to have taken on the imperative meaning until about WWII.

And many of the cites are from the military. Love the military for slang!