The Archive

Etymology Journal · G

Go climb a tree

Meaning

A mildly exasperated way to tell someone to get lost or occupy themselves with something else because they are being bothersome. It is essentially a PG-rated version of more colorful insults.

Playful, dismissive

Used in a sentence

  • I told my little cousin to go climb a tree while the adults were talking.
  • If he thinks I am going to apologize, he can go climb a tree.
  • Stop bothering me with those silly questions and go climb a tree.

The backstory

This phrase likely originated in the early 1900s as a nonsensical way to tell someone to go do something busy and unproductive. It was popular among children and people who wanted to remain polite while being rude.

Heard in

Nationwide

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