Whiteisms
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Etymology Journal ยท G

Go fly a kite

Meaning

A dismissive, old-fashioned command to stop pestering someone. It suggests the person should go find something trivial or solitary to do.

Dismissive, classic

Used in a sentence

  • If he wants me to work on Sunday, he can go fly a kite.
  • She kept interrupting me, so I told her to go fly a kite.
  • Don't bother me with your petty complaints, go fly a kite.

The backstory

While kites have been around for ages, this idiom became popular in the early 20th century. It was a common, mild-mannered way to tell someone to get lost without resorting to profanity.

Heard in

Nationwide

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