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Etymology Journal ยท O

Oh, come on now!

Meaning

A gentle nudge of disbelief or a protest against someone being unreasonable. It is used to keep a conversation light while signaling that you disagree.

Coaxing, mild

Used in a sentence

  • Oh, come on now, you know that is not what I meant.
  • You are going to tell me you can eat the whole pie by yourself? Oh, come on now.
  • Oh, come on now, let us not fight over such a small thing.

The backstory

This is a standard English construction that has been around for centuries. It blends a mild protest with a request for the other person to be more sensible.

Heard in

Nationwide

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