The Archive

Etymology Journal · W

Why don't you cry about it?

Meaning

A dismissive, cold response to someone who is complaining about a minor problem. It is intended to tell them their feelings are irrelevant and that they are being a baby.

Cold, insulting

Used in a sentence

  • He complained about the coffee being too hot, and I told him, why don't you cry about it?
  • I do not care if the schedule changed; why don't you cry about it?
  • Stop bellyaching about the weather; why don't you cry about it?

The backstory

This is a standard American idiom for emotional invalidation. It cuts right to the chase, telling the person to stop wasting the speaker's time with their whining.

Heard in

Nationwide

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