Piss etymology oxford

A pissing contest , or pissing match , is a game in which participants compete to see who can urinate the highest, the farthest, or the most accurately. Since the s the term has been used as a slang idiomatic phrase describing contests that are "futile or purposeless", especially if waged in a "conspicuously aggressive manner". The Oxford English Dictionary OED defines a pissing contest as "a competition to see who can urinate the farthest or highest" and in extended use as "any contest which is futile or purposeless especially ones pursued in a conspicuously aggressive manner. House Select Committee to Investigate F.

She subsequently explained:. That made me chuckle. Piss Off as in ordering someone to F—off: My siblings and I Boston, MA have been saying that since we were small; probably moreso when we were younger before we graduated to or in lieu of saying F—-off which could get us in greater trouble. What about sod off and get lost? However, it is now acceptable in speech, although more conservative people may object to its use.

The use of piss as an intensifier appears in the mid twentieth century U. The first use of the phrase piss poor itself is found in the archives of the OED, where it is recorded in the writing of A. Hench in Piss-poor… Jim Constantine This is a piss-poor outfit.

By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy , Privacy Policy , and our Terms of Service. It only takes a minute to sign up. I was with my girlfriend at the time, and I was out pissing it up too much, really, and was pretty horrible to her, frankly. I remember, after that, thinking, I definitely, definitely don't ever want to drink again "because I don't want to put someone through that again.