for crying out loud

English

Alternative forms

• for cryin' out loud

Etymology

Minced version of for Christ's sake.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /fɚ ˈkɹaɪ.ɪŋ aʊt ˌlaʊd/

• Audio (UK)

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• Audio (US)

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Interjection

for crying out loud

1. (idiomatic, colloquial) Used to express frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:for the love of God

   Oh, for crying out loud, get off the computer! You've been on there for ages!

   • 1997 June 26, J. K. Rowling [pseudonym; Joanne Rowling], chapter IV, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter; 1), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:

     'I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud!'

   • 2020 May 3, Drachinifel, 37:29 from the start, in The Drydock - Episode 092‎^[1], archived from the original on 1 October 2022:

     Waldo739 asks a "what would you do?" question: "So it's August 31st, 1939, and you are Captain Gustav Kleikamp" - I think - "standing on the bridge wing of SMS" - oh, for crying out loud - "SMS Schleswig-Holstein, drinking a cup of tea […] "

Related terms

• for fucking out loud

Translations

for crying out loud — see for heaven's sake,‎ for God's sake

moderated or minced versions of for Christ's sake or similarly used instead

• German: verflixt und zugenäht (expletive), zum Donnerwetter, "Himmel, Herrgott, Sakrament" (coll.), Grundgütiger! (de) (exalted)