go play in the traffic

English

Alternative forms

• go and play in the traffic
• go and play in traffic
• go play in traffic

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

go play in the traffic (infinitive and imperative only)

1. (idiomatic, often rude) To go elsewhere and feel free to engage in risky behavior; get lost.
   • 2012 July 9, Terry Prone, “That ‘I must be adopted’ belief is more widespread than I thought”, in Irish Examiner, Ireland, retrieved 7 December 2015:

     [H]is father is not a talkative man, so all he ever got was monosyllabic answers speedily followed by an instruction to do the dishes or go play in the traffic.

   • 2013 March 5, Walter E. Williams, “Minimum wage has racist origin”, in Amarillo Globe News, retrieved 7 December 2015:

     Suppose the high-skilled worker came into your office and demanded $55 a day. What would be your response? You’d probably tell him to go play in the traffic and hire the three low-skilled workers.

   • 2014 June 5, “'Star Trek' Writer Settles Capt. Debate . . . Kirk vs. Picard”, in TMZ, retrieved 7 December 2015:

     Comment by CyndiChainsaW: Yeah your homophobia is ridiculous. You should go play in the traffic.

   • 2014 Nov. 14, "‘I was banned from Tesco... for wearing a onesie’," The News (Portsmouth, England) (retrieved 7 Dec 2015):

     “[S]he was pretty rude to me.” Jake has told The News that one member of staff told him to “go and play in the traffic”.

Usage notes

• Usually used in the imperative mood as an especially nasty way of saying "Beat it!" (especially to a child).

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:go away