press F to pay respects

English

Etymology

From a prompt in the PC version of the 2014 video game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare which directs the player to press the F key to touch a fallen soldier's coffin during a funeral cutscene.

Phrase

press F to pay respects

1. (Internet slang, humorous, often sarcastic) Used to convey that sympathy, recognition, or credit should be given.

   Synonym: F in the chat

   • 2018, Blake Aued, "Give the People What They Want", Flagpole, 26 December 2018 - 2 January 2019, page 6:

     The sundry restaurant comings and goings that made our digital readers press F to pay respects will be covered by food critic Hillary Brown in her year-end wrap-up in the Jan. 9 issue.

   • 2019, "Off The Record", The Student Life (Claremont Colleges), 29 March 2019, page 6:

     Press F to pay respects to friends who have midterms this week.

   • 2019, Charlotte Colombo, "A New Chapter!", Wessex Scene (University of Southampton), September 2019, page 2:

     Whether you're reading this as an escape from the buzz of events or found it discarded on a chair somewhere (press F to pay respects), let me take this opportunity to give you a warm welcome to Southampton.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:press F to pay respects.