for Pete's sake
A mild oath of exasperation, annoyance, frustration, anger, or surprise. Would you let me finish my story, for Pete's sake? Oh for Pete's sake, I just had the car fixed and now you've put a dent in it! For Pete's sake! I haven't seen you in years!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
For Pete's sake!
and For pity's sake!; For the love of Mike!; For goodness sake!; For gosh sake!; For heaven('s) sake!a mild exclamation of surprise or shock. For Pete's sake! How've ya been? For pity's sake! Ask the man in out of the cold!
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
for Pete's sake
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
for ˌPete’s ˈsake
(British English) used to emphasize that it is important to do something, or when you are annoyed or impatient about something: For Pete’s sake, what are you doing in that bathroom? You’ve been in there for nearly an hour.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
For Pete’s sake!
and For pity’s sake! and For the love of Mike! exclam. Good grief! For Pete’s sake! Is that you Charlie? For pity’s sake! Ask the man in out of the cold!
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
for heaven's/Pete's/pity's sake
An expression of surprise, emphasis, exasperation, outrage, and so forth. These all are euphemisms for “for God’s sake,” which in some circles is considered blasphemous. “For heaven’s sake” dates at least from the nineteenth century. “For Pete’s sake” appeared in
Dialect Notes in 1924. “For pity’s sake” dates from the sixteenth century; Michael Drayton used it in one of his
Idea sonnets of 1593: “Rebate thy spleen, if but for pities sake!” See also
for the love of Mike/Pete/God.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer