for Pete's sake
English
Etymology
Euphemistic variant of for Christ's sake, for God's sake; "Pete" either invoking Saint Peter or influenced by for pity's sake.
Pronunciation
Interjection
- (idiomatic, euphemistic) Used to express frustration, exasperation, annoyance
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:for the love of God
- For Pete's sake, get off the computer! You've been on there for ages!
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see for, Pete, sake.
References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “Peter”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
- Michael Quinion (1996–2025) “For Pete's sake”, in World Wide Words.