Go Fly a Kite Meaning

Definition: Go away; stop bothering me.

Origin of Go Fly a Kite

This expression is a frank, impolite way to tell someone to go away or leave you alone. It is not very common these days. However, it was popular in shows and other forms of entertainment from the 1940s, when it originated, and for several decades after. The modern equivalent is go to hell, although this version is even more impolite.

Go fly a kite likely comes from the literal meaning. If a person goes to fly a kite, this would mean he or she would need to walk away to do so. This is also true for the synonymous expression go jump in a lake. The important part of the expression is go, not what the person will do once he or she goes away. Another similar example is get lost.

People use this idiom in the imperative form. In other words, it is an order.

Examples of Go Fly a Kite

In this conversation, two high-school students are in the library studying for an exam.

Lisa: Well, I think I’ve studied enough. Let’s get out of here and go do something fun! There’s a party at Matt’s house.

Annie: You go ahead. I still have to study more.

Lisa: This is why you shouldn’t procrastinate. I keep telling you that.

Annie: I’m feeling very stressed right now and don’t feel like talking about that. Just let me study.

Lisa: I’m just saying that you would be less stressed if you didn’t always procrastinate. Try to plan ahead a little more, like me!

Annie: Aw, go fly a kite!

Lisa: How rude!

In the dialogue below, two friends are discussing an argument that one of them had with his grandfather.

Seth: My grandfather fell down again. This time he injured his hip pretty badly.

Jimmy: It sounds like he needs some extra care. Maybe he should move into a retirement home. It would be safer for him.

Seth: That’s what I keep telling him, but he got angry.

Jimmy: What did he say?

Seth: He told me to go fly a kite.

More Examples

This excerpt is from an article about Batman villains.

Given “Gotham’s” penchant for obvious foreshadowing, we can’t wait to hear some ne’er-do-well being told, “Aw, go fly a kite, man.” –New York Post

This excerpt is from an article about new travel restrictions.

“We got countries that weren’t sharing terrorism information to do exactly that,” Taylor said. But “at the end of the day, some countries were unable or worse yet, unwilling to comply to the new standards we laid out.” “I’ll say some countries did not even have the courtesy to tell us to go fly a kite,” he added. –LA Times

Summary

The idiom go fly a kite means get out of here because you are bothering me.