Give Me a Break

Meaning of Idiom ‘Give Me A Break’

Give me a break is a statement of exasperation used when you do not believe what someone tells you, or you disagree with it and find it ridiculous, unfair, or upsetting. 1,2,3


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Usage

This American and Australian idiom is usually slightly humorous, showing mock exasperation.

Examples Of Use

“Ellenor is the new manager? Give me a break! She’ll be impossible to deal with!”

“They postponed my dental appointment again–give me a break! What’s going on in that office?”

“Did you hear that Stacey was planning to compete in Ninja Warrior? Give me a break. He’s about as athletic as my 90-year-old grandmother.”

There are people making thousands of dollars showing their cat on YouTube. Give me a break.

Origin

This idiom began as slang during the early 1900s. 4

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References
  1. Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
  2. Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.
  3. McCarthy, Michael. Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms. Cambridge University Press, 2002
  4. Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.