Learn English – “Take a flying leap”: is that down or off something, to your death

expressionsidioms

The question is about telling someone to go take a flying leap (BrE flying jump) for "tell[ing] someone who angers or annoys you to go away." (Merriam Learners). It seems the noun flyer is semantically related with a possible meaning based on the notion of flying jump/leap, as with "he took a flier off the bridge" (Dictionary.com).

  • Is there any ellipsis of some complement using the preposition
    down/off when you say "go take a flying leap" i.e. down to hell/the drain, off the bridge/cliff?. Or is it just the leap
    meaning far away+fast?
  • Is that going away or is there any connotation about going to
    die/suicide    ?
  • How is it different from the dismissive go curl into a ball an die?
    Is it more expressive than telling someone to get lost?

Best Answer

Take a flying leap (off a bridge)

is a colloquialism telling someone to go away or get lost and hopefully never come back

Other ways of expressing the same message are

go curl up in a ball and die
take a long walk off a short pier
Got a dime? Go tell someone who cares! (when payphones were more prevalent)

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