I recently heard somebody say that they "gave at the office" in response to a request from some charity. It also seems to have a more general usage when refusing a request for help of any kind. What exactly does this phrase mean, and what is its etymology? Is it a very recent saying?
Learn English – History and meaning of the expression “gave at the office”
etymologyidioms
Related Topic
- Learn English – the meaning of the phrase “chance would be a fine thing”
- Learn English – the meaning of the word “this,” all by itself
- Learn English – What’s the meaning and origin of “Herp Derp”
- Learn English – “See you in the funny papers”: etymology and meaning
- Learn English – What does “maze-bright” mean
- Learn English – get the boot courtesy – idiom, meaning
- Learn English – the origin/history of “you do you” (or “do you”)
Best Answer
The phrase originated from the United Way's workplace giving programs. Many people actually did donate to charity at the office and the point was that the person had already donated to charity as much as they felt that they should donate, and thus there was no reason to ask them to donate more money. However, it is now generally considered a sarcastic way of saying "Go away, I'm not going to donate any money."