What's the difference between "fuck off" and "go fuck yourself"?

[DrWeird]

I thought they meant pretty much the same thing.

How does one do either or?

[GOPisEvil]

1. I don't know what the difference is, but my reaction to both is the same.

[Gothic Sponge]

2. One involves my favorite hobby

;)

[jeff30997]

4. lol!

[sangh0]

15. That's odd

I've never seen you around the clubhouse, and I'm there ALL THE TIME!!

[Green Mountain Dem]

3. A pretty big fuckin.....

FINE...as just passed by congress...if you say it TV or radio!!!! OK C-Span pay up.

[Loonman]

5. Some insight

When responding to someone who tells you to "Fuck off", you say:

Fuck off? I don't fuck off, I fuck on, and when I fuck on, I fuck good, so fuck you!

[fob]

6. $35

nt

[FizzFuzz]

7. stand back! I'm an Interpreter!

I shall now apply my powers of linguistic analysis and semantic scrutiny to distinguish the fine difference between these two idioms.

"Fuck Off" is more of a hand wave, a dismissal of the bothersome flea who barely is worth the effort of the two entire words it took to send him packing.

"Go Fuck Yourself" is hurled in a more serious state of anger, when focus and a real desire to verbally excoriate are operative.


there.

(bowing humbly)

[rumguy]

17. I think you got it down

perfect...

[MaryH]

8. Fuck Off and Go Fuck Yourself

I think they are both European Road Signs.

[Politicub]

9. To Cheney, it's an important distinction

Since there's no one out there in their right mind who would fuck him, "fucking yourself" has a special, personal meaning for Cheney.

Now, Fuck Off, on the other hand, is Lynn Cheney's soft way of saying to Dick, "no honey, not tonight."

[matcom]

10. well, if i fuck off...i'd be by myself - if i go fuck myself...

err um...

i'm alone either way x(

[MaryH]

11. Fucking Off

Ah, that is so sad.

Do you live near sheep?

[matcom]

12. no but for some reason my cats are jumpy

welcome to DU :hi:

[MaryH]

13. I Think It's Better to Be Alone Anyway

Wierd sex is such a republican thing to do.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

19. Look on the bright side..either way you get fucked

works for me ;)

[giant_robot]

14. It comes down to grammar

"fuck off" = intransitive

"go fuck yourself" = transitive

Check out an educational flash animation on the proper use of the word "fuck" here:

http://www.theflasharchive.com/flash/f-81.swf

[OneBlueSky]

16. I went to college with a Japanes student . . .

who was trying to learn conversational English . . . we tried to help him as much as possible, and one day he approached me with the following question: "Could you tell me, please, the difference between three phrases I hear all the time?" he asked. "Sure," I said, "what are they?" "Fucked up, screwed up, and knocked up," he said, sending me into fits of hysterical laughter . . . :)

[SiouxJ]

18. I think if you're going to go to the trouble of using two more

syllables, people will understand that you're more upset. ;-)

Otherwise I've never differentiated between the two.

[geniph]

20. Parsing transitive vs. intransitive Anglo-Saxon monosyllables...

to "fuck off" - equivalent to "piss off" - go away, dismissive

"go fuck yourself" on the other hand, implies a wish for the person to commit a painful act upon themselves, e.g., "get bent" "cram it up yer arse"

Or so I'd interpret it.