Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Verb Phrase 163. The verb phrase today is "bug off. " Okay. Let's look at the note here. If someone tells another person to bug off he or she is telling that person to go away, get lost , get out of here you know, etc. So remember when we say that it depends on who you're saying it to. If it's meant as a joke or if it's meant seriously. Sometimes it could be considered a little offensive or a little strong, depending upon who you're saying this to. Let's continue. This phrase seemed to start in the mid-1950s and is believed to derive from the British term "bugger off.' So in American English, we usually say bug off. Maybe the British may say bugger off. They say it was picked up as US Airforce slang during the Korean War and I guess the soldiers brought it back and, and I guess it caught on and became a more common phrase. Let's continue. Of course the idea alludes to shooing away like we say shoo, shoo. Get out of here. Shooing away a bug, especially mosquitoes, gnats, etc. It may sometimes be considered to be a little rude. Just like I said before or a little offensive. Okay. Anyway, let's take a look. We got three examples here. The first one. Stop playing here and making all this noise. Bug off. Yes. So again some adults may say this is to children sometimes. You might be able to speak down to children that way. Bug off. Get out of here. Don't bother us. Or number two. Bug off. There is no loitering in this area. This might be guard. You know, maybe maybe some people are hanging out and they're not there for any good purpose. Or maybe it's a homeless person you know, trying to be in a bus station or a train station maybe the guard is telling them to bug off. You got to go. You can't stay here. Or number three. She basically told us the bug off. She basically told us to get out of here. Go away. Okay. Anyway, I hope you got it. I hope it I was clear. I hope it was enjoyable. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.
B1 US bug phrase bugger verb phrase shoo offensive English Tutor Nick P Verb Phrase (163) Bug Off 26 0 anitawu12 posted on 2019/09/30 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary