When someone says that they’re ‘PO’d,’ what does it mean? Where does this phrase come from, and how would you use it in a sentence?
In short, ‘PO’d’ is an abbreviated form of the phrase “pissed off.” To be “pissed off” means that a person is annoyed, fed up, angry, or irritated.
‘PO’d’ is an abbreviated and euphemistic form of the phrase “pissed off.” If someone says that they are ‘PO’d,’ it means that they are irritated, angry, annoyed, or fed up. You might also see this abbreviated phrase written with lowercase letters instead of capitalized letters– i.e., ‘po’d’ vs. ‘PO’d.’
This is a casual and informal slang phrase that is considered to be inappropriate and rude by some. However, how offensive this phrase has to do with the culture in which it is being used, the audience, and the intent. In the US, it isn’t a phrase that is considered appropriate to be used around children, and you would likely want to avoid using it in a work, business, or professional setting.
That being said, some people might use ‘PO’d’ to explain that they are ‘pissed off’ without actually saying these words, which are deemed offensive by some. It’s also a common way to write out ‘pissed off’ when communicating online, as it saves keystrokes and is faster to write.
The word ‘piss’ can now be used in a variety of ways, but its earliest usage was as a verb meaning “to urinate.” This usage dates back to around 1300 and comes from the Old French word for “urinate” that dates back to the 12th century– pissier.
The use of the word ‘piss’ as a noun to describe urine dates to the late 14th century, and it stems from the verb form of the word.
The word ‘pissed’ has been used as an adjective to mean “drunk” since about 1929, and the phrase ‘piss and vinegar’ to describe “energy, vim” dates back to 1942. You may have also heard the phrase ‘to piss away’ in relation to money or other resources, which started being used around 1948.
The phrase ‘pissed off’ meaning “angry” or “fed up,” is thought to date back to 1946 or perhaps 1937. It is said that this phrase was used in World War II in the military but wasn’t a part of the common language until the 1970s.
You might also hear the intransitive form of ‘piss off’ meaning “go away” occasionally, which is a chiefly British usage. The intransitive form that means to “annoy (someone)” is said to date to 1968.
It is unclear when the abbreviated and euphemistic version of ‘pissed off’ entered the common lexicon. It is considered one of the many slang terms that have emerged over the years since the internet became a part of the lives of modern people. These terms usually originated to be shorter than the original word or phrase to say keystrokes and reduce the amount of time typing.
How would you use the term ‘PO’d’ in a sentence? Let’s look at some examples.
What are other words and phrases that convey a similar message as ‘PO’d’? Here are some synonymous terms you might consider using in place of ‘PO’d’:
If you’re feeling ‘PO’d,’ maybe you’ll start to feel better after a wholesome session of learning more English idioms. Head over to our idioms blog, where you can learn the meanings and origins of countless phrases!
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