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refer someone to the reply given in Arkell v Pressdram

(UK, humorous, euphemistic) To tell someone to fuck off.

Documented since 1970s1970sGen Xhistorical230 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
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Etymology timeline

Born ~1971 · no dated citations yet
1971BornToday, 2026
Boomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →

Definitions

UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

(UK, humorous, euphemistic) To tell someone to fuck off.

Origin: Coined in 1971 from an incident in which Pressdram, publisher of Private Eye magazine, received a legal letter from a solicitor acting for a Mr Arkell. Pressdram's reply stated: The phrase is written as a pseudo-legal citation, as if Arkell v Pressdram were a real court case, although the proceedings never actually made it to court. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"refer someone to the reply given in Arkell v Pressdram" means: To tell someone to fuck off.. This is strong language and parents may reasonably want to discuss when, where and around whom it is used. It is not usually a sign of trouble on its own; many teens use such words to fit in with peers. A calm conversation about register, audience and consequences (school, work, family) tends to be more useful than a ban. Pay attention to the target of the language more than the word itself.

For ESL learners

"refer someone to the reply given in Arkell v Pressdram" means: To tell someone to fuck off.. Register: strong, taboo language. Avoid in writing, business, classroom and any formal setting; reserve for close friends after observing native use first. Note the regional or dialect label (UK) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being

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For specific readers

"refer someone to the reply given in Arkell v Pressdram" means: To tell someone to fuck off.. This is strong language and parents may reasonably want to discuss when, where and around whom it is used. It is not usually a sign of trouble on its own; many teens use such words to fit in with peers. A calm conversation about register, audience and consequences (school, work, family) tends to be more useful than a ban. Pay attention to the target of the language more than the word itself.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.

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