- An extremely strong expression used to convey intense annoyance, exasperation, frustration, or impatience.
- Often uttered when something has gone wrong repeatedly, someone is being particularly difficult or stupid, or when the speaker has reached their limit.
- FFS is the common initialism used in text/online communication.
Explanation
Origin
- A minced oath derived from For God's sake or For Christ's sake.
- Replacing the religious element with fuck adds significant vulgarity and intensity.
- Its use emphasizes the speaker's extreme emotional state, signaling that politeness or restraint has been abandoned due to the severity of the situation or annoyance.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- Seriously?!
- Give me a break!
Vulgar/Emphatic:
- Jesus fucking Christ!
- What the fuck?!
- God damn it!
Milder:
- Oh, come on!
- For crying out loud!
- You've got to be kidding me.
- Jeez / Sheesh.
Situational Appropriateness
- Extremely informal and vulgar.
- Avoid in almost all professional, formal, or polite settings.
- Use reserved for situations of high stress or among close peers who tolerate strong language.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- The sheer force and vulgarity can be shocking to learners or those from cultures where strong public swearing is less common.
- It's purely an exclamation of emotion, not a literal request related to 'sake'.
Examples
- For fuck's sake, can you just listen for one minute?
- Oh, for fuck's sake! The printer jammed again.
- (Text) Left my keys inside again. FFS.
Dialogue
Person A: I locked my keys in the car. Again.
Person B: For fuck's sake, Alex! That's the third time this month!
Person A: I know, I know. Don't yell.
Social Media Examples
- Tweet: Just spent an hour on hold only to get disconnected. FFS customer service these days is a joke. #fail #rant
- Comment: He missed ANOTHER penalty?! For fuck's sake. #football
- Reddit Post Title: FFS, can people please learn to merge properly?
Response Patterns
- Often met with silence, especially if the listener caused the frustration.
- An apologetic response: Sorry, sorry!
- A defensive response: What? What did I do?
- An attempt to placate: Okay, okay, calm down.
- Agreement: I know, right? It's ridiculous.
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
After hearing it:
- Ask What's wrong? or What happened? (if the cause isn't obvious).
- Try to rectify the situation that caused the outburst.
- Give the speaker space if they seem very angry.
After saying it:
- The speaker might elaborate on what caused their frustration.
- They might take action themselves (e.g., storming off, trying to fix the problem aggressively).
- They might vent further.
Conversation Starter
- No. Strictly a reaction, usually negative. Using this to start a conversation would be highly unusual and aggressive.
Intonation
- Heavy stress usually falls on fuck's and sake.
- The tone is typically one of extreme exasperation, anger, or weary frustration.
- Can be spoken loudly or muttered under the breath. FOR FUCK'S SAKE.
Generation Differences
- Used across many adult generations, though perhaps more readily by younger generations (Millennials, Gen Z) in very informal contexts. Older generations might use For God's sake or For Christ's sake more often.
Regional Variations
- Common in most English-speaking regions (US, UK, Aus, NZ, Canada), though frequency varies. Particularly prevalent in UK and Aus informal speech.