Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a now mildly blasphemous excl. of rage, annoyance, surprise, amazement.

[1386		Chaucer Reeve’s Tale (1979) line 230: ‘Allas,’ quod John, ‘Aleyn, for Cristes peyne, Lay doun thy swerd’].
[1663		Head Hic et Ubique II iii: O yea, for Christis shake, make help for my shelf moyster, or else poor Kilpatrick will be made Kil upon].
1901		H. Lawson ‘Send Round the Hat’ in Roderick (1972) 470: Spit out for Christ’s sake, Long-’un!
1910		T.S. Eliot ‘The Triumph of Bullshit’ Inventions of the March Hare in Ricks (1996) 307: Take up my good intentions with the rest / And then for Christ’s sake stick them up your ass.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 327: Arrah, sit down on the parliamentary side of your arse for Christ’ sake and don’t be making a public exhibition of yourself.
1927		(con. WW1) P. MacDonald Patrol 101: ‘Sun’s not near high yet. ’F you start now you won’t get the tap by bein’ in the buff’ [Ibid.] 114: ‘Come on Cookie. You’ll get a Doolally in a minute. Put y’r shirt [...] on, f’r Chrisake!’.
1929		H.W. Brecht Downfall 145: Oh you, for crissake [...] You ain’t old enough to know your front from your behind.
1929		(con. 1916) F. Manning Her Privates We (1986) 211: For Christ’s sake walk on your own fuckin’ feet an’ not on mine!
1932		(con. 1919) Dos Passos Nineteen Nineteen in USA (1966) 725: Say soldier, for chrissake can’t you tell me how I can get back to my outfit?
1935		J. Conroy World to Win 197: F’ Crissakes, break down the door or do something!
1935		D. Lamson We Who Are About to Die 138: Oh, for Christ’s sake!
1936		(con. 1920s) Dos Passos Big Money in USA (1966) 797: He [...] wrote to Joe that he was on his uppers and please to send him twentyfive by mail P.D.Q. and for crissake to come to New York.
1940		S. Sterling ‘Ten Carats of Lead’ in Black Mask Stories (2010) 223/1: Crysake, don’t you Ames dummies know a copy when you see one?
1944		L. Glassop We Were the Rats 8: For Christ’s sake when you come out here tomorrow night don’t come in your green car.
1946		D. Stivens Courtship of Uncle Henry 25: Chrissake what a bunch for a beauty contest with those bloody pedicles sticking out like a pump handle.
1948		Kerouac letter 2 Jan. in Charters I (1995) 142: Listen Stasia for krissakes did you ever have an orgasm?
1950		‘Hal Ellson’ Tomboy (1952) 50: Oh, for Christ’s sakes, let’s go!
1951		W. Burroughs letter May in Harris (1993) 88: For the Cris sake do you actually think that laying a woman makes someone heter[osexual]?
1953		W. Brown Monkey On My Back (1954) 107: For Crizzakes, what kind of a cookie was I?
1953		J.L. Herlihy ‘Sleep of Baby Filbertson’ Sleep of Baby Filbertson and Other Stories (1964) 16: I’m not hurt for Chrissake, lea’ me alone.
1957		Kerouac On The Road (1972) 126: For krissake bring him down and get rid of her.
1958		(con. 1950) E. Frankel Band of Brothers 65: You an arttist, for chrisakes?
1963		Kerouac letter 23 May in Charters II (1999) 363: Didnt you for krissakes ever read that section.
1964		H. Selby Jr Last Exit to Brooklyn 118: For krists sake, what thefuck she smilin at?
1967		L. Bruce Essential Lenny Bruce 18: I can show you cancelled checks, for Chrissakes!
1969		N. Cohn Awopbop. (1970) 84: For Chrissake, she was even her school cheer leader.
1970		J. Bouton Ball Four 199: Hey, for crissakes, get the hell off the bus.
1970		E. Tidyman Shaft 107: ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake,’ Shaft tried to protest.
1971		R.D. Pharr S.R.O. (1998) 218: ‘You better act like it [i.e. politely].’ ‘For Chrissakes,’ I snorted .
1974		D. Mamet Sexual Perversity in Chicago (1994) 64: I mean, look at her for chrissakes. You’re a very attractive woman.
1985		S. Berkoff West in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 103: Turn it off, for Christ’s sake.
1987		T. Wolfe Bonfire of the Vanities 219: F’r Chrissake, don’t say I said that.
1989		C. Hiaasen Skin Tight 189: It’s just an expression [...] lighten up for Chrissakes.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 224: For Christ’s sake, Benny. Quit jerkin off.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 201: ‘But, for chrissake, let it drift on your boards. It’ll be deader’n a frozen wart’.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 157: The fucking cover for Chrissakes!
1999		Observer Mag. 13 June 32: I drink Scotch that’s older’n mosta these people, for Chrissake.
2000		Indep. on Sun. Real Life 6 Feb. 8: This is fashion as fun, for chrissakes.
2006		D. Winslow Winter of Frankie Machine (2007) 78: I’m in the joint for three years, not earning. This guy has to let me eat, for Chrissakes.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 53: Down, boyo [...] It was a play slap, for Jesus sake.
2012		T.P. McCauley ‘Lady Madeline’s Dive’ in ThugLit Sept./Oct. [ebook] ‘We run a gamblin’ joint for Chrissakes!’.
2013		T. Robinson Hard Bounce [ebook] For crissakes, the guy is the top cop in town.
2019		P. Temple ‘High Art’ in The Red Hand 48: ‘For Christsakes, Jack, shoutin or not?’.