Green’s Dictionary of Slang

for Christ’s sake! excl.

also Chrissake! Christ sake! Cris sake! for Chrissakes! for Christ sake! for crissake(s)! for Crizzakes! for krissakes! for Jesus sake!

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

[[UK]Chaucer Reeve’s Tale (1979) line 230: ‘Allas,’ quod John, ‘Aleyn, for Cristes peyne, Lay doun thy swerd’].
[[Ire]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].
[Aus]H. Lawson ‘Send Round the Hat’ in Roderick (1972) 470: Spit out for Christ’s sake, Long-’un!
[UK]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.
[Ire]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.
[UK](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!’.
[US]H.W. Brecht Downfall 145: Oh you, for crissake [...] You ain’t old enough to know your front from your behind.
[UK](con. 1916) F. Manning Her Privates We (1986) 211: For Christ’s sake walk on your own fuckin’ feet an’ not on mine!
[US](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?
[US]J. Conroy World to Win 197: F’ Crissakes, break down the door or do something!
[US]D. Lamson We Who Are About to Die 138: Oh, for Christ’s sake!
[US](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.
[US]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?
[Aus]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.
[Aus]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.
[US]Kerouac letter 2 Jan. in Charters I (1995) 142: Listen Stasia for krissakes did you ever have an orgasm?
[US]‘Hal Ellson’ Tomboy (1952) 50: Oh, for Christ’s sakes, let’s go!
[US]W. Burroughs letter May in Harris (1993) 88: For the Cris sake do you actually think that laying a woman makes someone heter[osexual]?
[US]W. Brown Monkey On My Back (1954) 107: For Crizzakes, what kind of a cookie was I?
[US]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.
[US]Kerouac On The Road (1972) 126: For krissake bring him down and get rid of her.
[US](con. 1950) E. Frankel Band of Brothers 65: You an arttist, for chrisakes?
[US]Kerouac letter 23 May in Charters II (1999) 363: Didnt you for krissakes ever read that section.
[US]H. Selby Jr Last Exit to Brooklyn 118: For krists sake, what thefuck she smilin at?
[US]L. Bruce Essential Lenny Bruce 18: I can show you cancelled checks, for Chrissakes!
[UK]N. Cohn Awopbop. (1970) 84: For Chrissake, she was even her school cheer leader.
[US]J. Bouton Ball Four 199: Hey, for crissakes, get the hell off the bus.
[US]E. Tidyman Shaft 107: ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake,’ Shaft tried to protest.
[US]R.D. Pharr S.R.O. (1998) 218: ‘You better act like it [i.e. politely].’ ‘For Chrissakes,’ I snorted .
[US]D. Mamet Sexual Perversity in Chicago (1994) 64: I mean, look at her for chrissakes. You’re a very attractive woman.
[UK]S. Berkoff West in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 103: Turn it off, for Christ’s sake.
[US]T. Wolfe Bonfire of the Vanities 219: F’r Chrissake, don’t say I said that.
[US]C. Hiaasen Skin Tight 189: It’s just an expression [...] lighten up for Chrissakes.
[US]S. Morgan Homeboy 224: For Christ’s sake, Benny. Quit jerkin off.
[Aus]J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 201: ‘But, for chrissake, let it drift on your boards. It’ll be deader’n a frozen wart’.
[UK]K. Sampson Powder 157: The fucking cover for Chrissakes!
[UK]Observer Mag. 13 June 32: I drink Scotch that’s older’n mosta these people, for Chrissake.
[UK]Indep. on Sun. Real Life 6 Feb. 8: This is fashion as fun, for chrissakes.
[US]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.
[US](con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 53: Down, boyo [...] It was a play slap, for Jesus sake.
T.P. McCauley ‘Lady Madeline’s Dive’ in ThugLit Sept./Oct. [ebook] ‘We run a gamblin’ joint for Chrissakes!’.
[US]T. Robinson Hard Bounce [ebook] For crissakes, the guy is the top cop in town.
P. Temple ‘High Art’ in The Red Hand 48: ‘For Christsakes, Jack, shoutin or not?’.