English

Phrase

put that in your pipe and smoke it

1. (idiomatic, colloquial, pejorative) Used after stating something surprising or undesired, to emphasize its truth. Also used after refuting an argument. Sometimes an adjective is inserted before pipe.
   • 1800, James Alexander, Some Account of the first apparent Symptoms of the late Rebellion in the County of Kildare:

     You musht know that I om (do you take me? see!) an owld rubble that has found marsee and purteckshin from ago-burn-mint, that mite very justly have scent me and awl my comerogues, sowl and boddy, piking off to the divle (Christ bless us!) and the two looking eyes in my foolish head is so opent, by this and other matthers, to see owld times and time to cum, fwhen I should be afther being dead of the himpen or leaden disorder, that I think I can give the peephill that reeds the Water-fart Chronickhill, sum hints worth shmoaking; and af yew don't prent them, fwhy-Na bocklesh! That's all! Put that in your pipe and shmoak it!

   • 1871, Richard Rowe, Episodes in an Obscure Life, Kessinger Publishing, page 91:

     "There's plenty of room for improvement in it, I don't deny; but it's my belief, Snap, if you was to try to do some of the improvement, you'd find you'd such a lot to do in your own self that you'd begin to doubt whether you was quite a proper judge about other folk's badness. Put that in your pipe, old boy, and smoke it. Good night, Snap; we'll be going now, sir, if it's convenient."

   • 1988, Janet Tanner, The Emerald Valley, Critics Choice Paperbacks, page 228:

     "And you two can put that in your pipe and smoke it!' Tea over, Harry pushed back his chair and got up."

   • 1996, Mary Lee Settle, Charley Bland, Univ of South Carolina Press, page 27:

     "Mamma set up a card table, and one of the men said, "You don't want a table for a picnic." She said, "I do. I can't stand dirt. Put that in your pipe and smoke it." She had started saying that a lot, like a habit, and I did, too."

   • 1946, Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine, page 27:

     "The reason why grow ups and kids fight is because they belong to separate races. Look at them, different from us. Look at us, different from them. Separate races and 'never the twain shall meet.' Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Tom!"

Translations

See also

• how do you like them apples