I volunteer as tribute

English

Etymology

From a scene in the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, in which the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, shouts this when offering to take her sister's place as a "tribute" (competitor) in the titular battle royale.

Interjection

I volunteer as tribute

1. (humorous) Used to indicate that one is enthusiastic or willing to do something; implies (often ironically) that the thing is unpleasant or undesirable.
   • 2018, Shéa MacLeod, The Death in the Drink, unnumbered page:

     She grinned. "Fun. Does that mean another trip to England for research? I volunteer as tribute."

   • 2019, Amber Kuhlman, If I Fall‎^[1], unnumbered page:

     "I need to get laid," Ava said as I filled an ice frosted glass with beer for a customer. "I just need sex, you know? Sex is good. Sex is great."
     "I volunteer as tribute!" Jesse called from where he was sitting at the end of the bar.

   • 2021, Liwen Y. Ho, To the Only Boy I've Loved Before, unnumbered page:

     “Well, if you ever need a guinea pig to try your songs out on, I volunteer as tribute.”

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:I volunteer as tribute.