headdesk

English

Etymology

From head +‎ desk.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛd.dɛsk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Interjection

headdesk

1. Used to express frustration or irritated disbelief, from the tendency of annoyed or irritated people to want to repeatedly bang their heads against their desk.
   • 1999 May 30, Antony Espindola, “Re: Top Ten Signs A Guest At Your Memorial Day Barbecue Is A Spy”, in alt.fan.james-bond‎^[1] (Usenet), retrieved 2017-02-08, message-ID <37513F4E.CB1511E7@Netscape.net>:

     *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump*[1] ... [1] head/desk interface sounds

   • 2001 August 16, Mark Green, “Re: Are shy people oppressed”, in alt.support.shyness‎^[2] (Usenet), retrieved 2017-02-08, message-ID <88139ee2.0108160306.5a56d802@posting.google.com>:

     And as we leave, the shybies immediately complain that, although they would have liked to be in the musical, it was hardly fair that they were forced to perform with no script or rehearsal and without even a passed audition confirming they were fit for the part; in fact, it could have been done deliberately to oppress and humiliate them. Head, desk. Thump. Thump. Thump.

   • 2002 October 22, Mariot MacFarlane, “Re: Dickens Faire: looking for garb to borrow”, in alt.fairs.renaissance‎^[3] (Usenet), retrieved 2017-02-08, message-ID <hGdt9.601$zR7.44124330@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com>:

     It would still be very fun to do. Sweetie looked at me really funny when I told him about it. He didn't get it either *head-desk, head-desk*

   • 2008, Shelley Adina, The Fruit of My Lipstick‎^[4], FaithWords, →ISBN:

     Headdesk. Gillian, Gillian. You don't need another chemistry class; you need to go to charm school.

   • 2008, Susie Day, serafina67 *urgently requires life*, Scholastic, →ISBN, page 154:

     Apparently the reason I am weirded out by the idea of Mum getting porny with Invisible Ray Who May Not Even Exist is because I am afraid this means I am being replaced. Er, dude, I am her daughter? And he is (possibly, depending on invisibility/existingness) her bloke? Not. The. Same. *headdesk*

   • 2010, Susane Colasanti, Something Like Fate‎^[5], Viking, →ISBN:

     berrygirl: *headdesk* um, i don't know, maybe because we have absolutely nothing in common? at ALL?

Translations

expressing frustration

Verb

headdesk (third-person singular simple present headdesks, present participle headdesking, simple past and past participle headdesked)

1. (slang) To bang one's head against the desk in frustration; (by extension) to express annoyance or exasperation.
   • 2006 August 8, Tom Tobin, “Re: MR: _manipulator_validate_FIELD() methods?”, in django-users‎^[6] (Usenet), retrieved 2017-02-08, message-ID <1fb3de5c0608081824j766463g52e109c405b18105@mail.gmail.com>:

     Hopefully this will save someone else some head-desking; I'll see about writing up a patch for the docs describing this (unless I discover that I've been blind and this is, indeed, documented somewhere). :-D

   • 2011, Jolanta Benal, The Dog Trainer's Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet, St. Martin's Griffin, →ISBN, page 145:

     In no time at all you'll be headdesking just like a dog trainer, wailing at people's misinterpretations of their dogs.

   • 2014, Leigh Butler, Re-Reading Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time‎^[7], Tor, →ISBN:

     The only reason I am not actually headdesking at him right now is because I have apparently devoted a disproportionate amount of migraine space to him already, and I wouldn't want to have my indignation at fictional characters distributed unfairly, quelle horreur!

   • 2015, Leah Raeder, Cam Girl‎^[8], Atria, →ISBN:

     She made them tell her everything, then had Ellis re-explain in layman's terms while I sat there mentally headdesking.

Translations

bang head against desk

See also

• facepalm
• headbang