sit on a tack

English

Phrase

sit on a tack

1. (idiomatic, colloquial, dated) An expression of contempt or dismissiveness directed at someone, particularly in the case of disagreement.

   I don't care what he thinks! He can just sit on a tack!

   "Go sit on a tack!" she said, angrily.

   • 1920, E. J. Rath, “The Brains of the Family”, in Munsey's Magazine‎^[1], volume 71, number 2, page 281:

     "From now on, so far as I'm concerned, you can sit on a tack!"

   • 1925, George William Cooke, “Joy In My Heart”:

     And if the Devil doesn't like it, he can sit on a tack!

   • 1936, Jack O'Connor, “Easy Mark”, in Fiction Parade and Golden Book Magazine, volume III, number 4, page 459:

     "You can sit on a tack!" He wanted to say it bad.

   • 2020, Rita Mae Brown, Sneaky Pie Brown, Furmidable Foes: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery‎^[2], Bantam Books, page 216:

     "You can sit on a tack," Harry fired back, then laughed, and Susan laughed with her.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see sit,‎ on,‎ a,‎ tack.

Usage notes

As a mild expression of contempt, on par with go jump in a lake or get lost, and milder than go to hell.