# get up the yard

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/get-up-the-yard
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Get lost!

## Examples

- You are bothering me, so get up the yard.
- Tell that loud neighbor to get up the yard so we can sleep.
- Stop asking me for money and just get up the yard.
- When the salesman tried to charge me double for the repair, I told him to get up the yard and left the shop.
- After he insulted my family for the final time, I told him to get up the yard.

## Origin

The phrase is attributed to the vernacular of Dublin, Ireland, with a popular though unproven origin dating to the 1960s. According to this account, the expression began as a literal command issued at St. Pius X National School in Templeogue. In this local history, older pupils were appointed as wardens to manage the movements of the younger children. These wardens would reportedly shout at the children to get up the yard, directing them away from the road and back toward the school yard. The phrase is said to have migrated from the playground of the National School into wider Irish usage, though its transition from a literal instruction to a figurative dismissal remains a matter of regional lore. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.