"where do you get off"

Posted by Robert on March 24, 2006

"where do you get off"

Anyone know the origin of "where do you get off"?

A good definition would be nice too. Here's the best I've come up with.

Where do you get off [doing such and such]?
A rhetorical question expressing offense at an act or comment. Often followed by support for why the act or comment is offensive, shocking, and/or unjustified.

Krycek to Mulder: Where do you get off copping this attitude? You don't even know the first thing about me.
From The X-files, http://www.generationterrorists.com/cgi-bin/x-files.cgi?ep=2x04

Justin: "Where do you get off telling John he,s not good enough to raise a child? That kid can be his."
Gabrielle: "It is a complicated situation."
Justin: "It seems pretty simple to me. You,re an unfeeling bitch."
From Desparate Housewives, http://desperatehousewives.ahaava.com/0122.htm

A grammatical note: the [such and such] may be omitted as an ellipsis.
"Policing my family! Where do you get off?" from Angel Eyes, 2001.