[Ads-l] IDGAF

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Interesting topic, JL and Dennis.
Here is a slight improvement to the Wiktionary citation. This citation
points to the same music album.

Usenet discussion message,
Timestamp: Oct 15, 1993, 1:18:39 PM
Newsgroup: rec.music.misc
From: Gonzo
Subject: RELEASE: Recent and Upcoming Album Releases: 93-41
Google Groups Search; Accessed Nov 15, 2025
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.music.misc/c/Hf7YZPE_XTI/m/xQ4fP8ie4XkJ

[Begin excerpt]
Date Artist/Group Title
...
2 Nov Lyrical Prophets I.D.G.A.F. [RM]
[End excerpt]

The following Usenet message clarifies the interpretation of the initialism.

Usenet discussion message,
Timestamp: Nov 6, 1993, 1:29:24 AM
Newsgroup: alt.rap
From: Ryan - MacMichael
Subject: New Lyrical Prophets release ad
Google Groups Search; Accessed Nov 15, 2025
https://groups.google.com/g/alt.rap/c/iaEf9ng3pSI/m/Yu2uAch4bcsJ

[Begin excerpt]
This is Laze from the Lyrical Prophets, and yes -- it's finally here:
the release of our fourth album, "I.D.G.A.F." ("I Don't Give A F...").
We're real excited about this album... lots of PHAT, PHAT, PHAT shit.
[End excerpt]

In 1963 a high school student in Newton, Massachusetts presented a
more elaborate initialism without providing an interpretation:
I-D-G-A-F-F-A-A-R-D. I conjecture that this initialism meant: I don't
give a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut.

Yearbook: 1963 Newtonian
Newton High School, Newton, Massachusetts
Entry for Student: Philip Lawrence Gilman
Quote Page 158, Column 1
https://archive.org/details/newtonian1963newt/page/158/mode/2up?q=%22I.D.G.A.F%22

[Begin excerpt]
PHILIP LAWRENCE GILMAN 138 Albemarle Rd., Newtonville
...
Favorite Expression: I-D-G-A-F-F-A-A-R-D (I'll explain).
[End excerpt]

To support of my interpretation I cite Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s 1969 novel
"Slaughterhouse-Five" which included the following closely related
expression: Go take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut. The primary
setting of the novel was WWII although the hero was "unstuck in time";
hence, there were multiple settings and time periods.

Year: 1969 Copyright
Book Title: Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade
Author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Chapter 6
Quote Page 127
Publisher: A Delta Book: Dell Publishing Company, New York

[Begin excerpt]
"Go take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut," murmured Paul Lazzaro
in his azure nest. "Go take a flying fuck at the moon."
[End excerpt]

In 1933 a publication in North Carolina employed the expression:
flying-leap at a rolling doughnut.

Date: May 1933
Periodical: The Carolina Buccaneer
Article: The Missing Link
Start Page 23, Quote Page 28, Column 2
Publisher: The Publications Union of the University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill
https://archive.org/details/carolinabuccanee1019unse/page/28/mode/2up?q=+%22rolling+doughnut%22

[Begin excerpt]
The fairy god-mother then reluctantly showed me a gopher hole.
Sneezing in embarrassment, I took a flying-leap at a rolling doughnut.
Getting intensely hungry, I took off my shirt and, throwing stones
industriously, I jumped on the back of a galloping goose and went
home.
[End excerpt]

Here are links to the pertinent entries in Wikipedia and Wiktionary:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IDGAF
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/IDGAF

Barry Popik has some entries for variant interpretations of IDGAF.
Within his analysis he points to the Wiktionary entry for IDGAF which
is based on the more common interpretation.

IDGAF (I Don’t Give Away Food)
https://barrypopik.com/blog/idgaf_i_dont_give_away_food

IDGAF I Don’t Give Away Frybread
https://barrypopik.com/blog/idgaf_i_dont_give_away_frybread

Garson O'Toole

On Sat, Nov 15, 2025 at 3:14 PM Dennis During
<00001bcaf94bd005-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> in Wiktionary since 11/2/2011, with a single citation from 1993.
>
> On Sat, Nov 15, 2025 at 7:56 AM Jonathan Lighter <
> 00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> > Md. Gov. Wes Moore on _The Weekend_ (MSNOW TV): I have five letter for the
> > _Washington Post_ [after an unfavorable comment]: I. D. G. A. F.
> >
> > JL
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
> --
> Dennis C. During
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org