It’s not that hard, for fuck’s sake. Wait. Is that right? I think so. I’m, like, 83% sure that’s right.

We’ve all been there. We write or say something and then immediately begin to question our own reality.  On today’s episode of Oh Fuck It, You Know What I Mean, we’re talking about whether you should be saying “for fuck’s sake” or “for fuck sake.”

If your first encounter with the phrase was hearing it said aloud, then it probably sounded like “for fuck sake.” That’s because most English speakers blend consecutive “s” sounds together from one word to the next, making it seem like there’s only one “s” to be pronounced.

Then, once you started to see it in writing, you noticed a second variation in the spelling and inconsistent usage from one place to the next that made you question what you always thought was the correct version.

The Breakdown

First, let’s look at the definitions and possible meanings of the word “sake.”

Sake is a noun and its primary definition is: for the purpose of; in the interest of; or in order to achieve or preserve.

Example:

We uprooted the family and moved across the country for the sake of not paying back that loan shark.

In this example, sake is being used to draw a connection between the family’s actions and their reason for performing them.

The secondary definition is: out of consideration for or in order to help someone.

Example:

I’ll try not to offend anyone with my morbid fascination with the end of the world, but only for grandma’s sake. After all, it is her funeral.

Next, let’s look at what people mean when they say “for fuck/fuck’s sake.” The phrase is derived from “for heaven’s sake” or “for God’s sake,” which was historically said out of concern, irritation, or confusion. The speaker was expressing their desire to find a remedy for a situation and that said remedy would be pleasing to the invisible man on a cloud in the sky.

Eventually, one of my non-religious comrades took it upon themselves to swap out God for fuck, and now here we are. The original uses for the phrase haven’t changed but we have expanded them to include expressions of anger and exasperation. The writer/speaker is saying “you’ve got to be kidding me” or possibly “help me out here.” They could also just be trying to add emphasis to a command or complaint. 

Example:

Oh, for fuck’s sake! There’s a hobo taking a bath in the pool again.

You got fired again? For fuck’s sake, dude.

Stop standing naked in front of your bay window for fuck’s sake!

What’s the correct phrase?

In case you hadn’t guessed by now, the correct phrase is: for fuck’s sake.

“Why?” you ask. Because something can only be done for or on behalf of someone or something’s sake. In this case, we’re concerned with “the sake of fuck” so “fuck” becomes possessive and gains an apostrophe and an “s.” Depending on how you’re wording the sentence, you may need to turn the sentence’s subject into a possessive noun. 

Examples:

“For the sake of argument” or “for argument’s sake.”

“For the sake of Pete” or “for Pete’s sake.”

“For the sake of fuck” or “for fuck’s sake.”

Hopefully, that clears things up and you can head out into the world with the confidence that you’re finally saying things correctly for fuck’s sake.