Take Off, Eh!

Blue text over a white background. Above the text is a Canadian maple leaf. 

It’s not clear where the phrase “take off, eh” came from, but it is widely accepted that the phrase was popularized by the Canadian characters Bob and Doug McKenzie from the Second City Television (SCTV) comedy sketch show. Played by Rick Moranis and Doug McKenzie, Bob and Doug were the main characters in the SCTV sketch “Great White North,” a parody where two stereotypical Canadian brothers talked about all things Canadian. 

"Take off, eh” has several meanings, but in the context of the “Great White North,” the phrase is used as a pejorative similar to a phrase like “get lost” or “shut up.” While the use of the word “eh” is considered to be uniquely Canadian, the origin of the word can be traced back to the Middle English words “ey,” “ei” and “a.”