File 13
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
File 13 refers to a trash can. The phrase is especially used in the U.S. military, and is less common outside the United States. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the expression "round file" or "circular" is more common. Expressions such as "I'll place that memo in file 13" are often heard in offices as a joking way of saying, "I'm going to throw away that memo."
The first known citation of "File 13" was in 1941. The phrase's origins may perhaps be traced to 13 being a supposedly unlucky number, although the exact source is unknown. According to Slangsearch: Air Force, "File 13" refers to an aircraft's garbage can.
There is an independent record label named File Thirteen Records, based originally in Little Rock, AR and now in Chicago, IL.
There is a song by the band AFI called "File 13," on the album Very Proud of Ya, which contains the lyric, "Someone should throw me away/Feel like a garbage can."
[edit] References
- File 13, The Phrase Finder.
- Slangsearch: Air Force.
- File 13 Records
