an irritated brushoff or deflection delivered when one party is fed up with the behavior or antics of another, as in “If we don’t show up to the next meeting with a firm proposal they’re going to tell us to go pound sand”; pounding sand is here noteworthy for its tedium and pointlessness, and being encouraged to do so intentionally telegraphs displeasure at the current state of affairs, including a whiff of contempt; not often used in direct conversation with the object of disdain for fear of sounding unprofessional or even archaic, as the expression itself is many decades old and can come across as folksy or old-fashioned; unlike much jargon that is designed to elide potential conflict or unpleasantness, this expression amplifies it