Where "Rack Off" Comes From
Green's Dictionary of Slang traces it to 1979, in the classic Australian novel Puberty Blues by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey. It's a blunt, informal way of telling someone to leave — sitting alongside shoot through in the departures corner of Australian slang, though "rack off" is a direct, rude command rather than a description of someone else leaving on their own.
Tone matters a lot here: it can be genuinely rude between strangers, or affectionately dismissive between mates, depending entirely on who's saying it and how.
Source:
"Rack off, I'm busy!"
How Aussies Actually Use It
A blunt, no-nonsense way of telling someone to leave you alone — "rack off, I'm busy!" is direct rather than genuinely aggressive, though it's still considered a bit rude in polite company.
It's punchier than "go away" and less crude than the phrase it's often thought to be softening, making it a favourite for playful arguments as much as real ones.
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