馬鹿言え、嘘付け、等

Nagato

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I've a question.
Why people say 馬鹿言え or 嘘付け when they get angry.
Why don't they use the prohibition, but the command (order) form.
 
I don't have a slightest clue why we use the command form like "馬鹿言え".
I searched a bit but couldn't find anything informative :?
According to an online dictionary, "「馬鹿を言え」:「ばかなことを言うな」の意で、相手の言ったことを強く否定し非難するときにいう語。"

Does anyone have any ideas?

BTW, When I was a child, I used to think "馬鹿言え" or "嘘付け" are wrong, but I got used to it.
 
Thanks for reply. Same here, cant find any good explanation about it.
I think 「嘘付け」 means, "Try to lie to me if you dare", but I'm not sure.

And about 負けず嫌い. Originally it's 負け嫌い. I don't understand, why it becomes 負けず嫌い.
 
Like chickie, I really have no idea where it came from.
When I was a child, I once heard someone say ふざけろよ!
which carried the same connotation as ふざけるな!
I still remember it because it did sound odd.

As to 馬鹿言え, there's also an expression 馬鹿も休み休み言え,
which sounds more logic.
But then I'm not sure if these two really have connection or just
two different expressions.
 
I think there are quite a few expressions/phrases in japanese that originate from a sentence and had been shortened over time... but like it always has been when I need it I don't remember it... I just know that we heard about it at the university... so it might be that... :)
 
I asked my principal about this a while ago. Specifically I asked about the sentence
馬鹿を言いなさい
He said that this is an example of 反語 (irony), sort of like a 1950s American saying "Oh, go on." when they really mean "Yeah right, whatever."
 
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I asked my principal about his a while ago. Specifically I asked about the sentence
馬鹿を言いなさい
He said that this is an example of 反語 (irony), sort of like a 1950s American saying "Oh, go on." when they really mean "Yeah right, whatever."

I think Jimmy's right. I've been told that, too.
 
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