“Gag me with a spoon” is a Valley girl phrase used to indicate disgust - as being gagged with a spoon definitely sounds unpleasant. These early-’80s teens lived in California’s San Fernando Valley and were known for hanging out at the mall and speaking in a breezy cadence peppered with the words “like” and “totally.” Valley girls were also fond of phrases that seemed to end with a question mark, even when they weren’t questions this is known as uptalk, and it’s often associated with young women.
Its origin: “Gag me with a spoon” was one of many ’80s phrases rooted in the distinct dialect of Valley girls.