What Does the Expression “Go Fly a Kite” Mean and Where Did the Idiom Come From?

Flying a kite is a good way to see which way the wind is blowing.

In the nineteenth century, when a man was looking for employment or searching for investors, he would send out letters to strangers in much the same way as people send out resumes today.

“Go fly a kite” meant “I can’t help you, but keep sending out those letters.”