Can it

can anybody shed some light?
another phrase I grew up with (can it)and still use
that means to stop what you are doing,
be finished,
quit,
cease and desist,
Generally used to halt annoying, useless,or bad behavior.
I believe it originated in hollywood
when a film was finished it went into the can (film canister)
ie, when they were done editing they 'caned it'
it also has seen use as a term
to throw something away
as in the 'garbage can'
(cast off the bad behavior/action and adopt new)
which reminds me...
how did the garbage can get to be called 'file thirteen' ?

In our locale many people "can" fruits and vegetables for later consumption after the growing and the harvest. I have used "can it" in a dismissive way when talking with someone and not really having the time to listen to all they have to say.
Also, when we are recording songs and stories in the studio and have a work in progress but not yet completed, we say it is "in the can."
Film, movies, are stored in cans or cannisters.
The "can" is also another name for the toilet.

In my neighborhood "can it!" did not mean stop what you are doing, it mean "Shut up!" SS