Bupkis

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sluggo
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Bupkis

Postby sluggo » Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:56 am

Bupkis (BUP-kiss)

Nothing, nada, zilch, a USian version of the British buggerall - often but not always used as one of a pair of double negatives: "He knew bupkis about farming"/ "He didn't know bupkis about farming".

Imported from Yiddish ("beans")?

Was reencouternated with this wonderfully whimsical word in a totally unrelated tangent surf-- on, of all things, an automotive message board. Made me wonder how many years it had been since I've heard it used. Time to bring it back?
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

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Postby Perry » Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:49 am

Yes, this is from the Yiddish for beans.

A wonderful opposite expression for someone that does know what he/she is talking about or doing, "really knows his onions". I have know idea what the origin is.
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Postby Palewriter » Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:38 pm

Yes, this is from the Yiddish for beans.

A wonderful opposite expression for someone that does know what he/she is talking about or doing, "really knows his onions". I have know idea what the origin is.
Here's the skinny on "know your onions", from the excellent World Wide Words site.

Incidentally, "bugger all" has a couple of sibling expressions in Brit. "Sod all" used to be heard much more than it is today. The ubiquitous F-word+all is probably more heard today than when I was a nipper.

-- PW
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!!! What a ride!"

sluggo
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Postby sluggo » Fri Jan 05, 2007 4:27 pm

I have heard F-word-all from a couple of USians, though usage of bugger- and sod- seem to stay reserved for the UK.

Diddley, Squat and Jack (or jack-****) are more synonyms in North America. How many others might we think of?
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

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Postby Palewriter » Fri Jan 05, 2007 4:55 pm

I have heard F-word-all from a couple of USians, though usage of bugger- and sod- seem to stay reserved for the UK.

Diddley, Squat and Jack (or jack-****) are more synonyms in North America. How many others might we think of?
Sweet Fanny Adams is an expression that used to be in vogue. Strictly ostpondial, as far as I know. Acronym-based, of course.

-- PW
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!!! What a ride!"

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Postby sluggo » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:55 pm


Sweet Fanny Adams is an expression that used to be in vogue. Strictly ostpondial, as far as I know. Acronym-based, of course.

-- PW
Nice info PW. And I just love "ostpondial"!
Last edited by sluggo on Sat Jan 06, 2007 3:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

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Postby Bailey » Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:36 pm

The F-word here is, hopefully yet, not said in polite or even normal society.

mark-reserves-the-really-bad-words-for-self-mashed-thumbs* Bailey

*and usually in private
Last edited by Bailey on Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Postby gailr » Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:39 pm

Where is Brazilian_dude to tell us that he doesn't know squat about this? :(


Bupkis is not be confused with its homonym pupkus
(sniglet n. The moist residue left on a window after a dog presses its nose to it.)

-gailr

sluggo
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Postby sluggo » Sat Jan 06, 2007 3:32 am

The F-word here is, hopefully yet, not said in polite or even normal society.
...
No, but that sort of society wouldn't apply to the circles I go around in... although one of those USian uses I heard was on TV (Dennis Miller).
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

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Postby Bailey » Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:30 pm

Oh I hear it on BBC-A ALL the time, and worse. and cable, they act like folks have used it for centuries.

mark dag-nabbit Bailey

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Postby tcward » Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:13 pm

I think a lot of people mispronounce this word, or think it is pronounced bumpkiss (with an 'm').

And here's even more from World Wide Words on beans.

-Tim

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Postby Palewriter » Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:44 am

No, but that sort of society wouldn't apply to the circles I go around in...
Sorry to hear you're going around in circles, Sluggo. I know the feeling very well.


-- PW
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!!! What a ride!"

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Postby Stargzer » Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:29 am

No, but that sort of society wouldn't apply to the circles I go around in...
Sorry to hear you're going around in circles, Sluggo. I know the feeling very well.


-- PW
"Blessed are they who run in circles, for they shall be known as Big Wheels."
Regards//Larry

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