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- DictionaryBup·kis/ˈbəpkəs/
pronoun
- 1. nothing at all: informal US "you know bupkis about fundraising"
People also ask
What does Bupkis mean?
What is the difference between Bupkis and bupkes?
Where does bupkes come from?
What does Bupkis mean in Yiddish?
Bupkis is an informal word for nothing or only a very small amount, often used in the US. Learn how to pronounce it and see some sentences with bupkis and related words.
- Etymology
- Pronunciation
- Noun
- Further Reading
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Borrowed prior to 1931 from Yiddish באָבקעס (bobkes), plural of באָבקע (bobke, “goat or sheep dropping”), from באָב (bob, “bean”) + ־קע (-ke) calquing Polish bobek (“oval-shaped turd”), ultimately from Proto-Slavic *bobъ (“bean, fava bean”). Popularized by American Jewish writer Sam Denoff in mid-1960s The Dick Van Dyke Show.
IPA(key): /ˈbʌp.kɪs/(Yiddish-influenced) IPA(key): /ˈbɔp.kɪs/bupkis (uncountable) 1. (US, slang) Absolutely nothing; nothing of value, significance, or substance. 1.1. Synonyms: zilch; see also Thesaurus:nothing 1.2. We searched for hours and found bupkis. 1.1. 1997, “Drinking in L.A.”, performed by Bran Van 3000: 1.1.1. But we did nothing, absolutely bupkisthat day / And I say, what the hell am I doing drin...
Jonathon Green (2024) “bupkes n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of SlangEric Partridge (2005) “bupkes; bupkis”, in Tom Dalzell and Terry Victor, editors, The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, volume 1 (A–I), London, New York, N.Y.: Routledge...bupkis is a US slang word meaning absolutely nothing or nothing of value, significance, or substance. It is derived from Yiddish and has various alternative forms and translations.
The word bupkis (more properly bobkes, באבקעס) means “nonsense” or “nothing.” How did this word develop? Well bob (באב) is Yiddish for “bean.” Its diminutive form ( bobkes) also came to refer to goat fecal pellets, which look like little black beans. Thus, referring to a claim or a notion as bupkis is similar to calling it “full of baloney.”
Bupkis means nothing or nonsense, derived from the Yiddish bobkes. It is a slang term that can be used humorously or seriously, and it has various spellings.
Bupkis (also spelled “bubkes”) is a similar noun that means “nothing” or “something of little or no value.” It’s often used in phrases like “He knows bupkis about cars” or “I got bupkis for my efforts.” While these words may seem insignificant, they’re actually a fascinating part of the English language.
Bupkis is a slang word for a worthless amount or little or nothing. It comes from Yiddish bobkes, meaning beans, and is related to Polish and Russian words for bean.
bupkis is a noun meaning nothing or nothingness, borrowed from Yiddish. It is pronounced with a short or long u sound in British or American English.
