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- DictionaryBup·kis/ˈbəpkəs/
pronoun
- 1. nothing at all: informal US "you know bupkis about fundraising"
nothing, or only a very small amount: Most biochemical weapons soak in through your skin, so a gas mask would do bubkes. Fewer examples. Knowing Roland Barthes from Bertolt Brecht won't get you bubkes in the real world.
Aug 5, 2024 · bupkis (uncountable) (US, slang) Absolutely nothing; nothing of value, significance, or substance. Synonyms: zilch; see also Thesaurus: nothing
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.
While “bubkes” and “bupkis” can both refer to a lack of value or significance, they have specific contexts where they are more appropriate. “Bubkes” is commonly used to describe a negligible or trivial result, often in the context of personal achievements, rewards, or outcomes.
Bupkis means absolutely nothing. It comes from the Yiddish bobkes, meaning nonsense or nothing, and it emerged in English during the early 20th century. It began as North American Jewish slang, but it’s now used more broadly, often for humorous effect. 1
US slang nothing.... Click for English pronunciations, examples sentences, video.
bup·kis. (bŭp′kĭs) also bub·kes (bŭb′kəs) n. Slang. A worthless amount; little or nothing. [Yiddish bobkes, from pl. of bobke, diminutive of bob, bean, of Slavic origin; akin to Polish bób and Russian bob, bean; see bha-bhā- in Indo-European roots .] American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
