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- Dictionarybupkis/ˈbʌpkɪs/
pronoun
- 1. nothing at all: informal US "you know bupkis about fundraising"
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Bupkis is an informal word for nothing or only a very small amount. It is often used in the US and has alternative spellings such as bubkes or bupkus. Learn more about its origin and usage with examples.
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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 slang word for absolutely nothing, borrowed from Yiddish and popularized by a TV show. Learn its etymology, pronunciation, synonyms, translations and anagrams.
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.
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 definition: nothing. See examples of BUPKIS used in a sentence.
Bupkis is a slang word for a worthless amount or little or nothing. It comes from Yiddish bobkes, meaning beans, and is also spelled as bubkes.
Dec 12, 2005 · Bupkis is a slang word that means nothing. It is often used to express frustration or disappointment. See examples, synonyms, and usage of bupkis.
