Origin of expression "the bee's knees"
MFSTEF
During a discussion on old expressions, "the bee's knees" came up as
meaning something quite special. While several of us were familiar with
the expression, we have been unable to track down from where it came.
There was also general agreement that it seemed to date to people who were
over sixty-five or so, but there were dissenting votes from some of the
younger members of the group. Any help would be appreciated.
Steve MacGregor
Jene tajpis lastatempe MFSTEF:
{ During a discussion on old expressions, "the bee's knees" came up as
{ meaning something quite special. While several of us were familiar with
{ the expression, we have been unable to track down from where it came.
It's your standard teenager slang, just like "the cat's pajamas",
"keen", "cool", "groovy", "ginchy", "out of sight", "righteous" and all
the rest, that pop up in the language of the younger generation, seemingly
spontaneously. These are not the sort of people who consciously build
words with some thought to their etymology.
--
-- __Q Stefano MAC:GREGOR Mi dankas al miaj bonsxancigaj steloj,
-- -`\<, (s-ro) \ma-GREG-ar\ ke mi ne estas supersticxulo.
-- (*)/ (*) Fenikso, Arizono, Usono ==================================
--------------- <http://www.indirect.com/www/stevemac/ttt-hejmo.html> ---
alan auerbach F
The bee's (bees'?) knees originated with
the cat's (cats'?) meow, oh you kid, and 23 skidoo.
Jazz-age cool-speak.
--
Al.
00nzwi...@bsuvc.bsu.edu
In article <4petrl$c...@globe.indirect.com>, stev...@indirect.com (Steve MacGregor) writes:
> Jene tajpis lastatempe MFSTEF:
> { During a discussion on old expressions, "the bee's knees" came up as
> { meaning something quite special. While several of us were familiar with
> { the expression, we have been unable to track down from where it came.
>
> It's your standard teenager slang, just like "the cat's pajamas",
> "keen", "cool", "groovy", "ginchy", "out of sight", "righteous" and all
> the rest, that pop up in the language of the younger generation, seemingly
> spontaneously. These are not the sort of people who consciously build
> words with some thought to their etymology.
This was around in the "teens and twenties in the US about the same time as the
expression "23 skidoo" was in vogue. I have never known what the latter meant;
the bee's knees meant "cute" to the max. I believe this was because there was
interest in miniatures at the time. I wasn't actually there.
--
Nyal Z. Williams
00nzwi...@bsuvc.bsu.edu
Duncan Gibson
I could hazard a guess at the derivation of "the Bee's Knees" but
as it will be completely without foundation, and I complain bitterly
when other people guess at things and get it completely wrong, I
won't.
It's interesting to note that there are some phrases involving bits
or possessions of animals which denote both good and bad, and I would
be curious to know the origin of these phrases too:
the bee's knees, the cat's whiskers, the dog's bollocks
- meaning outstanding, excellent
a dog's (or pig's) breakfast
- meaning bad or shoddy work: He's made a dog's brakfast of that.
a pig's (or sow's) ear
- as above, but this clearly derives from the saying that you can't
make a silk purse from a sow's ear
a dog's dinner
- meaning crudely or overdone: She's dressed up like a dog's dinner
Cheers
Duncan
This is my article, not my employer's, with my opinions and my disclaimer!
--
Duncan Gibson, ESTEC/YCV, Postbus 299, 2200AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 71 5654013 Fax: +31 71 5656142 Email: dun...@yc.estec.esa.nl
Alasdair Baxter
> During a discussion on old expressions, "the bee's knees" came up as
> meaning something quite special. While several of us were familiar with
> the expression, we have been unable to track down from where it came.
> There was also general agreement that it seemed to date to people who were
> over sixty-five or so, but there were dissenting votes from some of the
> younger members of the group. Any help would be appreciated.
>
I've always understood the expression to be derived from "the business".
--
Alasdair Baxter, Nottingham, UK. Tel: +44 115 970 5100; Fax: +44 115 9423263.
"It's not what you say that matters but how you say it.
It's not what you do that matters but how you do it".
Robert Keller
Duncan Gibson <dun...@yc.estec.esa.nl> writes:
>It's interesting to note that there are some phrases involving bits
>or possessions of animals which denote both good and bad, and I would
>be curious to know the origin of these phrases too:
c1924. Like some Chinese menus, pick one from column A and one from
column B.
Column A: Ant, gnat, bee, cat or elephant.
Column B: Knee, meow, whiskers, eyebrow, ankle, tonsils, adenoids,
galoshes, pajamas, cufflinks or roller skates.
---
Robert "The elephant's adenoids" Keller