The Archive

Etymology Journal · W

What a bunch of bunk

Meaning

A dismissal of something as complete nonsense or a lie. It is a softer, more folksy way of calling someone a liar or a foolish person.

Dismissive, skeptical

Used in a sentence

  • They say the prices will go down next month? What a bunch of bunk.
  • He claims he caught a fish that was ten feet long. What a bunch of bunk.
  • The report is filled with outdated statistics. What a bunch of bunk.

The backstory

Short for 'bunkum,' which originates from a 19th-century American politician from Buncombe County, North Carolina. He gave a long, rambling speech, and the term became synonymous with nonsense.

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