bunkum n : unacceptable behavior (especially ludicrously false statements) [syn: bunk, buncombe, guff, rot, hogwash]

English

Alternative spellings

• buncombe
• bunk

Etymology

From Buncombe, a county in North Carolina. On 25 Feb 1820, Felix Walker, a US Congressman (whose territory included Buncombe County, NC) gave a rambling speech on the Missouri question with little relevance to the current debate. Walker refused to yield the floor, informing his colleagues that his speech was not intended for Congress but that he was "speaking for Buncombe."

Noun

1. senseless talk; nonsense
2. (Washington circa 1828) any bombastic political posturing or an oratorical display not accompanied by conviction; speechmaking designed for show or public applause.

Quotations

Synonyms

See .

Related terms

• debunk

See also

• Buncombe

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