Beaucoup bucks (1946, 1963)

[Wilson Gray]

I don't get the point of this. It seems to be saying something like, "The
dictionary has 'red,' but it doesn't have 'red shoes.'"

FWIW, in St. Louis BE of the '50's, in addition to "beaucoup bucks," you
could also say, "bucks a beaucoup," if you really wanted to underline the
amount of money involved. Lest I'm being lest than clear, "beaucoup" could
be used like any other adjective: beaucoup water, water a beaucoup, etc.
"Beaucoup" was often pronounced "bookoo," when used as slang, give that only
a small minority of slang users had any knowledge of French.

-Wilson

On 5/3/06, Bapopik at aol.com <Bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      Beaucoup bucks (1946, 1963)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> BEAUCOUP BUCKS--34,100 Google hits
> ...
> ...
> HDAS has "beaucoup," but not "beaucoup bucks."
> ...
> From today's New York Sun:
> ...
> (GOOGLE NEWS)
> ...
> _Free-Agent Busts Offer Lesson in Frugality_
> (http://www.nysun.com/article/32082)
> New York Sun, NY -  <NOBR>11 hour
> ... Deluded into thinking they were  contenders, the cash-strapped
> franchise
> committed beaucoup bucks  to a 30-year-old guard who doesn't defend and
> has
> sore knees. ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> (GOOGLE)
> _http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=beaucoup+bucks_
> (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=beaucoup+bucks)
> beaucoup bucks
>
> A lot of money (see _beaucoup_
> (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=beaucoup) ).
> Kid: How much money do you make?
> Me: I won't  tell you exactly, but I'll say that I make beaucoup bucks.
> by _some guy_ (http://www.urbandictionary.com/author.php?author=some+guy)
> Jun 3, 2004  _email it_ (javascript:void(0))
> ...
> ...
> ...
>      _Port Arthur News, The_
> (
> http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=MSL63G2EslCKID/6NLMW2kxRHP9uB3i6yzBqMh9J6uUzaScMZJ2TFEIF+CsZYmrz
> )  _Friday,
> September 06, 1946_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=
> "beaucoup+bucks"+AND+date:1946-09-06)  _Port  Arthur,_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=
> "beaucoup+bucks"+AND+cityid:23362+AND+stateid:94)
> _Texas_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="beaucoup+bucks"+AND+stateid:94)
> ...BEAUCOUP BUCKS brewery heir, and Jeannie  Masters Joe Erons,
> Hollywood story ..
> ...
> (Winchell colum--ed.)
> ...Lionel Shelley, beaucoup-bucks brwery heir, and Jeannie  Masters...
> ...
> ...
>      _Manitowoc Herald Times_
> (
> http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=WIIwbfg7DKmKID/6NLMW2l1oOd/X/42RKRuztZWh29lSmSRKcdSiJkIF+CsZYmrz
> )
> _Wednesday,  September 04, 1963_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=
> "beaucoup+bucks"+AND+date:1963-09-04)  _Manitowoc,_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=
> "beaucoup+bucks"+AND+cityid:17424+AND+stateid:73)
> _Ohio_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="beaucoup+bucks"+AND+stateid:73)
> ...They'll Do It  Every Time By Jimmy Hatlo suf' ,r CLUB
> LUMCMEON, GIVES AWAY  BEAUCOUP BUCKS ..
>
> ...
> ...
>      _Stevens Point Daily Journal_
> (
> http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=WIIwbfg7DKmKID/6NLMW2pDeZE4bvjf81niqKojIUG4vP/EPiYw06kIF+CsZYmrz
> )
> _Wednesday,  September 04, 1963_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=
> "beaucoup+bucks"+AND+date:1963-09-04)  _Stevens  Point,_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=
> "beaucoup+bucks"+AND+cityid:28055+AND+stateid
> :103)  _Wisconsin_
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="beaucoup+bucks"+AND+stateid:103)
> ...BEAUCOUP BUCKS OF FREE LEGAL ADVICE TO HIS
> PAL  WHEM GALLSTONE MAS A PEALLV  ..
>
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