[Ads-l] the bee's knees (1920)

[Jonathan Lighter]

To be a little more precise, "the bee's knees" (and similar expressions)
mean "something extraordinary or superlative."  Some early exx. imply
frustration or amazement rather than appreciation. (Of the sort, "Ain't
that the bee's knees?")

"The berries" was used similarly.

JL

On Sat, Oct 20, 2018 at 8:42 AM Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:

> So "bee's knees" went from a thing that doesn't exist (but con men try to
> convince you does) to a thing that does exist but is exceptionally rare?
>
> On Sat, Oct 20, 2018, 4:31 AM Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:
>
> > Another non-superlative use, in a nonsense anatomy lecture:
> >
> > "The kidneys are much bigger than a bee's knees and much the shape of
> > kidney beans."
> >
> > (Lancaster) Wisconsin Herald, Jan. 24, 1846, 1:3. Am. Hist. Newsp.
> >
> >
> > SG
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


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