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partiples

Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

bunkum

English answer:

placebo (these are not the same, but in the context of a provocative title, placebo worked well as an alliterative alternative)

Added to glossary by Pippin Michelli
Jan 15, 2006 21:21
18 yrs ago
English term

bunkum

English Other Linguistics synonyms
What other synonyms could be used for bunkum in a phrase:

'A Code of Conduct: a panacea or bunkum?'

I came across synonyms like hogwash, rubbish, claptrap. What would you use in this space?

Please, note this is not a text for translation, only a piece of work I am writing, where I would like to use this phrase.
Responses
3 placebo
4 +7 balderdash, baloney,, bilge, garbage, horsefeathers, nonsense, tommyrot, nonsense.
4 +5 snake oil (in: panacea or snake oil?)
5 +1 doubletalk, doublespeak, folderol, jive, jargon, palaver, mumbo jumbo
3 -1 pain in the neck

Discussion

Tony M Jan 16, 2006:
... trying to deceive / pull the wool over people's eyes? Or maybe trying to hide behind the tokenism of a code of conduct, without addressing the real issues?
Tony M Jan 16, 2006:
As you're originating this text, maybe you could tell us what you WANT it to mean? That might help home in on the right word... Do you just mean 'empty words', or are you trying to imply deliberate charlatanism,...
Tony M Jan 16, 2006:
No, 'gerrymander' means something quite different -- sort of 'moving the goalposts to gain advantage'. You might have been thinking of 'filibuster', which does at least involve lots of words, but I don't think even that is quite applicable here.
lafresita (X) (asker) Jan 16, 2006:
Gerrymander?
Richard Benham Jan 16, 2006:
I told you it was interesting? Maybe Mark can tell you about the origin of "gerrymander".
lafresita (X) (asker) Jan 16, 2006:
To Mark Thank you very much for the etymology of the word 'bunkum'! It is very interesting!
Richard Benham Jan 16, 2006:
Wouldn't you rather be told about the etymology of the word "bunkum"? It's much more interesting!
Tony M Jan 15, 2006:
Asker, this is materially identical to a question asked a few days ago; was it by you? If so, I would suggest rather posting an additional note to that question...
lafresita (X) (asker) Jan 15, 2006:
OK. Just realised that hogwash or claptrap are very informal or rather slang. So, how about twaddle or nonsense.

Responses

1 hr
Selected

placebo

Your text looks like a potential title, so I wonder if an alliterative alternative to bunkum would work. If a panacea is a cure-all, a placebo is a cure-nothing that sometimes actually does work through the power of suggestion.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Placebo fits in the context perfectly. Thanks to ALL very much!"
+1
7 mins

doubletalk, doublespeak, folderol, jive, jargon, palaver, mumbo jumbo

These are often used in a "political" context. hth.
Peer comment(s):
agree Will Matter : One way to put it. ;0)
2 days 1 hr
Thanks for the vote, willm : )
Something went wrong...
+5
1 hr

snake oil (in: panacea or snake oil?)

http://www.google.com/search?q="panacea or snake oil&num=100...

snake oil
1. A worthless preparation fraudulently peddled as a cure for many ills.
2. Speech or writing intended to deceive; humbug.

snake oil
A product that has been proven to not live up to the vendor's marketing hype. The term comes from the 1800s in which elixirs and potions of all kinds, even ones that supposedly included the oils from snakes, were sold as a cure for everything that ailed a person.

More here: http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=snake oil&gwp=11&ver=1...

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Note added at 3 hrs 11 mins (2006-01-16 00:32:31 GMT)
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Here is a more convincing Google search (25,800 hits):
http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&rls=...
Peer comment(s):
agree Trudy Peters : I like that!
3 hrs
Thanks, Trudy.
agree Richard Benham
4 hrs
Thanks, Richard.
agree Tony M : Well, I'd never have known that myself, but it sounds ideal!
21 hrs
Thanks, Dusty!
agree Vicky Papaprodromou : After grading but...
1 day 15 hrs
Thanks, V.
agree Will Matter
2 days 27 mins
Thank you, Will.
Something went wrong...
-1
5 hrs

pain in the neck

Panacea or a pain in the neck


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Note added at 6 hrs 56 mins (2006-01-16 04:17:40 GMT)
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The above does not exactly mean bunkum, but in a title it will look good alongside panacea, especially when we are talking about code of conduct, which can be a pain in the neck sometimes!
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : Sorry, but I think this is getting too far away from the real, intended meaning...
17 hrs
Something went wrong...
+7
3 mins

balderdash, baloney,, bilge, garbage, horsefeathers, nonsense, tommyrot, nonsense.

*

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Note added at 10 mins (2006-01-15 21:31:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry, just one nonsense. Humbug is a good one.
Bunkum is a bit old-fashioned - do you want to keep that? Depends on what register you are writing in - formal, humorous, journalistic etc

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Note added at 11 hrs 57 mins (2006-01-16 09:18:10 GMT)
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Nonsense is probably the most "neutral" choice.

Bunkum does have political overtones being from Buncombe, a county in North Carolina, whose member is said to have gone on talking in Congress, explaining apologetically that he was "only talking for Buncombe" (Chambers).
Peer comment(s):
agree Kim Metzger : humbug, bunk, hooey, hokum, baloney
2 mins
agree Angie Garbarino
4 mins
agree zaphod
5 hrs
agree Jack Doughty
11 hrs
agree Peter Shortall
18 hrs
agree Alfa Trans (X)
1 day 12 mins
agree Will Matter
2 days 1 hr
Something went wrong...
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