Bunkum
/ˈbʌŋ.kəm/noun
Nonsense or empty, insincere talk.
Did you know?The word is tied to a notorious 1820 speech in Buncombe County, North Carolina, where a politician allegedly insisted on speaking for the county even when the audience didn’t want him to—turning the place name into a symbol of empty public performance.
Etymological Timeline
1820s
English
Buncombe
“A political speech made for show, especially one aimed at impressing an audience rather than saying anything meaningful.”
1830s
English
bunkum
“A variant spelling used for hollow, showy, or insincere talk.”
19th Century
English
bunk
“Nonsense; later also a bed or sleeping place, from a separate origin.”
Modern English
English
bunkum
“Nonsense, empty talk, or pretentious claptrap.”