Buncombe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A word that denotes irrelevant or foolish talk commonly used to mislead others
2. Speech or writing that is meaningless or intended to deceive others
3. Communications that lack value or truth and are used to confuse or trick

Etymology: Felix Walker, who represented Buncombe County, North Carolina, in the U.S. House of Representatives, rose in 1820 to speak on whether Missouri should join the Union as a free or slave state. After nearly a month of debate, colleagues were eager for a vote, but Walker launched into a long, wearisome speech and explained that he was addressing not Congress but "Buncombe," meaning his home county. He was shouted down, yet his speech was published in a Washington paper, and his stubbornness gave the county's name a new meaning. The phrase spread through Washington jargon as a label for speeches meant for the folks back home rather than for the people actually listening, and "buncombe," later respelled "bunkum," came to mean meaningless political claptrap. From there it broadened to any kind of nonsense and moved into everyday speech.

Synonyms: nonsense, balderdash, humbug

Antonyms: truth, fact