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| {{Other uses|PU (disambiguation)}} | {{Other uses|PU (disambiguation)}} | ||
| '''P.U.''' (also '''pue, peuh, peugh, pyoo, pu,''' and '''pew''') is an ] used to express contempt, disgust, or derision, often at a bad ]. It is usually pronounced "pew!" or "pee-you!" | '''P.U.''' (also '''pue, peuh, peugh, pyoo, poo, pu,''' and '''pew''') is an ] used to express contempt, disgust, or derision, often at a bad ]. It is usually pronounced "pew!" or "pee-you!" | ||
| ==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
Revision as of 17:40, 21 May 2013
For other uses, see PU (disambiguation).P.U. (also pue, peuh, peugh, pyoo, poo, pu, and pew) is an interjection used to express contempt, disgust, or derision, often at a bad smell. It is usually pronounced "pew!" or "pee-you!"
Etymology
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term first appeared in print in 1604. It is related to the Spanish interjection fu.
Usage
It has often been used throughout popular culture. In Warner Brothers cartoons, for example, the name of the skunk character, Pepe Le Pew is derived directly from this expression; and Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck or Porky Pig might say "P.U." in an appropriate situation. In an episode of the television series M*A*S*H entitled "Patent 4077", actor Keye Luke reacts to the information that Margaret Houllihan's wedding ring is inscribed: "Over Hill Over Dale, Our Love Will Never Fail", by responding "P.U.!" It was taken to a logical absurdity in the cartoon The Dover Boys, in which their college was described by the narrator as "Pimento University... Pimento U... good ol' P.U.". The Disney basketball-themed cartoon short Double Dribble also uses the idea of a university with these initials.
References
- Simpson, John; Weiner, Edmund (eds.) The Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0198611868
- Wedgwood, Hensleigh (1862). A Dictionary of English Etymology: E - P, Volume 2. Trübner
See also
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