bee’s knees
bee’s knees (idiom)
/ˈbiːz niːz/
Meaning
- Refers to something outstandingly good or excellent.
- Signifies a person or thing that is greatly liked or considered the best.
- Denotes an exceptional or highly admired individual or object.
Example Sentences
- Emma’s homemade cookies are the bee’s knees; I could eat them all day!
- His new suit makes him look like the bee’s knees at the party.
- That luxury spa is the bee’s knees if you want to relax in style.
- Grandma’s apple pie is the bee’s knees, better than anything from a bakery.
Origin and History
The earliest known usage of “bee’s knees” dates back to the late 18th century, where it described something minuscule or insignificant. For instance, a letter from 1797 contains the phrase:
“It cannot be as big as a bee’s knee.”
This literal interpretation highlights the diminutive size of a bee’s knee, emphasizing triviality.
Transition to a Complimentary Phrase in the 1920s
By the 1920s, the expression underwent a transformation in American slang, evolving into a term of high praise. This era, known for its playful and inventive language, introduced numerous fanciful expressions denoting excellence. Phrases like “the cat’s pajamas,” “the cat’s whiskers,” and “the bee’s knees” emerged, all conveying a sense of something exceptional. The first recorded use of “the bee’s knees” in this complimentary context appears in a 1922 edition of The Buffalo Times:
“I seen a princess once and it only cost a dime… I’ll say she was the bee’s knees when it come to dancing.”
The Influence of Rhyming Slang
The 1920s penchant for rhyming slang significantly influenced the adoption of “the bee’s knees.” This linguistic trend favored catchy, rhyming phrases, often involving animal anatomy, to describe something as top-notch. Expressions such as “the cat’s meow,” “the gnat’s elbow,” and “the monkey’s eyebrows” exemplify this style. The rhythmic and whimsical nature of these phrases contributed to their popularity during the Roaring Twenties.
Association with Bee Jackson
Some narratives link the idiom to Bee Jackson, a renowned Charleston dancer of the 1920s. It’s speculated that her exceptional dance skills led admirers to coin the term “the bee’s knees” in her honor. However, this theory lacks substantial evidence, especially since the phrase was already in circulation before her rise to fame.
The ‘Business’ Hypothesis
Another theory posits that “the bee’s knees” is a playful corruption of the word “business.” In this context, describing something as “the business” implies it’s of high quality or excellence. The phonetic similarity between “bee’s knees” and “business” suggests that the former could have emerged as a lighthearted variation of the latter.
Anatomical Significance of Bees’ Knees
There’s also a belief that the phrase draws from the actual anatomy of bees. Bees collect pollen in sacs located on their legs, near the joints that could be likened to knees. This association with gathering something valuable—pollen—might have metaphorically extended to the phrase, symbolizing something highly desirable or excellent.
Variant
- bee’s whiskers
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