Street voices
Hugues
·
United States
"Bummer. Usually said in phrases such as what a bummer, that's a bummer, or simply just bummer, is a phrase said to express discontent with a situation. Yeah, unfortunately Charles couldn't make it today. Oh no, what happened? He's, uh, he's pretty sick. Aw, bummer!"
What it means
Bummer is a super common little reaction for when something's gone a bit crap or disappointing, but not full end-of-the-world territory. You drop it for cancelled plans, bad luck, annoying news, or any moment that takes the shine off things. It's casual, mild, and usually more about the vibe dipping than proper heartbreak.
Usage examples
"Charles can't make the trip after all, he's sick as hell. Aw, bummer, we were all stoked to see him wreck karaoke tonight."
"Rain again on the one weekend we booked the beach hut? What a bummer."
"They sold out of tickets two people ahead of me in the queue, total bummer."
"They pushed the gig back to next month? Ah, bummer, I already booked the night off."
"My phone died right before I had to show the ticket at the door. Total bummer."
Where it comes from
Bummer grew out of American English in the late 1800s from bum, which had a messy cluster of meanings around loafers, unpleasant stuff, and things going badly. By the 1960s, a bummer could also mean a bad drug experience. From there it mellowed into the everyday reaction word for a disappointment or letdown.
Editors of this term
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