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 what you say when something mildly disappointing, annoying, or sad happens and you want to react without going full tragedy mode. It has that casual, everyday letdown vibe, softer than saying something is awful, but still clearly not great. Perfect for cancelled plans, bad luck, or any small bit of rubbish news that takes the shine off the moment.
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."
Where it comes from
It grew out of bum, the all-purpose American word for something bad or broken, and bloomed in the sixties when a bummer was a bad trip. The drug edge wore off and left the everyday letdown, the small sour note you flag without making a whole drama of it.
Editors of this term
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