useless bumf
- noun
- Slang
:
papelera
- Let’s clear this desk of all the useless bumf before the meeting.
Examples
-
She spent hours sorting through useless bumf sent by the company.
-
This report is just useless bumf.
-
His file was filled with useless bumf that no one read.
-
I received a lot of useless bumf in the mail.
-
Before filing, she discarded all the useless bumf that cluttered her work area.
-
He was frustrated by the amount of useless bumf included in the job application packet.
-
During the office cleanup, they found useless bumf that hadn't been touched in years.
Synonyms
16
3.5
Unimportant words in writing or speech
1
9.9
Unwanted papers or letters from offices that are boring to read
Papers and documents you do not need and find boring to read
How Useful
50
2.4
- Specialized
50
3.8
381
2.4
- Slang
16
2.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'useless' (incapable of serving a useful purpose) modifying 'bumf' (tedious or bureaucratic paperwork), so the phrase straightforwardly denotes unnecessary or trivial paperwork. The adjective+noun composition is regular and predictable; although 'bumf' is colloquial/UK, a learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the combined meaning.
Etymology
Useless bumf comes from old slang bumf, short for 'bum-fodder', a rude name for 'toilet paper'. People compared useless printed papers to toilet paper, so calling something useless bumf means 'unimportant or unnecessary paperwork'.