bunkum

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: bun=kum

CIDE DICTIONARY

bunkum, n. [Buncombe a county of North Carolina.].

 Speech-making for the gratification of constituents, or to gain public applause; flattering talk for a selfish purpose; anything said for mere show.  [1913 Webster]
" “The phrase originated near the close of the debate on the famous ‘Missouri Question,' in the 16th Congress. It was then used by Felix Walker -- a naïve old mountaineer, who resided at Waynesville, in Haywood, the most western country of North Carolina, near the border of the adjacent county of Buncombe, which formed part of his district. The old man rose to speak, while the house was impatiently calling for the ‘Question,' and several members gathered round him, begging him to desist. He preserved, however, for a while, declaring that the people of his district expected it, and that he was bound to ‘make a speech for Buncombe.'” W. Darlington."  W. Darlington.  [1913 Webster]
"All that flourish about right of search was bunkum -- all that brag about hanging your Canada sheriff was bunkum . . . slavery speeches are all bunkum."  [1913 Webster]

To speak for Buncombe, to speak for mere show, or popularly.

bunkum, n. 

 See Buncombe.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bunkum, n. (also buncombe) nonsense; humbug.

Etymology

orig. buncombe f. Buncombe County in N. Carolina, mentioned in a nonsense speech by its Congressman, c.1820

THESAURUS

bunkum

Grade A, Washingtonese, adulation, applesauce, balderdash, balls, baloney, bang-up, big talk, bilge, blague, blah, blah-blah, blandishment, blarney, blue-ribbon, bop, bosh, boss, bull, bullshit, bunk, cajolement, cajolery, champion, claptrap, compliment, crap, eyewash, fair words, fancy talk, fawning, federalese, fine talk, first-string, fish story, fit, flam, flapdoodle, flattery, flimflam, gammon, gas, gobbledygook, grease, guff, gup, hale, highfalutin, highfaluting, hogwash, hoke, hokum, honeyed phrases, honeyed words, hooey, hot air, humbug, humbuggery, incense, jiggery-pokery, malarkey, moonshine, official jargon, officialese, oil, palaver, piffle, political doubletalk, poppycock, praise, pretty lies, pussyfooting, right, rot, sane, scat, shit, soap, soft soap, sound, sweet nothings, sweet talk, sweet words, sycophancy, tall story, tall talk, tommyrot, top, top-notch, tripe, well, wheedling, wholesome, wind

ROGET THESAURUS

bunkum

Boasting

N boasting, boast, vaunt, crake, pretense, pretensions, puff, puffery, flourish, fanfaronade, gasconade, blague, bluff, gas, highfalutin, highfaluting, hot air, spread-eagleism, brag, braggardism, bravado, bunkum, buncombe, jactitation, jactancy, bounce, venditation, vaporing, rodomontade, bombast, fine talking, tall talk, magniloquence, teratology, heroics, Chauvinism, exaggeration, vanity, vox et praeterea nihil, much cry and little wool, brutum fulmen, exultation, gloriation, glorification, flourish of trumpets, triumph, boaster, braggart, braggadocio, Gascon, fanfaron, pretender, soi-disant, blower, bluffer, Foxy Quiller, blusterer, charlatan, jack-pudding, trumpeter, puppy, boasting, magniloquent, flaming, Thrasonic, stilted, gasconading, braggart, boastful, pretentious, soi-disant, vainglorious, highfalutin, highfaluting, spread- eagle, elate, elated, jubilant, triumphant, exultant, in high feather, flushed, flushed with victory, cock-a-hoop, on stilts, vaunted, vauntingly, let the galled jade wince, facta non verba.

Flattery

N flattery, adulation, gloze, blandishment, blandiloquence, cajolery, fawning, wheedling, captation, coquetry, obsequiousness, sycophancy, flunkeyism, toadeating, tuft- hunting, snobbishness, incense, honeyed words, flummery, bunkum, buncombe, blarney, placebo, butter, soft soap, soft sawder, rose water, voice of the charmer, mouth honor, lip homage, euphemism, unctuousness, flattering, adulatory, mealy-mouthed, honey-mouthed, honeyed, smooth, smooth-tongued, soapy, oily, unctuous, blandiloquent, specious, fine-spoken, fair spoken, plausible, servile, sycophantic, fulsome, courtierly, courtier-like, ad captandum.