Blah
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In English, blah is a word that is sometimes used to express words or feelings where the specifics are not considered important to the speaker or writer for emotions. It is not often seen in formal writing, except when transcribing speech. It differs from a speech disfluency such as "um" or "er" in that blah is a word used deliberately to represent other words, rather than as an accidental or temporary interjection into speech. Blah is also used when the speaker cannot say what was intended. It also is used for disagreeing, almost like the word "balderdash". "Blah" is also mimed behind people's backs to suggest that they talk too much or that they talk about useless topics for no reason (an example of this would be like saying blah blah blah he just goes on and on). The word "Blah" can also be used in a mocking or sarcastic tone. "Blah" is used in some circumstances as a sign of impatience and arrogance towards another.
"Blah" is a token word with no meaning of its own, usually used to illustrate generic, boring speech. It may be used to fill in blank space, or to replace another word or phrase. It's for this last purpose that blah is sometimes assumed to mean absolutely nothing but sometimes something negative because it is used to replace a word that may be unpleasant, but blah itself is neutral. If spoken aloud the tone can usually be used to determine the speaker's intent.
"Blah" can also be a feeling of depression, resignation, or ennui.
"Blah" is also used within a compound noun, suggesting a psychological state or expressing an opinion; for example, winter blahs (or sometimes February blahs in the northern hemisphere) describes a generally depressed condition during winter, a milder form of seasonal affective disorder.[1] It is also viewed as a word expressing indifference, or lack of a preference. It may also be used to imply that something is not impressive, or it is boring, bland, or without character.
[edit] Etymology
As of 1913, Webster's Dictionary had not listed this word. It appeared roughly between 1915-1920,[2] meaning "idle, meaningless talk." Its meaning soon was also likened to "bland" or "dull." In 1922 Collier's utilized the term "blah blah" to label a tedious length speech on a subject.[3] It was later used to reflect a depressive state in the late 1960s, first attested in 1969, and believed to have been influenced by the blues.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Feeling Blah or Victim of SAD? Return to Standard Time Can Trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder". University of Connecticut Health Center. 31 October 2005. http://www.uchc.edu/ocomm/newsreleases05/oct05/sad.html. Retrieved on 24 April 2009.
- ^ "Blah". Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House. 2006. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/blah. Retrieved on 2008-02-14.
- ^ "Words to the Wise". Take Our Word For It (34). 1999-03-29. http://www.takeourword.com/Issue034.html#Words%20to%20the%20Wise. Retrieved on 2008-02-14.
