Feb 3, 2015 · Mark C. asks: What does the letters in the stinky term P.U. stand for? Often used to accuse someone of exceeding his allotted level of funk, P.U. is, surprisingly, not an acronym, …

Jun 20, 2024 · According to Grammarphobia, the exclamation likely derives from the early 17th-century word pew, which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as “expressing contempt, …

1) It's a shortened term for puteo, which is Latin for "to stink, be redolent, or smell bad." I actually called a professor of Latin at the University of Florida to verify this one. 2) It's actually spelled …

May 5, 2017 · P.U. is not one I’ve seen before, and I doubt I’d recognise it; and pew has the disadvantage of being a word with a very different meaning. But pyewww, pyuuuuuww, …

Mar 14, 2021 · P.U., or rather, PU, would appear to be an exaggerated version of peugh, previously pew, which mimics the disgusted exhalation of breath that often follows inhalation of …

Jan 23, 2014 · Pee-yew seems to be the accepted spelling, but it's hard to know for sure, as it's basically a nonsense saying. I think it may have evolved from "phew" as an expression of …

Aug 26, 2010 · Q: Is the term “P.U.” (meaning distasteful or smelly) an abbreviation for something? A: No, “P.U.” isn’t an abbreviation for two words beginning with “p” and “u.” The …

Oct 5, 2024 · Possibly from Spanish fu, an interjection indicating disgust, or from French puer (“to stink”) P U. (euphemistic) An interjection in response to smelling an unpleasant scent. What is …

Oct 14, 2018 · Pee-ew seems to be a more widely accepted spelling. The etymology is apparently a drawn out pronunciation of the onomatopoeic "phew": Used to show relief, fatigue, or …

Aug 24, 2003 · Pronounced "Pee Yew" and also spelled "P U" or spelled out "Pfew!", "Phew!," or "Pee-yew!" this aging American interjection, often accompanied with a pinched nose or similar …