pooh-pooh
UK[ˌpuː ˈpuː]US[ˌpuː ˈpuː]
v
to express contempt for or dismiss something as foolish or unimportant
v
to make a sound expressing contempt or scorn
Etymology
The word "pooh-pooh" is a classic example of reduplication, a linguistic process that intensifies or extends the meaning of a base word. Its core, the interjection "pooh," is purely onomatopoeic, originating in the 16th century as a written representation of a puffing or spitting sound made to show disdain. By the late 18th century, this expressive sound was reduplicated to form the verb "pooh-pooh," which captures the action of dismissing an idea with a series of such contemptuous sounds. The term's journey from a spontaneous exclamation to a verb meaning to scornfully reject illustrates how language formalizes expressive sounds into words with specific abstract meanings.
Analysis
This is a reduplication of the interjection "pooh," which is an onomatopoeic expression of contempt, disgust, or impatience. Its origin is imitative of the sound made by blowing air through the lips to express such feelings.
Examples
He pooh-poohed the suggestion that the project might be over budget.
Critics pooh-poohed the new theory, claiming it lacked evidence.
Don't just pooh-pooh their concerns; they might be valid.