Etymology of Anally Adventurous Alexandrians.

[Demimonde]

So I have always been curious about the slang term BFE. It is unlikely I could get beyond the call screeners at Wayword Radio and my research has resulted in little info. I am curious as to find out how it was created, if it is regional, and to see if I can find a connection to another, older phrase.

For the uninitiated, BFE is a sanitized version of "bum fuck Egypt." It is used to designate a remote area where one is stuck, stranded, or reluctant to go. Typical examples of use would be:

"I'm out in the middle of bum fuck Egypt."
"You don't want to go there it's way out in BFE."

Typically one is either "in" BFE or "in the middle of" BFE. Regionally, it is common to combine "out" and "in," as illustrated in the second example. As far as dating goes, my dad and his generation used the extended uncut version. He was not a common adopter of slang. Now it is typically shortened to BFE, both for polite company and brevity's sake.

Here in my region, Texas is very spread out. Many folks travel long distances to be where they need to be. The term is used a lot here in the Metroplex where people live in suburbs spiraling out fifty miles from city centers in bedroom communities. So if I have to visit someone on the other side of Dallas I might bitch about them living "out in BFE." If I invite friends to go out to the IKEA in Frisco, they might rhetorically ask "why the fuck did they put that store in the middle of BFE?"

So my question to the is, have you heard of this term? In what region or time period?

[LadyShea]

Yep, this term has been in use/been used for as long as I can remember. I grew up in California and Colorado, and spent most of my adult life in Las Vegas. I don't here it as much here in 'Bama, but as it's a semi-rural area in general, it may simply not be needed.

[ChuckF]

I've never heard it before but I like it.

Placeholder name - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BFE or Bumblefuck, Egypt (also Bumfuck, Egypt, Butt Fuck, Egypt or Beyond Fucking Egypt) (vulgar), refers to an unspecified remote location or destination, assumed to be arduous to travel to, unpleasant to visit and/or far away from anything of interest to the speaker (e.g. Man, you parked way the hell out in BFE). In Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, this is often referred to as East Jabip. In the Chicago metropolitan area, the term was coined to refer to the region in downstate Illinois known as "Little Egypt", centered in Cairo, Illinois, for being the furthest from the urban center in both distance and way of life.

[Adam]

Huh. I didn't know the bit about Cairo, Illinois, but the expression is pretty common in Indiana (both the parts that are actually Indiana and the parts that think they're Chicago suburbs). I've also heard just "Egypt" used in the same way.

[ChuckF]

The things I missed by not hanging out with the townies

[livius drusus]

I've definitely heard it, but I have no specifics to help illuminate your study. You need mizann to chime in because I happen to know she has a dictionary that explains all permutations of fuck.

[Naru]

I've heard it before.

[godfry n. glad]

Not in the acronymic form....

Nor in particular, associated with Egypt. It's been Bum Fuck, Iowa, around here, since I was an impressionable lad (which I'm far from, any longer). Of course, if you're Angakuk, or anyone in Iowa, it's probably Egypt (or Orygun).

The best adaption I've heard of it is Bumfuckistan. Now THAT is the middle of nowhere, because I've been to Kazakhstan, and it's gotta be in the suburbs of Bumfuckistan.

[Qingdai]

I've heard that phrase (NW US) since the 1970's at least.
My dad even says it.

[D. Scarlatti]

In more delicate times we used "Outer Mongolia."

[Sock Puppet]

I've never heard the acronym used outside the Intarweb. And when I were a youngun, I heard "Bumfuck Nowhere" long before Bumfuck Egypt.

[256 colors]

I don't get out much so I rarely hear "Bum Fuck, Egypt" shortened as BFE. I have grown up hearing both "Bum Fuck, Egypt" and East Jabip (also East Japip) used to describe "the middle of nowhere" my entire life. Wiki's right, that's how we talk here in South Jersey/Philly. We also call distant places "the sticks," and as mentioned above, "out in the sticks." "The sticks" means "the woods/the forest."

Maybe BFE is how the younger generation says it, but I don't know anyone who uses it.

[lisarea]

I've been hearing Bumfuck, Egypt (and very rarely the abbreviation) since at least the late 70s/early 80s, in CO. And I have a very vague and not reliable memory of maybe hearing it in Joisey probably in the early to mid seventies. That one I wouldn't guarantee, though.

[Adam]

FWIW, I've never heard "Bumfuck, Egpyt". It's always been either "Buttfuck, Egypt", "BFE", or simply "Egypt" here, as far as I can recall.*

[Ensign Steve]

Yeah, what Adam said!

It's Buttfuck, Egypt, an any limey bastard who says Bumfuck needs to go back to the England, like such as, where they came from!

[SharonDee]

I first heard BFE from husband #1 back in the early 80's. And it was Bum Fuck to a Southerner, for whatever that tells you.

[MortalWombat]

The first time I can recall hearing it used was in the summer of '86. Two of my high school friends and I were going to be in the same dormitory hall at the south edge of campus freshman year at the University of Illinois. My friend Chuck said, "They've got us living way out in BFE." I remember having to ask what BFE meant.

[ms_ann_thrope]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

You need mizann to chime in because I happen to know she has a dictionary that explains all permutations of fuck.

I am currently at a location away from the Thrope Library, but will dropping by on Wednesday night. I shall consult the F-word book at that time (assuming that the definitive etymology of BFE isn't discovered before then).

FWIW, I have heard the "B" in BFE variously represent "bum," "butt," and "bumble." My experience with the term dates from the mid-1980's and has been in both MA and CA.

[godfry n. glad]

Originally Posted by ms_ann_thrope

I am currently at a location away from the Thrope Library, but will dropping by on Wednesday night. I shall consult the F-word book at that time (assuming that the definitive etymology of BFE isn't discovered before then).

FWIW, I have heard the "B" in BFE variously represent "bum," "butt," and "bumble." My experience with the term dates from the mid-1980's and has been in both MA and CA.

I know it goes back to the early 70s. Both my brother and I used it during the mid-70s in the Pacific NW....no Egypt, though...Just Bumfuck....Usually Iowa, but any other far-away country would do. BF Outer Mongolia was one of those.

Also, by the mid-70s, we were referring to the Vietnam War as "BF'Nam".

[Qingdai]

I always heard buttfuck, Egypt. Not bum fuck, I didn't clarify earlier, because half a dozen in one hand or six in another.

[erimir]

I've always heard bumfuck.

I think it sounds better, because you have a bilabial nasal followed by a labiodental fricative (i.e. the sounds are closer together).

[lisarea]

That's totally what I was going to say too.

[viscousmemories]

I don't remember when I first heard the expression bumfuck Egypt, but it was a long time ago and probably in Michigan.

[Corona688]

I was trying to plot GPS coordinates of our satellite installations into some online mapping thingy. Something went way wrong and it put them all in outer mongolia. literally. except for one way out in the ocean.

[Ymir's blood]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

I don't remember when I first heard the expression bumfuck Egypt, but it was a long time ago and probably in bumfuck Egypt.