umpteenth?

[Maverick-old-account]

what the fuck does this mean?

i hear people saying this shit all the time and im like wtf?!?!

is it like some kind of number i dont know about it....

or was i sleeping in elementary school?

after i get my answer the mods can do away with this thread if they'd like...

 

[S. Fourteen]

http://www.answers.com/umpteen&r=67

 

[Maverick-old-account]

Umpteen

Umpteen is a slang term for an unspecified but somewhat large number, generally used in a humorous fashion or to imply that it is not worth the effort to pin down the actual figure. Usually it refers to the number of times something has happened, rather than a number of objects.

Despite the -teen ending, which would seem to indicate that it lies between 12 and 20, umpteen is often assumed to be much larger than this - if it could ever be pinned down.

The word is derived from the slang ump(ty), a dash in Morse code (of imitative origin), plus -teen.

A derived term using the same root is umpty-ump.

A number of other slang terms exist to connote even larger, but equally uncertain, numbers. Most are constructed by placing a nonsense syllable before the suffix -illion - e.g., gazillion.

thanks SALTY!

i hope anyone who was wondering the same has just gained some knowlege...

 

[ArtsyGirl]

I hear alotta people say it I just assumed thats what it meant, and I was right

 

[Maverick-old-account]

^same here pretty much lol

i just wanted to be sure

 

[Illuminattile]

http://specgram.com/CXLVIII.2/04.hogg.umpteen.html

 

[imported_MAKaveli_10]

Man you guys cleared up alot for me. LOL

 

[Cooper]

A word that usually prescribes an uncertain number of occurances. This is usually said in the reference of the numbers 13-19 (hence the 'teen'), but it can be in reference to any number within reason.

Hence 'umteenth'
I got umpteen calls from this pranker yesterday.

I dyed my hair for the umpteenth time today.