# Enh, meh, and feh **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 15, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514 "2001-10-15T17:42:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/21 "2001-10-15T19:14:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunspace \* > \*\*Eh? > [sup]Where’s the Maple Leaf smiley when you need it? 🙂 [/sup] \*\* Ehh? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/22 "2001-10-15T19:17:09Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Nymysys \* > Feh. What kind of man won’t even bring up my beloved \? I can see this whole thing is going to have to get hammered out, but quick._\* Aha, you see, I was sorting the \ with the other non-verbal sounds. It’s in a class of its own. Sort of, “You know, of all the folks in the Bible, I think Jezebel has got the most to offer.” “\” ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/23 "2001-10-15T19:38:39Z")
Do you realize we have almost EXACTLY the same number of posts? DO YOU??!! Meh, it was just an observation. I need to go back to bed. Wake me in two weeks. Feh. ---
**Author:** ![Mogwei22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@Mogwei22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mogwei22)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/24 "2001-10-15T19:39:41Z")
> [@](#): > > mischievous > > Was I the only one reading this thread title and thinking the OP was trying to count in German? Nope…not the only one… As a lifelong New Englander I would say that I use “enh” more than the others…but a good “ack” is always needed…I’ve used “feh”…but this is only if I’m feeling particularly sarcastic…the “meh’s” are few and far between. ---
**Author:** ![Mogwei22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@Mogwei22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mogwei22)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/25 "2001-10-15T19:49:22Z")
> [@](#): > > mischievous > > Was I the only one reading this thread title and thinking the OP was trying to count in German? Nope…not the only one… As a lifelong New Englander I would say that I use “enh” more than the others…but a good “ack” is always needed…I’ve used “feh”…but this is only if I’m feeling particularly sarcastic…the “meh’s” are few and far between. ---
**Author:** ![Mielikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Mielikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mielikki)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/26 "2001-10-15T20:02:42Z")
Texan checking in. I’ve seen a very occasional ‘meh’, which is a verbal noncommittal shrug, interchangeable with ‘eh’. ‘Enh’ I’ve never heard. ‘Feh’ is sort of anemic derisive snort. I’ve encountered it’s cousin ‘fleh’, but only in print. And older brother ‘bah’, usually seen around Christmas. There is also the odious ‘duh’, shorthand for ‘yes, everybody knew that but you, idiot’. I’ve also seen it’s cousin ‘spluh’, invented (I believe) by spoiled brat Amy from Futurama. There’s also exclamations such as ‘ack’, it’s piratey companion ‘arrr’ or ‘blar’, shrieky ‘aaiiieee’ (any number of any of those vowels is correct) and the Bill Cosby not-a-swearword ‘flarn’. ---
**Author:** ![epolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@epolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epolo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/27 "2001-10-15T20:24:27Z")
I always thought “Feh!” was the punchline to the joke about the woman who asks her rabbi what is bestiality. I didn’t know non-Yiddish speakers ever said “Feh!” And I though “eh” was something that Canadians added to the end of their sentences. As in “I moved here from Canada and they think I’m slow, eh.” ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/28 "2001-10-15T20:30:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by epolo \* > And I though “eh” was something that Canadians added to the end of their sentences. As in “I moved here from Canada and they think I’m slow, eh.” \*\* That’s an ‘eh’ that sounds like the letter A. The ‘eh’ in question is… eh, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/29 "2001-10-15T20:36:22Z")
> [@](#): > > I didn’t know non-Yiddish speakers ever said “Feh!” Same here. While I don’t speak Yiddish, it’s definitely part of my family culture. The only people I ever hear say “feh” in real life are a handful of dopers and my yid family and friends. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/30 "2001-10-15T20:48:19Z")
New Yorker here, raised upstate and currently living in NYC. EH/ENH is the non-committal of choice, and we would go with BAH to express actual disapproval. You can emphasize that BAH as much or as little as you like to convey whether you have a mild disapproval, or a stronger brand of disdain. I agree with the statement that the main FEH sayers are those who speak Yiddish (or those who speak only enough Yiddish to say things like FEH, such as our esteemed colleague **Maeglin** ). MEH is very scarce around these parts. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/31 "2001-10-15T20:50:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by epolo \* > \*\*And I though “eh” was something that Canadians added to the end of their sentences. As in “I moved here from Canada and they think I’m slow, eh.” \*\* > [@](#): > > This is the only usage of _eh_ that can be characterized as peculiarly Canadian, all other uses being common amongst speakers in other Commonwealth countries and to a lesser extent in the United States. > -_The Canadian Oxford Dictionary_ ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/32 "2001-10-15T20:54:14Z")
For the Nero Wolfe fans among us: Pfui! ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/33 "2001-10-15T20:54:56Z")
Ack! I should have made it more precise: the uniquely Canadian usage is with a declarative sentence, done to indicate where a comment can be interjected. ---
**Author:** ![Firx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Firx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Firx)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/34 "2001-10-15T21:03:17Z")
Uh… That’s all, no need to reiterate. ---
**Author:** ![beegirl13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/848f3c/32.png) [@beegirl13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beegirl13)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/35 "2001-10-15T22:19:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tretiak \* > \*\*Well, there was a very recent Simpsons episode where Homer was asking the kids if they wanted to do something and they replied “meh”, Homer persisted and to emphasize the point Lisa said, “m-e-h, meh!” \*\* Ever since my brother and I saw this episode, we have been using “meh” all the time, and now it has spread to our friends. It has to be explained at first, and this thread will be a useful tool in educating them 😃 Before that, I had never heard of “meh”. I learned “feh” here on the SDMB, and had never even heard of “enh” before this thread. I’m from upstate NY FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/36 "2001-10-15T22:29:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Maeglin \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > I didn’t know non-Yiddish speakers ever said “Feh!” > > Same here. While I don’t speak Yiddish, it’s definitely part of my family culture. The only people I ever hear say “feh” in real life are a handful of dopers and my yid family and friends. \*\* Maybe it’s just 'cause I’m down with the Jews like dat. Is there a gang sign I can flash or some colours to wear or anything? “Feh” is apparently not enough to recognize the clan anymore. Security has been breached. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/37 "2001-10-15T22:31:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Manduck \* > \*\*Pfft \*\* This is how I always heard it used by French speakers. Sort of a bilabial fricative with expelled puff of air. You had to have context and factor in emotion to get the response: varies from “I don’t care” to “I give up” to “He’s a jerk”. Can be subtle to demonstrative coupled with hand, arm, shoulder, neck and head movement. Had always heard this referred to as a “Gallic shrug”, although it’s used extensively outside of France. I had never heard anyone use “feh” until I came to the boards, but also don’t speak Yiddish and neither do any of my IRL Jewish friends, AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/38 "2001-10-15T22:35:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > \*\*_ **GAH!** _ \*\* This one’s my favorite. Always makes me laugh. In real life, I’m quite fond of “YAH!” and (although I’m not Jewish) “oy”. I’ve seen “feh” (although mostly on the SDMB), and I use “enh”, although I usually internally spell it as “ehh”. “Meh” is new to me. [Schoolhouse Rock]Interjections! Show excitement! Or emotion! They’re usually set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point, or by a comma when the feeling’s not as strong.[/Schoolhouse Rock] Gotta love 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/39 "2001-10-15T22:44:03Z")
Guh? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514/40 "2001-10-15T23:19:33Z")
I’m surprised this thread has gotten this far without anyone saying, “d’oh!.” May I add, for the edification of the group, “Shyeah!” Usually punctuated with “As if!” As in, “I heard you had a thing for Marcie.” “Shyeah! As if!” Indicates utter shock and disbelief that such an idea was even worth saying out loud. Not appropriate for use outside of high school. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enh-meh-and-feh/87514.md?page=3)