# Meaning and origin of "gumption"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-and-origin-of-gumption/65190>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 12, 2001, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-and-origin-of-gumption/65190 "2001-05-12T07:46:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2001, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-and-origin-of-gumption/65190/1 "2001-05-12T07:46:01Z")

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I did a search on Google and here and I know it generally means “having the guts” to do a thing, but what the hell _is_ gumption and can it be hawked up and splatted on someone if one is not careful?

Thanks

Quasi

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2001, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-and-origin-of-gumption/65190/2 "2001-05-12T11:41:58Z")

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From my etymological dictionary (man, I’m real glad I bought this!)

Gumption first appeared 1719, in Scotland, meaning “common sense or shrewdness”, but is of uncertain origin.

> [@](#):
>
> The word may be connected with Middle English _gome_ = attention, heed, notice (probably around 12000; borrowed from a Scandanavian source (compare Old Icelandic _gaum, gaumr_ heed) and the ending _-tion_. The meaning of initiative or enterprise was an early secondary sense, recorded about 1812.

Don’t worry, I’ll send ya my bill next week.