# What in the heck is the origin of this word? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 1, 2000, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-heck-is-the-origin-of-this-word/18227 "2000-05-01T05:26:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2000, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-heck-is-the-origin-of-this-word/18227/1 "2000-05-01T05:26:50Z")
Either I’m having a massive brain fart or there is an Illuminati plot against me from ever learning what in the heck the origin of the word ( brace yourselves) P.U. is. Yeah, you read that right: PU as in stinkum. I have looked in about fifteen dictionaries (english, german, french) over the past few months and can’t find one trace of what these two little letters mean. How did PU come to mean " who cut the cheese?" 😉 Have I lost my mind or what? ---
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2000, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-heck-is-the-origin-of-this-word/18227/2 "2000-05-01T05:34:57Z")
I am only specualting, but perhaps it is a slang abbreviation for “pungent.” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2000, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-heck-is-the-origin-of-this-word/18227/3 "2000-05-01T11:55:42Z")
Nah, pungent can’t be it. \ ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2000, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-heck-is-the-origin-of-this-word/18227/4 "2000-05-01T12:20:13Z")
From [“[http://www.geocities.com/~tenaswawa/gibbsi.htm](http://www.geocities.com/~tenaswawa/gibbsi.htm)”]Dictionary of Chinook Jargon "Piu-piu, n. French, PUER, to stink. Or from the sound often uttered expressive of disgust at a bad smell. A skunk. " Also puteo is Latin for “to stink, be redollent, smell bad” From [Latin Dictionary](http://www.sunsite.ubc.ca/LatinDictionary/HyperText/p.html) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2000, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-heck-is-the-origin-of-this-word/18227/5 "2000-05-01T12:48:59Z")
IMO, “P.U.” comes from “pyew”, which probably comes from the French “piu-piu”. “Pyew” can be intensified by saying “PeeeeYEEEW!”, which can sound like “P.U.” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2000, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-heck-is-the-origin-of-this-word/18227/6 "2000-05-01T15:25:25Z")
Wow. You dopers are great. I had a feeling it was a french word some how, but dang it, I could not find it. My mind is now at rest.( Like my metabolism) I thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Baglady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Baglady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baglady)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2000, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-heck-is-the-origin-of-this-word/18227/7 "2000-05-01T22:49:26Z")
Hey, there’s a book called [Who Cut the Cheese](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580080111) by Jim Dawson. The link to Amazon actually has the author’s email addy… I bet he can answer the question!! ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2000, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-the-heck-is-the-origin-of-this-word/18227/8 "2000-05-01T23:24:28Z")
It’s also the initials of Pharmacia Upjohn, PU. With Monsanto added, they can be MUP or PUM