Bees Knees

[Oakleaf51]

Which is it?
Bees knees, or B's 'n E's?
How did it originate?

[Fibonacci]

The Oxford English Dictionary records the expression bee's knee as meaning the type of something small or insignificant from 1797. The plural form is US slang dating from the 1920s, when there was an explosion of terms meaning 'the acme of excellence': compare the cat's whiskers/pyjamas. The first example is dated 1923. Some of these have lasted, and some have not (the flea's eyebrows, the canary's tusks).

[valerieb1254]

htp://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-bees-knees.html

[valerieb1254]

I'll try that again
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-bees-kn ees.html

[heathfield]

I've always had the sneaky impression that it's the same as 'it's the business', thought I've never seen anything to back this up.

[joko]

i reckon it means 'business' too - mexican 'beenees' men say it , lol.
i did think i had made that up for some reason...?

i also think it is the best bit of the bee, its knees are where it carries the pollen/nectar ...etc

bees knees does not refer to something insignificant though... it means something is very good, so i'm confused by that reference