Crosswords1 min ago
umpteen
3 Answers
how many is umpteen?
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thanks hedge
Answers
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.'Umpty' first appeared as military slang 100 years ago, meaning an indefinite - but large - number. It was used particularly in the Royal Navy in much the same way as 'x' is used in mathematics to represent an unknown quantity. Over time it became 'umpteen' with obvious connections with thirteen, fourteen etc.