Bees Knees

[cannylass]

Where did the phrase "the bees knees" come from?

Cannylass

[Quizmonster]

It's one of a whole set of silly catchphrases from 1920s USA. Click http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bee1.htm for more information.

[simms]

My own theory based on  hearing early examples of 'cross-talk' (banter) on american radio and vaudeville, when negroes were still marginalised but nonetheless central to the entertainments industry, is that it is a mimicry of the negro pronunciation of 'business' ie 'ain't that the business?' would be pronounced as 'aint dat de bees-knees?' I may be completely wrong about this.

[Quizmonster]

'Bee's knees' does sound like a possible corruption of 'business'. However, the problem is that there were lots of similar phrases which are clearly not corruptions of anything else...the eel's ankles, the cat's pyjamas (pajamas for our American friends), the gnu's shoes and many others...all of them meaning 'first class' or 'just the thing'. By and large, therefore, I don't think the 'business' notion is likely. (Of course, I may be completely wrong, too.)

[jocook17]

I have read that it means exactly what is says - when something is the best it is the bees knees... the best, most precious bit of a bee is the 'knees' because that is where they carry their glorious nectar, pollenating flowers, leading onto their golden honey etc etc