Crossword Dictionary
MEH
meh - i
Expressing indifference or lack of enthusiasm.
Meh (/mÉ›/) is a colloquial interjection used as an expression of indifference or boredom. It is often regarded as a verbal equivalent of a shrug of the shoulders. The use of the term "meh" shows that the speaker is apathetic, uninterested, or indifferent to the question or subject at hand. It is occasionally used as an adjective, meaning something is mediocre or unremarkable.
Also considered a non-committal response, "meh" can be used when disregarding a question or to refer to something they have no opinion or emotions about. In expressing an opinion, it means the speaker's opinion is that of apathy. Some may respond with "meh" simply to avoid creating an opinion on the matter at all.
The word may come from the Yiddish language. In Alexander Harkavy's Yiddish-English-Hebrew Dictionary of 1898 and at least one later edition, intended for the use of Yiddish-speakers, the English translation offered is merely a bleating or baa sound; by the much-developed 1928 edition, it is translated as an interjection meaning “be as it mayâ€, or the adjective “so-soâ€. It is more recently defined as "well then; expression of dismissal". Hooray for Yiddish, by Leo Rosten uses the phonetic spelling "mnyeh", capturing its breathy, expressive enunciation by Yiddish-speakers. This pronunciation is echoed by the poet Auden's use of "mneh", in a dismissive allusion to the moon landing; Auden was in New York before and after World War Two, and developed a close interest in Jewish conversation and culture.