Bee’s Knees - 191

Extract from Crossed Wires BIG 191

A reader recently wrote to tell us she thought our puzzle magazines were the bee’s knees, which was nice to hear.

‘The bee’s knees’ is a phrase used to describe an excellent or ideally suitable person or thing.

The exact origin of this phrase is uncertain. One story is that it came from ‘b’s and e’s’, short for ‘be-all and end-all’ (a corruption of ‘business’). A second explanation alludes to the goodness of the pollen stored in the sacs on a bee’s legs for transport back to the hive. Another possible origin relates to Bee Jackson who was a World Champion Charleston dancer in the 1920s.

The cat’s whiskers also means an excellent person or thing and the ant’s pants is similar. It means either the height of fashion; or a high opinion of oneself, as in ’she thinks she’s the ant’s pants‘. The origin of this one is unknown, but may come from ‘having ants in your pants’ which means you’re restless and can’t sit down.

Let’s hope no-one describes our magazines as a dog’s breakfast.