pshaw

WOTD – 18 April 2006    

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: shô, IPA: /ˈʃɑː/ (US)
• (RP) IPA: /pʃɔː/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Interjection

pshaw

1. Indicating disapproval, irritation, impatience or disbelief.

   Pshaw! I can't believe it!

   • 1823 — James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers, ch. 13

     "Pshaw! Why do ye bother yourself wid texts, man, about so small a matter?" interrupted the landlady

   • 1838-1839 — Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, ch. 56

     'Pshaw!' Ralph muttered, forcing a laugh.

   • 1891 — Arthur Conan Doyle, The White Company, ch. xxiii

     "Have a care, cousin," he whispered; "for the sake of the Virgin have a care, for you have angered him."

     "Pshaw! fear not," the other answered in the same low tone.

   • 1992 - Wayne Campbell, Wayne's World

     "Pshaw! And monkeys might fly out of my butt."

Translations

indicating disapproval, irritation, impatience or disbelief

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 呸 (cmn) (pēi)

• French: peuh ! (fr)
• German: pah (de)

• Icelandic: svei (is), iss (is), uss (is), fussum svei (is)
• Japanese: げ (ja) (ge)
• Russian: тьфу (ru) (tʹfu) , фу (ru) (fu) , фи (ru) (fi) 
• Spanish: ¡bah! (es)

Verb

pshaw (third-person singular simple present pshaws, present participle pshawing, simple past and past participle pshawed)

1. (intransitive) To express disgust or contempt.

Translations

to express disgust or contempt

• Russian: фыркать (ru) (fýrkatʹ)  impf., фыркнуть (ru) (fýrknutʹ)  pf.

Anagrams

• whaps