Talk:BFE

RFV discussion (1)

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Linked from East Jesus (see above) we have... Bum Fuck Egypt; the middle of nowhere. — Beobach972 22:39, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

Clearly in widespread use, in the US. Signal-to-noise is very low on b.g.c., but the very first hit is about a play that used the abbreviation as its title. Yes, it is quite common here. --Connel MacKenzie 15:53, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

Weird. I've got 3 university degrees, am 60 years old, well read (2 newspapers, left and right mags, and other) and have been a professional writer (entertainment and technical). Absolute first time I've ever heard the expression.71.197.106.123 19:28, 11 June 2007 (UTC)

In journalism, the expression I've heard most often to refer to some out-of-the-way place is along the lines of I've been sent out to cover some story in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere. I think it's a rather brilliantly neat phrase. Widsith 09:32, 12 June 2007 (UTC)

I've heard of this (as an Americanism) and I live in the UK. I'd be very surprised if it were obscure, therefore. RobbieG 16:33, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

RFV passed, due to claims of clearly widespread use (though personally I've only heard this in its expanded forms, never as an initialism). Adding {{rfquote-sense}}. (Obviously this might get re-RFV'd if people try to cite it and fail.) —Ruakh_TALK 23:02, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

RFV discussion (2)

This entry has survived Wiktionary's verification process.

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I would have RfD’d this had it not for the fact that the phrase “Bumfuck Egypt” yields 9,930 Google Web hits. † ﴾^(u):Raifʻhār ^(t):Doremítzwr﴿ 02:02, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

Bumfuck, Egypt is real, but I don't know that this abbreviation is. --Ptcamn 09:13, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

Yes, it is real. However, every native (American) English speaker that I've ever known would tell you that it stands for Butt F..king Egypt. The abbreviation BFE is not quite so vulgar.

Example: I would go more often, except for the fact that it's way out in BFE.[1][2] -- A-cai 11:30, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

Weird, and funny. I’d guessed it was a joke. I’ve never heard it before. Is it attestable? † ﴾^(u):Raifʻhār ^(t):Doremítzwr﴿ 12:16, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

Yep, in America we say, "It's way out in BFE," (the "way out in" part is nearly idiomatic) and the full explanation "Butt-fuck Egypt" or "Butt-fuckin' Egypt" is reserved as sort of a punch line when someone asks, "What's BFE?" -- Thisis0 03:48, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

Umm... holy balls. Didn't anybody notice this was RFV'ed (and passed) near the top of this page?? I was very confounded when my browser sent me to a conversation I never read after submitting my comment. I thought it was a massive edit conflict. Anyway, the other entry is "way up there in #BFE". -- Thisis0 04:00, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

Quotes: "However, every native (American) English speaker that I've ever known would tell you that it stands for Butt F..king Egypt." and "Yep, in America we say, 'It's way out in BFE,' (the 'way out in' part is nearly idiomatic) and the full explanation 'Butt-fuck Egypt' or 'Butt-fuckin' Egypt' is reserved as sort of a punch line when someone asks, 'What's BFE?'"

Attestation and partial rebuttal: This may be a generational or regional difference, wherein the "accepted" translation of BFE has morphed over time, or varies from region to region within the U.S. I first encountered BFE in the Navy where I flew patrol aircraft in the early 1960's. It was the inevitable answer to the question "Where the fuck are the hats (senior officers, squadron/air wing commanders, etc.) sending us this time?" Because we flew anywhere, worldwide, pretty much at the drop of a hat, this was not always an idle question, and we did, in fact, fly to Egypt once (not, unfortunately, to any place named Bumfuck.) The only variation on this was once when we flew to France, someone put "Bumme Fuque, Egypte" on the destination line of our Flight Plan. However, from then until now (45+ years) I had never encountered any explanation for BFE other than "Bumfuck, Egypt." The translations above are completely new to me as of today. So I humbly submit that not *every* native (American) English speaker concurs with the above-expressed translations, although admittedly the actual differences are small and the sense (dare I say the "thrust?") of all three translations is the same. Interestingly, "bum" is U.K. slang for "butt," so it is intriguing to me (never thought about it before today) that the U.S. Navy would universally adopt the British "Bumfuck" when the American version was, and still is, "Butt Fuck," but I just called an old squadron shipmate and asked him what BFE means and he didn't hesitate, once he stopped laughing at the thought that I had somehow forgotten... he also had never heard it translated in any way other than "Bumfuck, Egypt," and he lives 3 states away. I have frequently heard both "BFE" and "Bumfuck, Egypt" in the years since, but BFE was seldom explcitly translated because, of course, everyone knows what it means- someplace "way out in the sticks," some obscure little one-horse town without indoor plumbing that nobody has ever heard of. Civilian usage example: "Could you give me a ride home after work?" "Dude, I would, if you didn't live in BFE." HoggyDog 21:54, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

passed again - [The]DaveRoss 02:21, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

I've been using this expression since the mid-1980's.

I've been using this expression since the mid-1980's. I grew up in the midwest and all my friends said "BFE" to indicate someplace in the middle of nowhere. --anonymous — This unsigned comment was added by 68.7.103.67 (talk) at 12:18, 27 August 2008 (UTC).