General
nowhere
What does nowhere mean?
Describing a person who is a dead loss, a 'nowhere' type.
"Don't waste time on that nowhere cat."
Origin
A 1950s beat and jazz inversion that turned 'nowhere' into an adjective for anything dull or worthless — the negative pole opposite 'gone' or 'the most.' It captured the beat scorn for the conventional 'square' world.
Frequently asked questions
What does nowhere mean in beatnik slang?
As an adjective it means dull, square, or worthless — the opposite of 'gone' or 'cool.' 'That's nowhere' was a put-down.
Where did nowhere come from?
From 1950s beat and jazz slang that turned 'nowhere' into an adjective, the negative opposite of 'the most,' expressing scorn for the square world.
What's the opposite of nowhere in this sense?
'Gone,' 'far out,' or 'the most' — all the beat words for excellent. 'Nowhere' was the dead-end opposite.
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