bee's knees
The absolute best
Bee's knees is a dated slang expression meaning something excellent or outstanding: She thinks she's the bee's knees.
The phrase emerged in 1920s American slang alongside similar nonsense expressions like the cat's meow and the cat's pajamas.
It survives mainly as a self-consciously retro way to praise something, often with ironic flair.
- cat's meowSlang for outstanding
- cat's pajamasSlang for exceptional
- top-notchOf superior quality
- cream of the cropThe very best
- flapperTwenties unconventional young woman
flapper dress · roaring twenties · jazz age · speakeasy · gin joint · art deco · swell · ritzy · hive · honeycomb · buzzing · pollen · stinger · apiary · swarm · nectar · beekeeper · catchy
- American slangbamboozle, bogus, bunkum, conniption, discombobulate
- cocktailsmartini, margarita, Manhattan, mojito, daiquiri
- British slangblag, bloke, bodge, blagger, bobby
- vintage slangcat's meow, copacetic, groovy, hep, hepcat
- Prohibition drinksbathtub gin, bootleg whiskey, hooch, moonshine, near beer
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
bee's kneessmall fry
Children or insignificant people
small potatoes · chopped liver · yesterday's news · pond scum · low-life
bee's kneessmall potatoes
Insignificant things or people
average Joe · nothing to write home about · dime a dozen · run-of-the-mill · unremarkable