You're the bee's knees?

[Mozman]

Excuse my ignorance but what the heck does that mean anyway?

 

[No name]

> Excuse my ignorance but what the heck does that mean anyway?
Well, quite obviously, it is an enduring compliment. An old saying, really. Just think, the knees of a bee are of tremendous support.... I guess that is one way of thinking of it...

 

[Consumer Monkey]

Bees knees tend to be used by them for carrying pollen - hence they are wonderous things, and so it means "You're great".
But the line "Two lumps please, you're the bees knees, but so am I" is used to suggest boredom - ie people who have nothing to say to one another once the niceties have been done away with.¿Excuse my ignorance but what the heck does that mean anyway?

 

[the singing defective]

> Excuse my ignorance but what the heck does that mean anyway?

It means 'you're great'. People like to say it because it rhymes. One of those meaningless compliments, like 'you're the cat's pyjamas'. I mean cats don't wear pyjamas!!! Jeez! Cats in pyjamas, I've never seen that, what will they think of next ...

Our lovely MORRISSEY is THE BEE'S KNEES and THE CAT'S PYJAMAS. You know it's true.

 

[puff paint yer own mozzer]

I've always thought it meant "cute" (?) I think "cat's pyjamas" meant "novel" or something like that.

C'mon - "bee's knees"...how adorable is that?! I think a teacher told me that once.

 

[Mozman]

Thanks to everyone for their replies!

 

[my herring stinks]

> Excuse my ignorance but what the heck does that mean anyway?

I believe it's actually a corruption of "business". You're the business/You're the bee's knees.

sadly nothing to do with the great strength of a bee's knees.