A bum steer
Encyclopedia
To give a bum steer is a predominantly Australian and New Zealand idiom which is evident from the 19th century use and means to provide information that is not correct, was not found helpful, or caused one to be led astray. It does not imply either intentional or unintentional provision of information, and is not generally regarded as pejorative
.
The "steer" in the idiom is not originally related to the bovines. Its origin is suggested to be derived from the American maritime humour of trying to steer a vessel in reverse where its stern
construction, in the 19th century, lacked the streamlines of the bow
, and is therefore prone to miscalculated manoeuvring when using the rudder
. The manoeuvring was accomplished through shouted instructions on the wharf to the wheelhouse where the steering was performed, via intermediary deckhands, and was therefore prone to misunderstanding owing to the wide variety of nationalities employed on United States merchant vessels during the 19th century.
The idiom, as used in Australia and New Zealand, reached the United States in the 1920s probably after exposure to Australian troops on the Western Front
, and is recorded in the UK since 1944.
In the United States the expression refers to a poorly conditioned young bullock.
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
.
The "steer" in the idiom is not originally related to the bovines. Its origin is suggested to be derived from the American maritime humour of trying to steer a vessel in reverse where its stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
construction, in the 19th century, lacked the streamlines of the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
, and is therefore prone to miscalculated manoeuvring when using the rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
. The manoeuvring was accomplished through shouted instructions on the wharf to the wheelhouse where the steering was performed, via intermediary deckhands, and was therefore prone to misunderstanding owing to the wide variety of nationalities employed on United States merchant vessels during the 19th century.
The idiom, as used in Australia and New Zealand, reached the United States in the 1920s probably after exposure to Australian troops on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, and is recorded in the UK since 1944.
In the United States the expression refers to a poorly conditioned young bullock.