Original artwork, not a still
A Christmas Carol ‧ 1843
Bah! Humbug!
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Two syllables of contempt are enough to tell you everything about Scrooge, and a humbug, meaning a sham, is exactly what he thinks of kindness. The phrase has become the standard way to dismiss Christmas cheer, and it is now more famous as Scrooge's catchphrase than as a word anyone else uses.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for A Christmas CarolShow the scene
On Christmas Eve, in the counting-house where Scrooge keeps his clerk working in the cold, his nephew bursts in with a cheerful 'A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!' Scrooge answers 'Bah!' and then 'Humbug!', and when the nephew protests he says them again, adding that Christmas is a time for paying bills without money. This is Stave One of A Christmas Carol. Dickens's book was published on 19 December 1843, and its first run of 6,000 copies sold out by Christmas Eve.
Sources (2)
- A Christmas Carol (Project Gutenberg)Stave One, nephew's entranceReference checked
- A Christmas Carol (Wikipedia)PublicationReference checked
Context reviewed
