boomshanka
(British, humorous) A wish of happiness.
ˌbumˈʃɑŋkəDocumented since 1980s1980sMillennialhistorical164 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
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Born ~1982 · no dated citations yetGen X eraSee decade cohort →
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UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(British, humorous) A wish of happiness.
Origin: The phrase originated in an episode of the British television comedy series The Young Ones. The pilot episode, first aired in 1982 and entitled "Demolition", included a brief piece of dialogue by Neil, who was fantasizing about taking advantage of the impending demolition of their home to commit suicide: * Neil: When they come, I'm going to hide in the wall cavity and pretend to be thermal insulation. And when they knock the wall down, boomshanka! The phrase was also spoken by Neil in an episode entitled "Cash", which was first broadcast in 1984. The segment of dialogue, where Neil is compo. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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Other words near "boomshanka" (B)
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