I had to park my car in Timbuktu?

[keannu]

Is it true that Timbuktu is used as a pronoun for any anonymous faraway place like in the example? A Korean textbook introduces like this, so I'm just curious.

ex)You might hear people say, "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to park my car in Timbuktu," or, "I want to go to a good university in the city, not one out in Timbuktu."

 

[shroob]

Is it true that Timbuktu is used as a pronoun for any anonymous faraway place like in the example? A Korean textbook introduces like this, so I'm just curious.

ex)You might hear people say, "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to park my car in Timbuktu," or, "I want to go to a good university in the city, not one out in Timbuktu."

Not a teacher only a native.

'Timbuktu' is used for a distant or an out-of-the-way place, usually to emphasise this.

Timbuktu is also an actual city in Mali, Africa. Europeans used to view Timbuktu as remote and mysteriuos, which gave rise to the various expressions using 'Timbuktu' to denote a place far away.

 

[Rover_KE]

. . . and it's not a pronoun. It remains a proper noun, even when used metaphorically.

Rover

 

[5jj]

A more modern equivalent appears to be 'Bumblef**k(, Arizona)'.

 

[BobK]

:up: 'Timbuktu', meaning somewhere unknown/distant, is pretty dated; so is 'Outer Mongolia' - not quite as much though.

b

 

[emsr2d2]

A more modern equivalent appears to be 'Bumblef**k(, Arizona)'.

I always thought it was "Bumblef*ck, Missouri"!

 

[Barb_D]

No, it's EAST Bumblef*k. That's even smaller than B*k, and therefore both remote and tiny.

 

[SoothingDave]

I always thought it was "Bumblef*ck, Missouri"!

I thought it was in Egypt. I guess what you picture as far away depends on where you are.

 

[5jj]

No, it's EAST Bumblef*k. That's even smaller than B*k, and therefore both remote and tiny.

I suppose that if we had a British equivalent it would be Lesser B*-in-the-Bog.

 

[allenman]

I thought it was in Egypt. I guess what you picture as far away depends on where you are.

Agreed...it's BF-Egypt here (Texas).

Not a teacher -- AmE native

 

[Tdol]

Is it true that Timbuktu is used as a pronoun for any anonymous faraway place like in the example? A Korean textbook introduces like this, so I'm just curious.

ex)You might hear people say, "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to park my car in Timbuktu," or, "I want to go to a good university in the city, not one out in Timbuktu."

To be honest, I'd avoid using this nowadays as it may come across the wrong way. :up:

PS Timbuktu was a great centre for learning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuktu#The_manuscripts_and_libraries_of_Timbuktu