zut, int.

zut
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zut_int%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1986; not fully revised

# zutinterjection

## Earlier version

- zut, int. in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the interjection zut mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the interjection zut. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### How common is the interjection zut?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1910 | 0.012
1920 | 0.012
1930 | 0.011
1940 | 0.011
1950 | 0.011
1960 | 0.0095
1970 | 0.0082
1980 | 0.0078
1990 | 0.0073
2000 | 0.0065
2010 | 0.0062

### How is the interjection zut pronounced?

#### British English

/z(j)uːt/

### Where does the interjection zut come from?

Earliest known use

1910s

The earliest known use of the interjection zut is in the 1910s.

OED's earliest evidence for zut is from 1915, in a letter by Wilfred Owen, poet.

zut is a borrowing from French.

### Nearby entries

1. Zuñi, n. 1834–
2. zunyite, n. 1885–
3. zuppa, n. 1961–
4. Zurich, n. 1870–
5. Zuricher, n. 1673–
6. zurla, n. 1940–
7. zurlite, n. 1826–
8. zurna, n. 1870–
9. zurr, n. 1803–
10. zussmanite, n. 1965–
11. zut, int.1915–
12. zuur-veldt, n. 1785–
13. zuz, n. 1688–
14. zwanziger, n. 1828–
15. Zweig, n. 1973–
16. zwieback, n. 1894–
17. zwieselite, n. 1861–
18. Zwinglian, n. & adj. 1532–
19. Zwinglianism, n. 1581–
20. Zwinglianist, n. 1673–1759
21. zwischenzug, n. 1941–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from French.
French.

## Meaning & use

1. 1915–
   An exclamation expressing annoyance, contempt, impatience, etc.
   1. 1915

      > For Gautier... Zut! I never read him.

      W. Owen, Letter 25 July (1967) 350
   2. 1923

      > ‘Well, what if I am?’ she said, rebelliously. ‘Zut!.. Why shouldn't I?’

      W. J. Locke, Moordius & Co. ix. 129
   3. 1967

      > If his own wife read such trash as the Professor's, he reflected, zut! he'd have something to say.

      ‘R. Petrie’, Foreign Bodies ii. 23
   4. 1980

      > Zut! Come without your gun, or do not come at all.

      A. Hunter, Honfleur Decision x. 136
   1. prut?c1300–1887
      An exclamation of contempt, disbelief, etc.
   2. trut c1330–1440
      An exclamation of contempt.
   3. trupt c1380
      An exclamation expressing contempt. Cf. tprot, int.
   4. aha a1400–
      Expressing triumph, satisfaction, realization, discovery, or (now rarely) mockery or irony. Cf. ah, int. A.3, A.4, ha, int. A.1b.
   5. tush c1440–
      An exclamation of impatient contempt or disparagement.
   6. puff 1481–
      Representing the act of blowing a puff of air, smoke, etc., or of exhaling breath in a pant or gasp; expressing sudden appearance or disappearance…
   7. quotha?1520–
      Used with contemptuous, ironic, or sarcastic force after repeating words said by someone else: ‘he said?’, ‘she said?’; (hence) ‘indeed!’ (indeed…
   8. ah?1526–
      Expressing dislike, aversion, or contempt; (also) mockery or satisfaction at another's misfortune.
   9. ta ha 1528
      A derisive exclamation.
   10. twish 1577–82
       An exclamation of contempt or vexation.
   11. blurt 1592–1606
       Expressing contempt or disdain. Cf. blurt, v. 2. Obsolete.
   12. gip 1592–1660
       An expression of surprise, derision, or contempt addressed to a person; = ‘get out’, ‘go along with you’.
   13. pish 1592–
       Expressing contempt, impatience, or disgust. Also (reduplicated) pish pish.
   14. tanti a1593–
       Of so much value, worth so much; worth while. Formerly also as an exclamation of contempt or depreciation: So much for…!
   15. (God) bless (also save) the mark 1593–
       (God) bless (also save) the mark and variants: an exclamatory phrase, probably originally serving as a formula to avert an evil omen, and hence…
   16. phah 1593
       An exclamation expressing contempt or disgust.
   17. marry come up 1597–
       In phrases. marry come up: expressing indignant or amused surprise or contempt.
   18. mew 1600–
       Expressing derision. Now archaic.
   19. pooh 1600–
       Expressing impatience, contempt, disdain, etc. Cf. phew, int., pho, int., phoo, int. 1, poof, int. A.1.
   20. marry muff 1602–13
       Expressing derision or contempt, or used for emphasis. In quot. 1613 used as the name of a derided character.
   21. pew waw 1602–39
       = pew, int.
   22. ptish 1602–
       An exclamation of contempt or disdain. Also as n.: an utterance of this.
   23. pew 1604–
       Expressing contempt, disgust, or derision. Cf. pooh, int., phew, int.
   24. push 1605–1735
       Expressing contempt, impatience, or disgust; = pish, int., tush, int. Also (reduplicated) push push.
   25. pshaw 1607–
       Expressing contempt, impatience, or disgust, or used to depreciate or dismiss some statement or notion.
   26. tuh 1607–
       An exclamation expressing disgust or disdain.
   27. pea 1608
       Expressing impatience or contempt; = pooh, n. A.1.
   28. poh 1650–1852
       intransitive. To utter the word or sound ‘poh’; to express contempt in this manner; in early use frequently in to pish and poh (cf. pish, v. 1). In…
   29. pooh pooh 1694–
       = pooh, int. B.1.
   30. hoity-toity 1695–
       An exclamation expressing surprise with some degree of contempt, esp. at words or actions considered to show flightiness or undue assumption.
   31. highty-tighty 1699–
       Expressing contemptuous surprise or annoyance; = hoity-toity, int. Now rare.
   32. indeed 1834–
       As an interjection, expressing (according to the intonation) irony, contempt, amazement, incredulity, or the like.
   33. shucks 1847–
       In plural as an int. (shucks!), expressing surprise, regret, irritation, or, in response to praise, self-deprecation. See also aw shucks, int.
   34. skidoo 1906–
       In catchphrases. Used as an exclamation of disrespect (for a person). Esp. in nonsense association with twenty-three. (temporary.)
   35. suck 1913–
       plural as int. Used as an expression of contempt, chiefly by children. Also in sucks to you and variants slang.
   36. zut 1915–
       An exclamation expressing annoyance, contempt, impatience, etc.
   37. yah boo 1921–
       An exclamation of scorn or derision. Also attributive and transferred.
   38. quoz 1926–
       An odd or ridiculous person or thing; (with plural agreement) people or things of this kind. Also as int.: expressing incredulity or contempt. Cf…
   39. pooey 1927–
       An expression of distaste, revulsion, derision, or contempt, esp. used by or in imitation of children. Cf. pooh, int., phooey, int.
   40. ptui 1930–
       Representing the sound of a person spitting; (hence) expressing disgust or contempt: ‘Pah!’ ‘Pshaw!’.
   41. snubs 1934–
       plural. As int., expressing total indifference or contempt. slang.
   42. upya 1941–
       Used to express contemptuous rejection. Cf. up yours at up, prep.² phrases I.3b and upyer, int.
   43. yah boo sucks 1980–
       Used similarly.
   44. aye, right 1991–
       Chiefly Scottish and Irish English (northern). colloquial. aye, right: used ironically to express contempt or incredulity with respect to a…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. peste 1768–
      intransitive. To curse angrily; to exclaim peste! Now only as int.: an exclamation of annoyance.
   2. botheration 1787–
      Expressing annoyance, frustration, or exasperation. Now somewhat archaic or euphemistic (cf. buggeration, int.).
   3. bother it! 1798–
      Also bother it! Used as a mild expletive, expressing annoyance or exasperation: ‘damn’, ‘blast’; cf. botheration, int. Also (in earlier use)…
   4. for Pete's sake 1903–
      With capital initial. In various exclamatory phrases (chiefly as a euphemistic replacement for god), expressing exasperation or annoyance, as for P…
   5. for the love of Pete 1903–
      With capital initial. In various exclamatory phrases (chiefly as a euphemistic replacement for god), expressing exasperation or annoyance, as for P…
   6. hell's teeth 1909–
      = hell's bells, int.
   7. zut 1915–
      An exclamation expressing annoyance, contempt, impatience, etc.
   8. wouldn't it? 1940–
      Australian and New Zealand slang. wouldn't it?: an exclamation of annoyance and disgust or (less usually) amusement. Now rare.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. what a (also the) murrain c1560
      Now somewhat archaic. In imprecations invoking pestilence or misfortune upon a person or thing, as murrain on (also of, meet) them (also him, it,…
   2. go with a murrain 1573
      Now somewhat archaic. In imprecations invoking pestilence or misfortune upon a person or thing, as murrain on (also of, meet) them (also him, it,…
   3. how a murrain 1575
      Now somewhat archaic. In imprecations invoking pestilence or misfortune upon a person or thing, as murrain on (also of, meet) them (also him, it,…
   4. twish 1577–82
      An exclamation of contempt or vexation.
   5. highty-tighty 1699–
      Expressing contemptuous surprise or annoyance; = hoity-toity, int. Now rare.
   6. pilule 1889–
      A pill; a small pill; (in later use) esp. a homeopathic one. Also figurative. Also in plural as int., expressing exasperation (obsolete).
   7. zut 1915–
      An exclamation expressing annoyance, contempt, impatience, etc.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. pish 1592–
      Expressing contempt, impatience, or disgust. Also (reduplicated) pish pish.
   2. shugh 1640
      Used as an exclamation of impatience.
   3. chut 1825–
      An exclamation expressive of impatience.
   4. zut 1915–
      An exclamation expressing annoyance, contempt, impatience, etc.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/z(j)uːt/

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

## Frequency

zut typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.

zut is in frequency band 2, which contains words occurring between 0.001 and 0.01 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zut, int., 1910–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1910 | 0.012
1920 | 0.012
1930 | 0.011
1940 | 0.011
1950 | 0.011
1960 | 0.0095
1970 | 0.0082
1980 | 0.0078
1990 | 0.0073
2000 | 0.0065
2010 | 0.0062

zut, int. was first published in 1986; not fully revised.

zut, int. was last modified in December 2024.