Is bump on a log a term you’ve heard in your region?

41 comments

1. Yes

2. Yes. In the Midwest and New England. It’s kind of an old timey expression but people still use it.

3. The reason I asked is because I just said, “don’t be a bump on a log” to another American. Apparently, they’d never heard it before and didn’t know what it meant. I thought I’d ask Americans to see how far this term extends.

4. Never heard it except online

5. Don’t think I’ve heard it in San Diego.

6. Yes I’ve heard this

7. I’ve heard this, yes.

8. Yes. Usually as “Sitting there like a bump on a log”

9. Yes. NJ

10. Yes I have although not often

11. Yes.

12. Yes.

13. Yep.

14. I’ve also heard is as “I’d rather be a bump on a log than a dick on a dog”.

15. Yup. Definitely here in the midwest

16. Yep—I’m from the South and have heard AND used it.

17. Isn’t it on TV a lot? When someone isn’t helpful or never takes initiative.

18. I’ve heard it a lot. It seems like a very normal and easy-to-understand expression to me.

19. Yes – usually it’s my dad calling me a bump on a log. 🥲

    (CA)

20. Heard it in VA when I was in 8th or 9th grade, from a Mormon classmate. Not sure if the Mormon part is relevant, but we didn’t have a lot of Mormons in that area. I had never heard it, and thought it seemed like an old person thing to say.

21. Yes. I still use it occasionally.

22. Yes.

23. My Dil uses the expression, bump on a pickle. Seems even less useful than a bump on a log.

24. Yes in Texas. Also what is considered useless as well is ‘tits on a boar.”

25. Yes. Teacher here. I use it with my students who are sitting doing nothing. I often have to explain it and they laugh.

    Ex: Me: “are you just gonna sit there like a bump on a log?”

    Student: perplexed look “what?”

    Me: “what does a bump on a log do?”

    Student: “nothing?”

    Me: “exactly, get to work”

26. There’s even [a song](https://youtu.be/W3qhu8X2Y3w) about it.

27. Heard it and used it

28. A little old-timey but yes. NYC.

29. I don’t think I’ve heard that in decades. But yes, my parents used to say it. I’ve lived all over the US, so I don’t think it’s regional. It’s a thing from mid century.

30. Yes. Maybe the phrase is dated? Don’t know, this one doesn’t seem as regional as some sayings.

31. Yes, in CT.

32. Yes, I even say it myself sometimes

33. Sure, spend any time around baby boomers or older generations and they’re full of phrases like that

34. Yes, but it’s a slightly outdated phrase, you don’t hear it as much as you used to.

35. Bump on a log was the predecessor to couch potato (pre-television era).

36. Yes. Northern Minnesota. I thought it was universal. A lot of times those sorts of sayings are from the older generations, but I most commonly remember hearing it from other kids while growing up. For example while playing a game or completing some task like a chore or project. It is not a harsh insult but more of am exaggeration. The person is not moving or notiving quickly enough so they are like a “bump on a log.” This is a revelation to me.

    Also, Gen Xers spent an enormous amount of time completely on their own while growing up which is difficult to express to people of younger and, to a lesser extent, older generations. This was not considered neglect and it wasn’t really neglectful. Not intentionally anyway. Older generations did spend a lot of time playing independently outdoors and things but there was usually a parent or sometimes a grandparent around the house so that if you took a break for lunch or came home for whatever reason, there was somebody around. In the late 70s and 80s we had more divorce, like dramatically more divorce, and therefore more single parents who obviously had to work to pay the bills. We also had economic shifts where more moms in typical, married families went to work for various reasons. At the same time, there were less grandparents around because people were living in more single family homes due to zoning laws and other things.

    I must be bored or procrastinating to provide such a long answer here. But I think the point is that this is something that kids would say. I’m not sure where we heard it from, like I said, I thought it was universal. But this was the kind of verbal sparring or jab where we would kind of set up our some of the cultural norms for our generation. Extremely independent and not really waiting around for things to happen to us, we would make up our own activities and run them ourselves. If somebody wasn’t pulling their weight or was daydreaming or something we would say “quit sitting there like a bump on a log and _______ .” It was also not a very harsh criticism or cursing, and we did some of that, too. But basically, this is how we would talk.

    Setting aside all of the science fiction, borrow and government conspiracy elements, the TV show *Stranger Things* is almost uncanny in how well it portrays the enormous amount of time that kids had to themselves and the level of independence afforded kids and teens by almost everyone from their parents to businesses and community leaders, etc. And that is how we managed ourselves, by saying little things like this to each other.

    Others will obviously have a different perspective but those are my thoughts on it. I hope you will share (OP) about how this came up for you and what you are finding as you explore the question. I find it truly fascinating.

37. I’ve heard it since I was a kid here in the PNW. I think it’s just a little dated.

38. It’s always been “knot on a log” in my family.

39. Yeah

40. Yes we even use that in the southwest

41. Like a bump of cocaine off of a log of shit?

    Genuinely never heard this term or at least never processed it.