Blah Blah Blah – Origin & Meaning

Photo of author

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

Are you ever in a conversation where everything starts sounding like blah blah blah? Or perhaps you’ve used it to describe a monotonous talk? Sit tight because we’re about to get up close and personal with this commonly used, often misunderstood term.

Is It Blah Blah Blah or Bla Bla Bla or Blah Blah?

Blah Blah vs Blah Blah Blah vs Bla Bla Bla Ngram
Blah blah, blah blah blah and bla bla bla usage trend.

Whether you’re team blah blah blah, bla bla bla, or simply blah blah, you’re in the clear. They’re essentially the same and used interchangeably. Although, according to Google Ngrams, the double blah has been used more. But for the purpose of this article, we’ll stick with blah blah blah. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

Blah Blah Blah Meaning Explained

Blah Blah Blah Origin Meaning

So, what does blah blah blah mean? It’s often used to signify boring, empty or overlong speech. If someone is droning on about something you have no interest in, you might mentally replace their words with blah blah blah. Remember, though, it’s not very polite to actually say it out loud!

When to Use Blah Blah Blah

This phrase is perfect for informal contexts. You can use it to joke around with friends about a dull lecture or playfully when someone’s going on and on about their new diet or workout regime. But be careful not to use it in formal settings unless you want to raise some eyebrows!

Origin and Etymology of Blah Blah Blah

This term first made its appearance in the late 19th century and is believed to be of imitative origin. Yep, somebody heard monotonous dialogue and thought it sounded like blah blah blah. Just goes to show we’ve been dealing with dull conversations for over a century!

There’s actually a similar term that came from ancient Greece, bar bar bar. It derives from the word barbarian and basically means meaningless noises.

Blah Blah Blah Synonyms

Let’s add some variety to your vocabulary. Here are a few synonyms for blah blah blah:

  • Yada yada yada
  • Yadda yadda yadda
  • And so on and so forth
  • Etcetera etcetera
  • And so on
  • And then some
  • Flapping your gums
  • Rabble rabble
  • Blabber on

Examples Using Blah Blah Blah in a Sentence

Blah Blah Blah Origin Meaning 1
  • After the first ten minutes of the lecture, it all just sounded like blah blah blah to me.
  • She said something about needing to go shopping, then blah blah blah, and that’s why I’m alone for dinner.
  • All I heard was “blah blah blah, profit margins, blah blah blah, market shares.
  • During the meeting, his speech was just blah blah blah to my ears.
  • I can’t stand reading the blah blah blah of gossip columnists. 
  • He kept saying, “Blah blah blah, you need to improve,” but I didn’t pay attention.
  • She gave me a long list of instructions, but after the third one, it was all blah blah blah.
  • The politician’s speech was nothing but blah blah blah to the disinterested crowd.
  • They lost me at “blah blah blah, quantum physics, blah blah blah.

Don’t Let Your Words Become Blah Blah Blah

And that’s a wrap on blah blah blah! This term has been saving us from tedious conversations for a long time, and now you know all about it. So next time you encounter a snoozefest of a speech, remember, blah blah blah is there for you. But when you want your words to count, ensure they never turn into blah blah blah for someone else!