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Although "bummer" is defined so far by Wikipedia as "gay male, refers to anal sex," another common definition exists. Used as an interjection, "bummer" can be used by males, especially straight males, to express sympathy without coming off as effeminate or homosexual. Used as a noun, it is usually the object in a sentence, and refers to the subject of the sentence as something of a disappointment. Examples include:
[1] "Bummer, man." (Interjection.)
[2] "That's a total bummer." (Noun object.)
Variants include the various forms of the verb infinitive "to bum," including "is/are/am bummed (out);" "is/are bumming" (often apostrophized as "bummin'"); and the gerund "bumming." Examples include:
[3] "I don't want to bum you out."
= "I don't want to disappoint you."
(Verb, infinitive.)
[4] "John's bummed out because his girlfriend just gave him the shaft."
= "John's disappointed because..."
(Verb, past participle?)
[5] "That news about the murder is just bummin' me out."
= "...is disappointing [me]."
(Verb, present progressive.)
[6] "She sure takes pleasure in bumming people out."
Means: "...in disappointing people."
(Noun, gerund.)
It is believed that these usages and others like it were born in the Western United States by a group of young men often referred to as "surfer dudes" or "California boys." It is not known to what extent this term or its related phraseology is used internationally.
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