Here's the breakdown:
* "Bum": This word likely comes from the Old English word "būme," meaning "tree," and eventually evolved to mean "something worthless or useless."
* "Steer": This refers to a guide, usually a person who directs cattle or other livestock.
The theory: In the Wild West, cowboys would often rely on guides, called "steerers," to navigate the vast and unfamiliar territory. A "bum steer" was a guide who gave incorrect or misleading directions, leading travelers astray or into danger.
Over time, the term "bum steer" transitioned from its literal meaning to a more figurative one, becoming a synonym for bad advice, misleading information, or a wrong direction.
Other theories:
* Some sources suggest that "bum steer" might have originated from the nautical term "bumboat," which was a small boat used for selling goods to ships. In this context, a "bum steer" might have referred to a dishonest merchant selling inferior goods.
* Another theory proposes that it comes from the word "steerage," the cheapest and most crowded section of a ship. In this context, a "bum steer" could have been a misleading or unhelpful direction given to someone in steerage.
Despite the lack of a definitive origin, the idiom "bum steer" is widely used today and understood by many people as a way to describe misleading or unhelpful information.