The bee’s knees

For those of you who have watched the ubiquitous Geico ads (and perhaps have a soft spot for them since, after all, Geico is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway), here is a pedantic footnote. What in the world does the rightfully rejected ad phrase “It’s the bee’s knees” mean?

The folks at phrases.org (UK) help us out. Start with the basic meaning of “excellent—the highest quality.” But then dig deeper, going on a trip to New Zealand, Zane Grey’s rural America, and the roaring 20s.

And perhaps then you’ll decide that I’m writing pollywoppus.