Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also bimph) paperwork, paper.

1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant.
1919		Athenaeum 11 July 582/2: Many slang expressions may be added [...] ‘Bimf’ [sic] Army correspondence, is a riddle.
1924		(con. WWI) A.G. Pretty Gloss. of Sl. [...] in the A.I.F. 1921–1924 (rev. t/s) n.p.: bumf. That portion of the enormous mass of Official correspondence which was used for a more undignified purpose than the originally intended. Later applied more generally to correspondence and literature of little value.
1932		(con. WWI) L. Mann Flesh in Armour 272: Skipton had a large map, a few other papers and some aerial photographs. ‘Plenty of bumf this time, sir’.
1946		R. Rivett Behind Bamboo 395/2: Bumf, paper of any kind.
1947		D. Davin For the Rest of Our Lives 246: The Stakhanovists were those who could keep the biggest amount of bumph circulating in their trays.
1965		J.P. Carstairs Concrete Kimono 54: All religiously stacked with thousands of other pieces of bumpf.
1974		G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 222: Among the crime reports, telexes, inter-Division memos and bumf from the Yard spilling from his Posts trays was a report on TDC Crane by Lenny Feast.
1982		Barr & York Sloane Ranger Hbk 158: bumph n. Paper. As ‘Why does the Ministry send out all this bumph?’ or ‘Have you any writing bumph?’.
1989		(con. 1964) P. Theroux My Secret Hist. (1990) 250: Miss Natwick saw me dealing with the papers. She said ‘Bumf!’.
1992		I. Rankin Strip Jack 250: All that bumpf they give you with hire cars.
1999		Indep. on Sun. 18 July 26: Most of them convert their order papers and all the rest of the bumf into briquettes to heat their large and draughty homes.
2007		S. Maloney Sucked In 20: Mail’s on your desk. Usual bumph, nothing urgent.
2023		R. Milward Man-Eating Typewriter 67: A fogus-foggy salon stacked full of leatherbound livers and legal bimph.

2. (also bimph) lavatory paper.

1918		E. Pound letter 22 Nov. in Read Letters to James Joyce (1968) 145: The females have maliciously ruined DeBosscheres drawings by saving 2d. on bunf.
1930		(con. 1914–18) Brophy & Partridge Songs and Sl. of the British Soldier.
1943		P. Larkin letter 10 Nov. in Thwaite Sel. Letters (1992) 83: Thank you very much for your letter & please excuse the bumf this is written on.
1989		(con. 1964) P. Theroux My Secret Hist. (1990) 250: She said, ‘Bumf!’ [...] ‘Bum fodder,’ she explained in her Rhodesian snarl.
1995		A. Higgins Donkey’s Years 193: Multiple flushings and vigorous application of stiff bumf, the toilet roll sent fairly spinning.
2023		R. Milward Man-Eating Typewriter 34: novak wears soiled nappy, bimph swaddling [...] vomit stains model’s own.

3. scrap paper.

1922		(con. 1900s) S. Leslie Oppidan 28: Where the devil is that bumf?
1947		D. Davin For the Rest of Our Lives 97: Just a moment while I get a bit of bumph. What was the map reference again?
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 126: Joey slung the dough in the car and took out a big foolscap-size envelope, stuffed with bumph.

4. published material (printed or online) considered as nonsense.

2004		Sydney Morning Herald 5 May 🌐 Read some of the extraordinary bumf – repeat, bumf – on the organisation’s website.
2018		G. Disher Kill Shot [ebook] A flyer from a handyman, real estate bumf and supermarket catalogues.

5. a contract, a legal agreement.

2023

R. Milward Man-Eating Typewriter 233: ‘I’ve termninated my tenancy bimph. We’re technically homeless’.