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Bumbershoot: a word meaning umbrella

The word is a noun for an umbrella, and Wiktionary says it is probably a jokey blend of umbrella and parachute.

On air: Hank Ledger and Vera Bullock on BBN Newsroom
Published 11:43 AM ET, Friday, October 16, 2026

Photo: Thomas Wolf , www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0

▶ As it aired · Weird News

Watch it as it aired: Hank Ledger and Vera Bullock on this story, from BBN Newsroom at 11:43 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are en.wiktionary.org's, the jokes are ours.

At a glance

First reported by en.wiktionary.org: “bumbershoot”.
Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 11:43 AM ET on BBN Newsroom, by Hank Ledger and Vera Bullock.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

en.wiktionary.orgbumbershoot

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorBumbershoot. Bum. Ber. Shoot. It is a noun, and it means an umbrella.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorIn a sentence: Brock forgot his bumbershoot and blamed the jet stream.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorOh, I love it. So it's like a bumber, which is a bump, and a shoot, which is a parachute? That's genius wordplay.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThat is not what it means.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorDale is a bumbershoot. You, Hank, are my bumbershoot, because you keep me dry when it gets rough.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorCloser. Though the origin is umbrella and parachute, and I am mostly just falling slowly.

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