Bupkis n. (alt. sp. bupkus, bupkiss) [Yid. באָבקעס bobkes, “(large) beans”]
1. absolutely nothing; nothing of value, significance, or substance. [Wiktionary]
Ex.: We searched for hours and found bupkis.
2. ”nothing,” zip, zilch, zero. [Urban Dictionary]
Ex.: I’ve got bupkiss.
Sometimes, when someone looks at an array of bones in a quarry, they see a big, messy jumble of bones, rearranged by currents when water is indicated to have been present at the burial site (as it almost usually always is). They think that the bones were largely transported by the action of water, but also occasionally an element or two can be moved by a scavenger or something: fish, crocodiles, etc.
An arrangement of Shonisaurus thoracic vertebrae and ribs.
But then … someone has a different opinion. They see this:
It makes one wonder, doesn’t it, if it’s just bupkis?
Jaime A. Headden
Etymology and paleontology in the same blog. Quite efficient. And quite right.