Nothing Burger

1953Catchphrase / slang termclassic

Also known as: Nothingburger · Nothing-Burger

Nothing Burger is a dismissive slang term that peaked in 2017 when CNN commentator Van Jones called the Trump-Russia investigation "a big nothing burger," meaning something lacks substance or is overhyped.

"Nothing Burger" (or "nothingburger") is a slang term used to dismiss something as worthless, overhyped, or completely lacking substance. While the phrase dates back to 1950s Hollywood gossip columns, it exploded into mainstream political vocabulary during the 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle and peaked in 2017 when CNN commentator Van Jones was caught on camera calling the Trump-Russia investigation "a big nothing burger"8.

slang memespolitical satire memesdismissal memessarcasm memes

Overview

"Nothing burger" works on a simple, satisfying metaphor: imagine ordering a burger and biting into two pieces of bread with absolutely nothing inside. The term describes anything that looks promising on the outside but delivers zero substance. It applies equally to people, events, investigations, and ideas that turn out to be duds1.

The phrase exists in several spellings: "nothing burger" (two words), "nothingburger" (one word), and the hyphenated "nothing-burger." All three have been used interchangeably since the 1950s2. In internet and political culture, it functions primarily as a dismissal tool, deployed to wave away scandals, controversies, and investigations that the speaker considers overblown or baseless.

The earliest known print usage of "nothingburger" comes from Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons. In her June 1, 1953 column "Louella's Move-Go-'Round," published in the Albuquerque Journal, she wrote about actor Farley Granger: "After all, if it hadn't been for Sam Goldwyn Farley might very well be a nothingburger"2. Parsons wielded the term as a weapon in her celebrity coverage. Three years later, on July 5, 1956, she used it again about actress Shelley Winters: "'You certainly do,' I told Miss Winters, who was Miss Nothingburger when Ronald Colman gave her a chance in *A Double Life*"5.

In both early cases, Parsons applied "nothingburger" to describe people rather than events. The word meant someone who was a non-entity, a nobody in the Hollywood pecking order4.

Origin & Background

Platform
Print media (newspaper columns), later adopted by internet culture and political commentary
Creator
Louella Parsons
Date
1953 (first print usage), 2016-2017 (viral political adoption)

The earliest known print usage of "nothingburger" comes from Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons. In her June 1, 1953 column "Louella's Move-Go-'Round," published in the Albuquerque Journal, she wrote about actor Farley Granger: "After all, if it hadn't been for Sam Goldwyn Farley might very well be a nothingburger". Parsons wielded the term as a weapon in her celebrity coverage. Three years later, on July 5, 1956, she used it again about actress Shelley Winters: "'You certainly do,' I told Miss Winters, who was Miss Nothingburger when Ronald Colman gave her a chance in *A Double Life*".

In both early cases, Parsons applied "nothingburger" to describe people rather than events. The word meant someone who was a non-entity, a nobody in the Hollywood pecking order.

How It Spread

After Parsons, the term migrated from gossip columns into broader cultural writing. Actor Robert Sterling used it in 1961 to describe forgettable film roles, calling them "nothing-burgers". *Cosmopolitan* editor Helen Gurley Brown adopted the word in her books throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including her 1965 book *Sex and the Office*, where she wrote about "nothing-burger clinkers" in reference to cheap jewelry. Brown used the term repeatedly across multiple publications, helping it spread beyond Hollywood trade talk.

The phrase made its jump into political language in July 1984. Anne Gorsuch Burford, who had resigned under pressure as President Ronald Reagan's head of the Environmental Protection Agency, was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere. She publicly dismissed the role as "a nothing-burger, a joke". The *New York Times* covered her quote in an August 1984 language column titled "Burger Me No Burgers," drawing a connection between Burford's dismissal and Walter Mondale's famous "Where's the beef?" line.

The term kept circulating in political circles for decades. During the 1990 Gulf War buildup, a U.S. official dismissed King Hussein's peace mission as "a nothing-burger". In 1993, Congressman Henry Hyde used it to attack the Freedom of Choice Act, calling it "a real nothing-burger".

On June 10, 2006, Urban Dictionary user Nutmegs posted the first crowd-sourced definition: "something lame, dead-end, a dud, insignificant; especially something with high expectations that turns out to be average, pathetic, or overhyped." The definition collected over 145 upvotes.

The term's biggest moment came during the 2016-2017 U.S. political cycle. Pundits and politicians on both sides of the aisle used "nothing burger" to dismiss various controversies. *Esquire* writer Charles P. Pierce called Hillary Clinton's email investigation "The Great Hillary Email Nothingburger" in an April 2016 article. Texas Senator Ted Cruz called the investigation into Jeff Sessions' meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak "a nothing burger" on MSNBC's *Morning Joe* in March 2017, a clip that pulled in over 80,000 YouTube views.

The phrase hit peak velocity on June 28, 2017, when conservative activist group Project Veritas released hidden camera footage of CNN commentator Van Jones saying, "This Russia thing is just a big nothing burger". The video racked up 1.13 million views and over 7,100 comments within 24 hours. When Business Insider contacted CNN for comment, a spokesperson simply replied "Lol".

By mid-2017, the phrase had become so omnipresent in political discourse that CNN itself published a feature tracing the word's history, noting it had been "firmly rooted in internet culture for years" before politicians picked it up. A Reddit thread on r/OutOfTheLoop from June 10, 2017 asked about the term's origin, with user angrae posting: "'Nothingburger' is a term I've seen a lot since the primaries of the election. Anyone know where it comes from?".

How to Use This Meme

"Nothing burger" works as a one-size-fits-all dismissal. The standard move is to label something your opponent considers important as a nothing burger, implying they're wasting everyone's time.

Common applications include:

- Political scandals: "The whole investigation was a nothing burger." - Overhyped announcements: "That product launch? Total nothingburger." - Disappointing events: "We waited two hours and the keynote was a nothing burger." - Dismissing people: (the original usage) "Without that connection, he'd be a complete nothingburger."

The term is typically deployed after something fails to live up to expectations, or preemptively to frame something as not worth paying attention to. In political contexts, calling an investigation or scandal a "nothing burger" signals that you believe it lacks evidence, substance, or real consequence.

Cultural Impact

"Nothing burger" crossed from niche political jargon into mainstream vocabulary during 2017. Major outlets including CNN, *The New York Times*, and *Esquire* all published pieces examining the term's sudden popularity. CNN's feature traced the word back to its 1953 roots, framing it as "somewhat of an antique" that had been repurposed for modern political warfare.

The Van Jones clip became a flashpoint in the broader media trust debate. Project Veritas used it to argue that CNN privately dismissed the Russia investigation it was covering extensively. The moment turned "nothing burger" into shorthand for media hypocrisy in conservative circles, while liberal commentators argued the quote was taken out of context.

The phrase also influenced how political operatives frame narratives. Calling something a "nothing burger" before evidence emerges became a preemptive defense strategy. During the 2016-2017 period, both Democrats and Republicans wielded the term, though they aimed it at different targets.

Fun Facts

Louella Parsons, who coined the term in print, was one of the most powerful and feared gossip columnists in Hollywood history. She could make or break careers with a single column.

Helen Gurley Brown of *Cosmopolitan* also invented the term "mouseburger" alongside her use of "nothingburger," applying food metaphors liberally to describe people she considered unimpressive.

Anne Burford, who brought the term into politics in 1984, was the mother of future Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.

The *New York Times* published a full language analysis column about the word in August 1984, just weeks after Burford's quote went public.

CNN's official response to the Van Jones "nothing burger" video was a single word: "Lol".

Frequently Asked Questions

Nothing Burger

1953Catchphrase / slang termclassic

Also known as: Nothingburger · Nothing-Burger

Nothing Burger is a dismissive slang term that peaked in 2017 when CNN commentator Van Jones called the Trump-Russia investigation "a big nothing burger," meaning something lacks substance or is overhyped.

"Nothing Burger" (or "nothingburger") is a slang term used to dismiss something as worthless, overhyped, or completely lacking substance. While the phrase dates back to 1950s Hollywood gossip columns, it exploded into mainstream political vocabulary during the 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle and peaked in 2017 when CNN commentator Van Jones was caught on camera calling the Trump-Russia investigation "a big nothing burger".

slang memes political satire memes dismissal memes sarcasm memes

Overview

"Nothing burger" works on a simple, satisfying metaphor: imagine ordering a burger and biting into two pieces of bread with absolutely nothing inside. The term describes anything that looks promising on the outside but delivers zero substance. It applies equally to people, events, investigations, and ideas that turn out to be duds.

The phrase exists in several spellings: "nothing burger" (two words), "nothingburger" (one word), and the hyphenated "nothing-burger." All three have been used interchangeably since the 1950s. In internet and political culture, it functions primarily as a dismissal tool, deployed to wave away scandals, controversies, and investigations that the speaker considers overblown or baseless.

The earliest known print usage of "nothingburger" comes from Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons. In her June 1, 1953 column "Louella's Move-Go-'Round," published in the Albuquerque Journal, she wrote about actor Farley Granger: "After all, if it hadn't been for Sam Goldwyn Farley might very well be a nothingburger". Parsons wielded the term as a weapon in her celebrity coverage. Three years later, on July 5, 1956, she used it again about actress Shelley Winters: "'You certainly do,' I told Miss Winters, who was Miss Nothingburger when Ronald Colman gave her a chance in *A Double Life*".

In both early cases, Parsons applied "nothingburger" to describe people rather than events. The word meant someone who was a non-entity, a nobody in the Hollywood pecking order.

Origin & Background

Platform
Print media (newspaper columns), later adopted by internet culture and political commentary
Creator
Louella Parsons
Date
1953 (first print usage), 2016-2017 (viral political adoption)

The earliest known print usage of "nothingburger" comes from Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons. In her June 1, 1953 column "Louella's Move-Go-'Round," published in the Albuquerque Journal, she wrote about actor Farley Granger: "After all, if it hadn't been for Sam Goldwyn Farley might very well be a nothingburger". Parsons wielded the term as a weapon in her celebrity coverage. Three years later, on July 5, 1956, she used it again about actress Shelley Winters: "'You certainly do,' I told Miss Winters, who was Miss Nothingburger when Ronald Colman gave her a chance in *A Double Life*".

In both early cases, Parsons applied "nothingburger" to describe people rather than events. The word meant someone who was a non-entity, a nobody in the Hollywood pecking order.

How It Spread

After Parsons, the term migrated from gossip columns into broader cultural writing. Actor Robert Sterling used it in 1961 to describe forgettable film roles, calling them "nothing-burgers". *Cosmopolitan* editor Helen Gurley Brown adopted the word in her books throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including her 1965 book *Sex and the Office*, where she wrote about "nothing-burger clinkers" in reference to cheap jewelry. Brown used the term repeatedly across multiple publications, helping it spread beyond Hollywood trade talk.

The phrase made its jump into political language in July 1984. Anne Gorsuch Burford, who had resigned under pressure as President Ronald Reagan's head of the Environmental Protection Agency, was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere. She publicly dismissed the role as "a nothing-burger, a joke". The *New York Times* covered her quote in an August 1984 language column titled "Burger Me No Burgers," drawing a connection between Burford's dismissal and Walter Mondale's famous "Where's the beef?" line.

The term kept circulating in political circles for decades. During the 1990 Gulf War buildup, a U.S. official dismissed King Hussein's peace mission as "a nothing-burger". In 1993, Congressman Henry Hyde used it to attack the Freedom of Choice Act, calling it "a real nothing-burger".

On June 10, 2006, Urban Dictionary user Nutmegs posted the first crowd-sourced definition: "something lame, dead-end, a dud, insignificant; especially something with high expectations that turns out to be average, pathetic, or overhyped." The definition collected over 145 upvotes.

The term's biggest moment came during the 2016-2017 U.S. political cycle. Pundits and politicians on both sides of the aisle used "nothing burger" to dismiss various controversies. *Esquire* writer Charles P. Pierce called Hillary Clinton's email investigation "The Great Hillary Email Nothingburger" in an April 2016 article. Texas Senator Ted Cruz called the investigation into Jeff Sessions' meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak "a nothing burger" on MSNBC's *Morning Joe* in March 2017, a clip that pulled in over 80,000 YouTube views.

The phrase hit peak velocity on June 28, 2017, when conservative activist group Project Veritas released hidden camera footage of CNN commentator Van Jones saying, "This Russia thing is just a big nothing burger". The video racked up 1.13 million views and over 7,100 comments within 24 hours. When Business Insider contacted CNN for comment, a spokesperson simply replied "Lol".

By mid-2017, the phrase had become so omnipresent in political discourse that CNN itself published a feature tracing the word's history, noting it had been "firmly rooted in internet culture for years" before politicians picked it up. A Reddit thread on r/OutOfTheLoop from June 10, 2017 asked about the term's origin, with user angrae posting: "'Nothingburger' is a term I've seen a lot since the primaries of the election. Anyone know where it comes from?".

How to Use This Meme

"Nothing burger" works as a one-size-fits-all dismissal. The standard move is to label something your opponent considers important as a nothing burger, implying they're wasting everyone's time.

Common applications include:

- Political scandals: "The whole investigation was a nothing burger." - Overhyped announcements: "That product launch? Total nothingburger." - Disappointing events: "We waited two hours and the keynote was a nothing burger." - Dismissing people: (the original usage) "Without that connection, he'd be a complete nothingburger."

The term is typically deployed after something fails to live up to expectations, or preemptively to frame something as not worth paying attention to. In political contexts, calling an investigation or scandal a "nothing burger" signals that you believe it lacks evidence, substance, or real consequence.

Cultural Impact

"Nothing burger" crossed from niche political jargon into mainstream vocabulary during 2017. Major outlets including CNN, *The New York Times*, and *Esquire* all published pieces examining the term's sudden popularity. CNN's feature traced the word back to its 1953 roots, framing it as "somewhat of an antique" that had been repurposed for modern political warfare.

The Van Jones clip became a flashpoint in the broader media trust debate. Project Veritas used it to argue that CNN privately dismissed the Russia investigation it was covering extensively. The moment turned "nothing burger" into shorthand for media hypocrisy in conservative circles, while liberal commentators argued the quote was taken out of context.

The phrase also influenced how political operatives frame narratives. Calling something a "nothing burger" before evidence emerges became a preemptive defense strategy. During the 2016-2017 period, both Democrats and Republicans wielded the term, though they aimed it at different targets.

Fun Facts

Louella Parsons, who coined the term in print, was one of the most powerful and feared gossip columnists in Hollywood history. She could make or break careers with a single column.

Helen Gurley Brown of *Cosmopolitan* also invented the term "mouseburger" alongside her use of "nothingburger," applying food metaphors liberally to describe people she considered unimpressive.

Anne Burford, who brought the term into politics in 1984, was the mother of future Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.

The *New York Times* published a full language analysis column about the word in August 1984, just weeks after Burford's quote went public.

CNN's official response to the Van Jones "nothing burger" video was a single word: "Lol".

Frequently Asked Questions