Where did the expression "not so much" come from?

Question

Lately I have been hearing people use the expression "not so much" in ways that I never heard years ago. For example, on a TV show, I heard a woman say, "This one is great, but this one.....not so much". I have even heard people use it alone when commenting on something. They'll just point to something and say, "Not so much". Does anyone know where or how this particular usage of this expression originated? I did not hear this until a couple of years ago.

Thanks, come to think of it I do remember hearing it on Monty Python, specifically coming from Eric Idle!

I've most recently heard it on "What not to Wear" and "The Rachael Ray Show" coming from women in particular. I've also seen people use it on chat forums. It seems to be more popular right now than it ever was. I find it fascinating how expressions like this come in and out of fashion.

Answer 1

The term "not so much" is a popular passing response of dejection for the people of the Northern States. The term was a popular joke line in the 1960's and early 70's on shows like "The Dick Van Dyke Show". Also, British comedies have used the line as well, most popular I think with "Monty Python". So far as the first origins of this phrase, you may find most to say it started with Dutch Settlers.