“Fee Fi Fo Fum” Meaning, Origin and Examples

Last updated on October 10, 2024 by Liam Daniel

You may have heard someone use the phrase ‘fee fi fo fum’ and wondered what it meant. We are going to look further into the meaning of this saying and where it originated from. We will also look at how it can be used in a conversation.

Fee Fi Fo Fum Meaning, Origin and Usage

Key Takeaways

  • “Fee-fi-fo-fum” is a chant from the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk, spoken by the giant when he senses Jack’s presence. It symbolizes the giant’s awareness of danger or threat and conveys a menacing tone. The phrase is used to evoke a sense of foreboding, often associated with giants in folklore.
Fee Fi Fo Fum Meaning
Fee Fi Fo Fum Meaning – Created by 7ESL

Fee Fi Fo Fum Meaning

“Fee-fi-fo-fum” is a famous phrase from the English fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk. It is spoken by the giant when he senses the presence of a human, and it’s typically associated with giants or large, fearsome creatures in folklore. The full line is:

“Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman.”

This phrase is meant to be a chant or magical rhyme, often used to signal the giant’s awareness of danger or his readiness to attack. While the specific meaning of the individual words is unclear, the phrase has come to symbolize a foreboding or ominous presence, especially tied to giants in literature and folklore.

In modern usage, “fee-fi-fo-fum” is sometimes used humorously or playfully to imitate the giant’s voice or to convey a sense of something big or threatening approaching.

Origin of this Term

As we mentioned previously, the phrase “Fee-fi-fo-fum” originates from the English fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk. The earliest known version of the story dates back to the 18th century, with its most well-known version appearing in Joseph Jacobs’ English Fairy Tales (1890). However, variations of the tale have existed in oral tradition long before that.

Usage of “Fee Fi Fo Fum”

  • In a playful or dramatic context:
    • “Fee-fi-fo-fum, here comes Dad pretending to be the giant again!”
  • To indicate a large or imposing presence:
    • “As the tall basketball players entered the gym, one of the kids jokingly said, ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum!'”
  • In a literary or storytelling setting:
    • “The storyteller recited the giant’s famous line: ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!'”
  • To humorously imply something big or intimidating is approaching:
    • “Fee-fi-fo-fum, looks like the boss is coming down the hallway!”

Related Terms to “Fee Fi Fo Fum”

  1. Mirror, mirror on the wall – A famous phrase from Snow White, often used to invoke a sense of magic or foreboding.
  2. Hocus pocus – A magical-sounding phrase often associated with spells or magic tricks.
  3. Abracadabra – A word commonly used by magicians or in stories to invoke magic or a spell.
  4. Open sesame – A magical command from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves that opens a hidden door or treasure.
  5. Ho ho ho – Often associated with giants or Santa Claus, used to mimic a large, jolly, or imposing figure.
  6. By the pricking of my thumbs – A phrase from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, used to foreshadow something ominous or magical.
  7. I smell a rat – An idiom that means someone senses something suspicious or wrong, similar to how the giant senses danger.
  8. Giants in folklore – Characters in stories, like in Jack and the Beanstalk, who are often large, intimidating, and speak in rhymes or chants.
  9. Beware the Ides of March – A warning from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, suggesting that something bad is about to happen.
  10. Boom boom – A playful sound effect used to mimic the approach of something large or heavy, similar to how a giant might be portrayed.

Other Ways to Say the Phrase

Whilst the majority of times this phrase is used, it will be said as ‘fee fi fo fum,’ there are some examples throughout history of the term being used with slightly different wording.

Here are some examples of this.

  • Fy, fa and fum
  • Fie, foh and fum

“Fee Fi Fo Fum” Examples

Examples in Statements

Since this term does not have a meaning and is a nonsense phrase, you will generally only hear it in reference to the story it comes from, which is Jack and the Beanstalk.

However a good example statement used in every day conversation is when referring to an approaching man from England.

  • ‘Fee fi fo fum, here comes John.’

Conversation Examples

Here are some conversation in which you might hear the phrase ‘Fee fi fo fum.’ The first example is the text in which the saying appears in the fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk.

  • Fee fi fo fum
  • I smell the blood of an Englishman
  • Be he alive or be he dead
  • I’ll grind his bones to bake my bread.

This conversation shows people using a joking fashion to announce the arrival of a literal Englishman.

  • Person 1: “Oh look, here comes Mark, that guy from England.”
  • Person 2: “Fee fi fo fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman.”
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