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What is wellp?
A modification of the word "well" that expresses exasperation, frustration, and resignation. Often accompanied by a shaking of the head. The excrescent p, called a bilabial stop, found in words like yep, and nope, is somewhat like a stifled laugh ("pfft"), a quick closing off of the word, enhancing the resignation in it, and indicating that the mouth is on its way to stating something further. Sometimes spelled welp.
Wellp, looks like we should start walking, this vehicle is thoroughly wrecked.
Cartoonist Harvey Kurtzman (creator of 'MAD' magazine) used the word in a piece called "The Grasshopper and the Ant" (Esquire - May, 1960). Ant, having just seen a caterpillar devoured by a bird says, "Wellp... Back to work. Grain to gather."
wellp - meme gif
wellp - video
