Nnnyahh

Illustration of boy with tongue out on white background with yellow speech bubble and blue text.

Gum ball machine prizes, including humorous pinback buttons, were popular throughout the 20th century. Machines originally intended for distributing round candies became commonly used along with small round capsules to distribute tiny toys to friendly passersby.

“Nnnyahh,” is an idiom referencing a popular children’s taunt, either derived from None of your business, a popular deflective saying associated with the comeback, “Mind your own business,” or derived from the sing-song chant ‘Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah’ or even the word ‘nyah’ alone as it is now considered in itself an expression of contempt or superiority.