To give a bum steer is a predominantly Australian and New Zealand idiom that means to provide information, intentionally or unintentionally, that is incorrect, was unhelpful, or caused one to be led astray. The phrase is not generally regarded as pejorative. The idiom, as used in Australia and New Zealand, reached the United States in the 1920s probably after exposure to Australian troops on the Western Front during World War I, and is recorded in the UK since 1944. Originally, the "steer" in the idiom is not related to the male cattle also called steers.