Don Johnson

The Source actually translates the Greek eta as “Utter Rubbish!” which is correct in meaning, but loses the short expletive nature of the expression. I think perhaps the closest in English is “Pffft!”. “Hogwash!”, “Garbage!”, “Bunk!” and similar are also possible, as bunk is the shortest and yet is a word (unlike “Pffft!” which some people may not know and/or mishear when spoken).

The basic idea is to repudiate the statement made before, in a short expression of dismissal.

As The Source points out, Paul uses the term quite a big in 1 Cor. So much that it is one of the clues that he is reproving some Corinthian idea when he uses it in a conversational style. Recall that most could not read, so the letter would be read aloud to the congregants. I have read elsewhere that when Scripture was read aloud, Jews considered that the person themselves was with them in spirit.