What does The Bubons mean?!

I'm fairly certain it's a slang word in Sicilian/Southern Italian dialect meaning "the Bubonic Plague" in a joking sense. When one of my older NY/Italian relatives had the flu they would say this "I have the Bubons" or "She's in bed with the Bubons," etc. I think Stewart must know this term having grown up in Jersey (see: The Sopranos).

family slang/dialect.

I presume that you are asking about a "BUBO"....

Bubo in "Greek" means "groin" (groin is the crease between leg and the torso)

By definition, bubo is a swelling of lymph nodes in groin, arm pits or neck.

Lymph nodes are organs of immunity. They are like gate keepers and are interposed at crucial 'junctions' of lymphatic channels. Lymphatics ultimately drain into the blood, so it is understandable that the 'function of lymph nodes' is to prevent infection of skin and other superficial soft tissue from spilling onto the blood, which will seed it through out or produce lethal sepsis.

Lymph nodes are normally tiny organs, but when faced with an overwhelming infection, they recruit a huge number of cells and enlarge to combat the rogue organisms, in particular, those of PLAGUE, SYPHILIS, TUBERCULOSIS, etc.

the nodes of TB are called caseating granulomata, for syphilis called gummata.

So, BUBO is enlarged lymph nodes in PLAGUE.

Plague has three types of presentations, pneumonic type, septicemic type and the most common and most well known type is BUBONIC TYPE.

In BUBONIC PLAGUE, there forms a "blister" at the site of bite of rat flea ( the carrier of plague just like mosquito for malaria ), which later becomes filled with blood and turns black. In the medieval times, there were no antibiotics and such a blister is sure sign of death. that is why plague epidemics were called BLACK DEATH. The blister is accompanied by bubos in armpits (if blister in the arm) or in groin (if blister in legs) or in neck (if blister in torso). That is why this form of plague is called BUBONIC PLAGUE.

[fleas mostly bite in legs and mostly the nodes were in the groin, hence they were called BUBOs]

there is a boring historic movie on plague epidemics in medieval Europe called BLACK DEATH !!!

i m an ex-medical student, i mean, currently a practitioner.

While the medical student gives a great history of the BUBO and the Bubonic Plague, I'm pretty sure you ask this question based on watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He uses "The Bubons" as a euphemism for being sick (usually noticeable on-air and potentially contagious). He used the term for a stomach bug in November and for some sort of cold-like ailment this week.

The Daily Show on Comedy Central