Bimbo (English slang)

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Bimbo is an English slang expression . The loan word from Italian today denotes a mostly attractive but simple-minded woman. In German, the expression can be translated as “ chick ” or “stupid blonde”. The expression was subject to a change of meaning and previously stood for a feminine-looking or effeminate man.

Word origin

The word "bimbo" is a short form of the Italian word "Bambino" for a small child or baby. In Italian, the word is used exclusively for male people, the ending "-o" indicates this. It was with this meaning that the word first came into American English . However, the term underwent a first change. In American slang, it was used to insult men as "unmanly". But it was also applied to women who showed a little ladylike behavior. In this first slang meaning, it spread mainly in the Roaring Twenties in the United States, but then lost its meaning again.

Later, the term was applied almost exclusively to women and referred to a stupid but attractive woman. In fact, a male variant has existed since the 1980s with the newly created word "himbo".

Pop culture use

  • The song Bimbo , which dates back to the 1940s and was made popular by Jim Reeves , was about a little boy (the word in its original meaning) who is very popular and plays with girls.
  • In the song Barbie Girl by the Danish-Norwegian group Aqua , the line of text " I'm a blond bimbo girl in a fantasy world " ( something like : "I'm a blonde dull cheek / chick in a fantasy world ") appeared. The Barbie maker Mattel sued the content of the song, but lost in court. The court recognized the satirical content of the text and saw it covered by the right to freedom of expression .
  • The online game Miss Bimbo is a virtual beauty pageant in which dolls can be dressed. You can also get breast implants for your dolls. To advance in the game, you can purchase virtual money through an SMS service. The game caused protests because of its content.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bimbo. Merriam-Webster . Retrieved October 20, 2014 .
  2. ↑ search query. In: Leo dictionary. Retrieved October 20, 2014 .
  3. ↑ a b Max Cryer: Is It True ?: The facts behind the things we have been told . Exisle Publishing, 2014, ISBN 978-1-77559-151-1 , pp. 27 .
  4. ^ A b Justin Cord Hayes: The Unexpected Evolution of Language: Discover the Surprising Etymology of Everyday Words . Adams Media, 2012, ISBN 978-1-4405-4279-4 , pp. 44 .
  5. ↑ Axel Fröhlich : $ 75 million for coffee that is too hot: The world's craziest lawsuits . Riva Verlag, 2012, ISBN 978-3-86413-169-1 .
  6. ^ Karen McVeigh: Parents upset over online Miss Bimbo game for children. Taipei Times , March 30, 2008, accessed October 20, 2014 .