Slang Beginning with B
In this lesson, we cover essential American slang starting with letter B with examples. In general, slang are used mostly in casual street talks among Americans such that even international (non-native) speakers living in the USA can not understand them. Thus, you may use slang in your daily casual conversations especially with Americans. Just be careful and do NOT use slang in formal conversations like job interviews or business meetings.
Slang Recap
In our previous lesson, we covered American Slang Beginning with A.
Word of the Day: B
baby:
1. a person who complains all the time, or someone who always gets what he or she wants.
I hate playing baseball with that guy. He’s such a big baby when he loses.
2. a person that you like, love, or are attracted to.
Hey, baby, let’s go out to dinner tonight.
3. something that’s valuable to you.
Take a look at these babies. (apples) I bought them at the grocery store today.
bad: good or tough (African-American slang)
He thinks he’s so bad now that he got those new shoes.
badmouth: to say something bad about someone.
She was heard badmouthing her boss and that’s why she got fired.
bail: to leave someone without helping; to abandon
Don’t bail on me man. I really need you to help me.
bail out: to help or provide financial assistance.
I need $100. Can you bail me out?
baloney: nonsense; something stupid
She wants me to work this weekend?! That’s a bunch of baloney.
barf: throw up, vomit; to have a negative reaction
I almost barfed when I saw the accident. There was blood and guts everywhere.
barfly: a person who is always at a bar, usually someone who drinks a lot of alcohol at a bar.
A:You’ve been a real barfly lately. What’s up?
B: Well, I don’t start work until the afternoon now, so I can stay up late.
beat the hell out of: to win easily in competition or a game. (“heck” is a good substitute for “hell.” Some conservative religious people really don’t like to hear the word–ever.)
Did you see the Twins play last night? They really got the hell beat out of them.
beats me: I don’t know
A: Who was the 36th President of the United States?
B: Beats me. Why don’t you look it up online?
beer belly: a big stomach from drinking too much beer.
If you party a lot, you have to start worrying about developing a beer belly after the age of 40.
be good: good-bye, usually when the absence is long.
A: Bye. See you later.
B: Okay. Be good. I’ll call you next year.
better half: a husband or wife.
Before I buy this car, I’m going to have to talk to my better half.
Big Brother: the government. This is a reference to the George Orwell novel, 1984, critical of authoritarian government.
Big Brother does his best to keep people from doing drugs, but he can’t completely prevent this behavior.
big deal: a big problem; something serious
She came in late to work today, but her boss told her it was no big deal because the restaurant wasn’t busy.
big guy: often used when saying hello to a friend. Usually used by men.
Hey, big guy! What’s going on?
big of ____: good; admirable.
It was big of him to apologize for his mistake.
big money: a lot of money
It’s going to cost big money to get our car fixed.
bite the bullet: do something that’s difficult but important.
Next year I’ll have to bite the bullet and start looking for another job.
blast: a good time; something fun
This new video game is such a blast!
blah blah blah: used when someone talks too much or used in place of a lot of words.
The teacher went on an on, blah blah blah, about how important it is to study.
bling: jewelry or expensive items that a person uses to show off a car, a house, or oneself. This word originates in hip-hop music and culture. Sometimes “bling” takes the form of dental work.
He’s got so much bling on him he needs a security guard.
blow away: to make a big impression
The band was awesome! They blew everyone away.
blow one’s mind: to make an impression on an intellectual level; something is interesting.
It blew my mind to see how many people came to my website.
bomb: to do a bad job, especially on a test.
After she bombed the test, the teacher let her take it over again and she got a better grade.
boobs: a woman’s breasts (use with caution.* It’s not bad but in mixed company it might be better to say “breasts”) .
Wow! She has big boobs
booger: the stuff that’s inside your nose. (caution)
When the little girl sneezed, a big booger flew out of her nose.
book: 1. to make a reservation; 2. to leave a place quickly.
I booked a flight for Las Vegas next weekend.
The police are here! Let’s book!
brain(s): intelligence; a smart person
The brain of the class always gets the best grades.
breeze: something that is very easy.
Although it might look hard, it’s a breeze to learn how to drive a car.
brownie points: credit for having done something good.
He’ll get brownie points from his wife if he cleans the bathroom.
B.S.: (abbreviation) Use with caution. Although you only use the initials, everyone knows what they stand for.
That’s a bunch of B.S. You’re lying to me!
bummer: a bad situation; something depressing or sad
I’m sorry you lost your job. That’s a bummer.
bum (one) out: (verb) to make someone feel sad.
Let’s not see a movie that bums us out. I want to see something funny.
burnout: to feel overworked or stressed. This results from working too much
Todd is starting to feel a little burned out from his job as a lawyer.
buzz: a little high from drugs, alcohol, or caffeine.
Jerry got a big caffeine buzz off of his espresso. Does drinking coffee give you a buzz?
Attention: Some slang is inappropriate in certain situations. That’s why you see the word “caution” after some of these slang words. Some slang is considered to be vulgar.
vulgar = impolite or considered a swear word. Don’t use it around your supervisor or someone who might be offended.
Next Slang Lesson
In our next lesson, we will cover American Slang Beginning with C.
Related Slang Lessons
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