"B" Slang

broligarchy

General

A group of local 'bros' who dominate and gatekeep a surfing spot, enforcing who gets waves.

brolly

General

RAF aircrew slang for a parachute — because when it opens above you it looks like an umbrella, and 'brolly' is the British nickname for an umbrella. WWII vintage and still in use. Hitting the silk, taking to the brolly, same thing.

bronca

General

A problem, difficulty, or quarrel; 'no hay bronca' means 'no problem'.

bronx cheer

General

A loud, sarcastic jeer from the crowd, often a raspberry sound, expressing disapproval.

brony

Internet

An adult fan — historically male, though the label has broadened — of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and its spinoffs. Defined as much by the community (conventions, fan art, OCs, podcasts) as by the show itself. Female-identifying fans often use 'pegasister' instead.

bronze up

General

Coating yourself head-to-toe in your own shit — usually in segregation — to make guards refuse to touch you during a cell extraction, search or transfer. A protest tactic of last resort, particularly associated with long-term solitary in the UK and Australian systems.

broon

General

Geordie for Newcastle Brown Ale, the strong brown beer brewed on Tyneside since 1927. Comes in the iconic clear bottle with the blue star. Also called the Dog (as in I'm off to walk the dog — i.e. the pub).

broon ale

General

Newcastle Brown Ale, the region's iconic bottled beer, nicknamed 'the Dog'.

bros

Street

Derived from "brother," used to address a man respectfully regardless of blood relation — an older friend, a senior colleague, or simply someone you're being polite to.

broscience

General

Training, nutrition or recovery claims passed around gyms and forums as fact despite little or no scientific support.

brotp

Internet

A duo a fan loves for their friendship rather than romance.

broughtupsy

General

The quality of having been raised well; proper manners and social conduct. Also broughtupcy.

brow lamination

Pop

Referenced as a step in the polished, snatched-face routine.

brown beat

Street

The drum break from Cameron Paul's 1987 'Brown Beats' breakbeat record, the other DNA strand of New Orleans bounce alongside the Triggerman. Producers and DJs layer it under chants and call-and-response to keep the second-line bounce in the pocket.

brown bread

General

Figuratively, finished, done for, beyond saving.

brown shoe

General

A naval aviator or aircrew member, as opposed to a 'black shoe' — the surface warfare officer or sailor working the ship itself. Two tribes in the Navy with the eternal rivalry to match: who really runs the carrier.

brownie

General

A benevolent domestic sprite who does chores by night in return for a little food.

brt

Internet

Stands for "be right there," used to say you're on your way and will arrive shortly.

bruck

Street

Broken, poor, or in a bad state. From Patois pronunciation of 'broke/broken'.

bruckshot

Street

A sawn-off shotgun. From Jamaican patois 'bruck' (broken / cut down) + shot — literally a broken-down shotgun. Carried across from yard culture into UK rap, grime, and drill, where shorter weapons are easier to conceal.

brumby

General

A feral or wild horse, especially in the Australian outback.

brush

Gaming

The clumps of foliage dotted around the map. Stand in one and enemies can't see you unless they're in it too or have a ward on it. Sit in the brush, wait, and jump someone who walks past blind.

brushback

General

A pitch thrown intentionally close to a batter to 'brush him back' from crowding the plate.

brutal

General

In Puerto Rico 'brutal' inverts its literal meaning to mean something is fantastic or outstanding. Calling your food or a concert 'brutal' is high praise.

bruv

Street

Short for "brother," used the way Americans use "bro" or "man." In the UK it's a friendly, everyday way to address a friend.

bs

General

In respiratory assessment, refers to the sounds of air moving through the lungs heard on auscultation; context distinguishes it from blood sugar.

bsfr

Internet

Common in texting and comment sections as a quick disbelief reaction.

btd

Internet

Acronym for "buy the dip," advising a purchase after a price decline in anticipation of a recovery.

btfd

Internet

Trader gospel: when the price drops, don't panic — buy more. Originated in equities, adopted with religious fervour by crypto Twitter, where it gets shouted on every red day. Works brilliantly in bull markets and catastrophically in bear markets, where every dip just dips harder.

btw

Internet

Stands for "by the way," used to add a side note or change the subject casually.

btw i use arch

Internet

Tacked onto any post in a tech server to caricature the Arch Linux user who flexes their setup unprompted. Now used self-deprecatingly by Arch users themselves and ironically by everyone else.

bubble

Internet

A subscription service that delivers private-style text messages from a chosen idol to subscribed fans. It simulates one-on-one texting with your bias.

bubble and squeak

General

Cockney rhyming slang for 'Greek', often used as a nickname for a Greek person (frequently clipped to 'bubble'). In parts of London a 'bubble' just means a Greek Cypriot.

bubble dancer

General

Affectionate-ish kitchen nickname for the dishwasher. Hands in hot soapy water for an eight-hour shift, dancing around the pit while the line dumps sauté pans on them every 90 seconds. Hardest job in the building, paid the least.

bubblehead

General

A submariner. Used by the rest of the Navy for anyone who serves on submarines — half affectionate, half ribbing. Bubbleheads wear it themselves with pride; surface-fleet sailors (skimmers) use it as a jab.

bubbler

General

A public drinking water fountain. The term is dominant in eastern Massachusetts and eastern Wisconsin — two pockets that, weirdly, share the word while the rest of the country says 'water fountain' or 'drinking fountain'. Often pronounced 'bubblah' in Boston.

buck

Street

To get violently energetic, rowdy, mosh-pit-aggressive. Central to Memphis crunk and Three 6 Mafia's whole live-show energy — see 'Get Buck Muthafucka'. Different vibe from 'getting buck wild' elsewhere; in Memphis it's a specific kinetic command.

buck fifty

General

A signature prison wound: a razor blade dragged across the cheek from ear to mouth, leaving a permanent scar that takes — legend has it — about 150 stitches to close. Hence 'buck fifty', street slang for $1.50. Often given as a mark of disrespect so the victim wears the verdict for the rest of their life.

buck rogers time

General

When the year you're eligible for parole is so far in the future it feels like a sci-fi setting. Named for the pulp-era space hero who woke up in the 25th century. Used grimly — if you're doing Buck Rogers time, nobody's joking.

buck sergeant

General

A sergeant at the E-5 pay grade, the junior of the sergeant ranks; 'buck' connotes the entry level of the grade.

bucket

General

A single made field goal. Also used for the basket/hoop itself.

bucket getter

General

A scoring specialist who reliably gets buckets in a variety of ways.

bucket mouth

General

The CB pest. A 'bucket mouth' is the operator who hogs the channel, talks over everyone, runs his mouth nonstop and won't let go of the mic. Every channel has one. Picture pouring sound out of a bucket — that's the vibe. Said with full contempt.

buckets

Gaming

A term for made baskets, or points in general; calling someone 'buckets' means they score at will.

buckeye

General

A native of Ohio (the Buckeye State), also a peanut-butter ball dipped in chocolate to resemble the buckeye nut.

buckhead

Street

The upscale district on Atlanta's north side. Lenox Square, Phipps Plaza, Tongue & Groove, the gated streets where the labels live. When a rapper says Buckhead, they're flexing the postcode.

buckley's chance

General

Almost no chance at all; often just 'Buckley's'.

bucks

Internet

The most common informal word for dollars.