Bum Rap (undeserved criminal punishment)
A "bum rap" means an undeserved criminal punishment. "Bum" means something of miserable quality; "rap" means a criminal accusation. "Then another fellow told of…
New York City
Bum Steer
A "steer" is a piece of advice (cited from at least 1899, probably from Texas). Not long after that, a "bum steer" came to mean a bad piece of advice. "Bum rap" is a…
Bum Steer Awards (Texas Monthly)
Texas Monthly has an annual issue (since 1974) of "Bum Steer Awards." It's an award Texans don't want to win. A Texas Monthly subscription may be required to views the winners…
Bumbleberry Pie (Bumble Berry Pie)
"Bumbleberry" (or "bumble berry") is a term indicating a mixture of berries; there is a "bumbleberry pie," but other food items have also used the word.…
Bumbling Bomber
Ahmad Khan Rahami allegedly set bombs in New York and New Jersey in September 2016. They didn't do much damage and Rahami was located sleeping in a doorway. The New York (NY) Daily News came…
Bumper Thumper (minor automobile accident)
A "bumper thumper" is a minor automobile accident. A Lucky Strike cigarette advertisement in March 1957 featured invented names, and David Barton of the University of Illinois submitted…
Bumpitrage (bump + arbitrage)
"Bumptrage" (bump + arbitrage) occurs when a deal is arrange (for example, a deal to buy a company). Activists then threaten the deal unless demands are met (for example, a…
Bunch of Assholes (Bank of America nickname)
Bank of America is one of the Big Four of America's banks (along with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo). Critics of Bank of America have given it the unflattering nickname of…
Bundthole or Bundt hole (the hole in a Bundt cake)
A Bundt cake has a hole in the middle. Some call this the "Bundthole"/"Bundt hole" (bunthole/bunt hole). which looks like "butthole." "Most creative thing…
Bungler-in-Chief (an incompetent top executive)
"Bungler-in-chief" (or "bungler in chief") means any incompetent top executive. The term "bungler-in-chief" has been cited in print in 1917, 1967 and 1987, but the…
Bunnette
The Nathan's July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest is famous for its "gurgitators" (eaters), but it also has "bunnettes." A "bunnette" (from the hot dog…
Buñuelos
Buñuelos are fritters (dough rolled out like a tortilla, then deep-fried and covered with sugar and cinnamon) that have been cited in Spain from at least the 1700s. Buñuelos have been served on…
Bureau of Incompetent Asses (Bureau of Indian Affairs or BIA nickname)
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior responsible for the administation and management of Native American land in the United States. Critics of the…
Bureau of Land Mismanagement (Bureau of Land Management or BLM nickname)
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees more than 247.3 million acres (1,001,000 km2) of public lands in the United States. Critics of the Bureau of Land Management have nicknamed it the…
Bureau of Large Mistakes (Bureau of Land Management or BLM nickname)
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees more than 247.3 million acres (1,001,000 km2) of public lands in the United States. Critics of the Bureau of Land Management have nicknamed it the…
Bureau of Lies and Statistics (Bureau of Labor Statistics or BLS nickname)
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was established as the Bureau of Labor in 1884. Some of the statistics that it compiles include the consumer price index and unemployment rates. Critics of…
Bureau of Livestock and Mining (Bureau of Land Management or BLM nickname)
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees more than 247.3 million acres (1,001,000 km2) of public lands in the United States. Some critics have said that the bureau sells out to livestock and…
Bureau of Wrecklamation (Bureau of Reclamation nickname)
The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (formerly the U.S. Reclamation Service) has been in charge of water management (including many dam projects) since 1902. Critics…
Bureaucratese or Bureaucrapese (bureaucratic language)
"Bureaucratese" is a language spoken or written by bureaucrats, also often called "officialese" or "legalese" or "federalese" or "governmentese."…
Bureaucrazy (bureaucracy + crazy)
"Bureaucrazy" (bureaucracy + crazy) has been used when people feel that government red tape is overwhelming, creating a bureaucracy-crazy environment. The word "bureaucrazy" has…