Bradley Effect (Wilder Effect; Dinkins Effect)
The "Bradley effect" is named after Tom Bradley, who was leading in the polls for California governor in 1982, but lost a close race to George Deukmejian. The "Bradley effect"…
Brain Trust
A "trust" is a combination of companies by legal agreement; examples from the late 1800s include the oil trust and the sugar trust. The earliest example of a "brain trust" is…
Bravo Sierra (b.s., or bullshit)
"Bravo sierra" means, using the phonetic alphabet, the letters "B" and "S," and stands for the words "bull shit" (or "bullshit"). "I think…
Bread-and-Butter Issue
A "bread-and-butter issue" is a central economic issue, such as the price of food (bread and other foods) or the price of gas. The early 19th century featured the "bread-and-butter…
British Accreditation Registry (“bar” backronym)
The legal "bar"is sometimes said to be an acronym (or backronym) for "British Accredited Registry" or "British Accreditation Registry." "The acronym BAR was…
Broligach (bro + oligarch)
"Broligarch" (bro + oligarch) and "broligarchy" (bro + oligarchy) are terms to describe people such as Elon Musk (X/Twitter) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) and Jeff Bezos…
Broligarchy (bro + oligarchy)
"Broligarch" (bro + oligarch) and "broligarchy" (bro + oligarchy) are terms to describe people such as Elon Musk (X/Twitter) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) and Jeff Bezos…
BS-19 (bullshit + COVID-19)
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic was called bullshit (b.s.) by some people who used the term "BS-19." "The lead is killing us not covid bs19" was posted on Twitter by Zena on…
Buckley Rule (vote for most conservative primary candidate likely to win general election)
Conservative author and commentator William F. Buckley (1925-2008) was asked, in 1967, whom he would support in 1968 for U.S. president. Buckley responded with what would late be called the…
Buckraker (buck + muckraker)
A "buckraker" (buck + muckraker) originally referred to a muckraking journalist who raked in bucks through speaking engagements, books and other sources. "Buckraker" also refers…
Budget Axe (Budget Ax)
A budget is often cut by, metaphorically, "axing" workers and expenses. The budget axe (or "ax") has been cited in print since at least 1911. Budget cutting since 1960 has often…
Bullshit Labor 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…
Bully Pulpit
The term "bully pulpit" was coined by Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), as he was leaving his last term in the White House. The term first appears in a February 27, 1909 Outlook profile of…
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…
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…
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…