# Sigh. "Bling Bling" is now an official word. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 1, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353 "2003-05-01T12:24:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![welby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@welby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/1 "2003-05-01T12:24:18Z")
[Really.](http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1471629/20030430/bg.jhtml?headlines=true) So what’s next? Shall we add gangsta? ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/2 "2003-05-01T12:29:34Z")
Word to tha mutha! ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/3 "2003-05-01T12:37:54Z")
Fo shizzle. ---
**Author:** ![slice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@slice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slice)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/4 "2003-05-01T13:16:56Z")
Aight! ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/5 "2003-05-01T13:41:15Z")
Prithee, my Goodfellow, what ailest thou? (I find it scary that the originator thinks he could have trademarked it) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/6 "2003-05-01T14:58:06Z")
As many other people on this board like to point out, putting a word in a dictionary does NOT make it an “official” word. A dictionary is just a guide to popular usage. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/7 "2003-05-01T15:30:29Z")
OK, Marley, I’ll bite. How does a word become official, then? ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/8 "2003-05-01T15:35:30Z")
When you o-fficial the shizzle, my nizzle. Da-yum! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/9 "2003-05-01T15:45:38Z")
Uh, and the problem is what exactly? People use it, it communicates something, therefore it’s a word. I’m sorry, should we all ask you for your approval before we deem something a word? Please. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/10 "2003-05-01T15:54:10Z")
> [@](#): > > How does a word become official, then? Somebody correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think words become official or unofficial. There are words, and I imagine bling bling would be one, that aren’t considered ‘standard English,’ but there’s no “Official Guide to Words That Are Real English” lying around that I’m aware of. The OED is probably the closest thing since it’s so expansive, but again, usage is the issue there. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/11 "2003-05-01T15:57:10Z")
I’m so out of the loop that when I first heard someone discussing “blings” I had to ask him what he was talking about!!! ---
**Author:** ![IDemandBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a88e57/32.png) [@IDemandBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IDemandBeer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/12 "2003-05-01T16:01:42Z")
East-Siiiiiiiiiide in da hizzouse! –IDB ---
**Author:** ![Arcana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@Arcana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcana)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/13 "2003-05-01T16:07:23Z")
You got me straight trippin’, Boo! ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/14 "2003-05-01T16:16:31Z")
If you read the article, you’ll see that the OED is drafting an entry for “bling bling.” Bling blech! ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/15 "2003-05-01T16:23:27Z")
C’mon dawg, dis ain’t so bad ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/16 "2003-05-01T16:31:22Z")
Time to update your [linguistic toolset](http://www.asksnoop.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/17 "2003-05-01T16:32:40Z")
Until I read that article on fark, I had never heard of this word. Personally, it sucks. Professionally, if I heard someone use it, I would think they were an idiot. It just sounds stupid. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/18 "2003-05-01T16:39:27Z")
Heh. Snoop Doggin the front page > [@](#): > > [Home Page | Message Boards | Informative Shiznit | Search Archive | Ask Cecil | Books | Buy Stuff | FAQs, etc.] > 030425 .gif (13169 bytes) > Wass da story behind Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway Heaven?” > > ``` > * Sign up fo' da Straight Dope mailing list! > * Today's Question: Is that shiznit true summer in Ireland starts May 1? (By Cecil Adams) > * Recent Additions: > o Are twin-blade razors better than single-blade ones? (By Cecil Adams) > o Wass da origin of "Catch-22"? (Staff Report by SDStaff Dex) > o Why are ketchup bottles tall 'n thin while mustard bottles are short 'n fat? (By Cecil Adams) > o Wass da story behind Led Zeppelin's "Stairway Heaven?" (By Cecil Adams) > * Search da Straight Dope archive, containing izzall worthwhile human knowledge n' shit. Updated daily! > * Threadspotting: Rock me baby, know what I'm sayin'? (Submitted by Lynn Bodoni) > * Weird Earl's: Isn't that shiznit romantic? 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**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/19 "2003-05-01T16:56:33Z")
Hey hey! Cash Money in the dictionary! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353/20 "2003-05-01T17:08:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shirley Ujest \* > \*\*Until I read that article on fark, I had never heard of this word. > > Personally, it sucks. > > Professionally, if I heard someone use it, I would think they were an idiot. > > It just sounds stupid. \*\* Why? I personally am not a big fan of the phrase, but, c’mon, it adds to the color of the English language. I’m sorry, but I enjoy, really _enjoy_ the introduction of colorful new vocabulary into the popular lexicon. Listen, I know my grammar, I know my stylebooks, and I know what the heck it is people call “proper English.” But in my humble opinion, the beauty of our language is enhanced by such urban neologisms. What a boring friggin’ language we would have if everyone talked like grammar textbooks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-bling-bling-is-now-an-official-word/172353.md?page=2)