# What does Bling Bling Mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 22, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834 "2003-02-22T21:46:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chubbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Chubbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chubbs)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/1 "2003-02-22T21:46:37Z")
Heard it several times in the past week. What does it mean? ---
**Author:** ![something\_clever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@something\_clever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/something_clever)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/2 "2003-02-22T21:48:09Z")
ever chrome wheels on a car? notice how when they turn certain areas reflect brightly back into your eyes, kind of a little sparkle? well each “sparkle” is a bling usually bling refers to jewelry or chrome parts on a car, atleast in my area. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/3 "2003-02-22T22:18:55Z")
Bling bling is an urban slang reference to displays of conspicuous consumption – most often jewelry or gold/platinum teeth, but (as **something clever** notes) sometimes to other expensive showy items like car accessories, etc. ---
**Author:** ![domesticatedjunglefowl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@domesticatedjunglefowl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/domesticatedjunglefowl)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/4 "2003-02-22T23:27:21Z")
Bling-Bling. syn. for Jangle-Jangle. To make display of object(s) possessing Bling-Bling would be refered to as ‘Flossin’.’ ---
**Author:** ![Kalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalt)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/5 "2003-02-22T23:34:41Z")
My understanding is that african-americans tend to gravitate towards shiny things, and “bling bling” is their way of giving approval of something very shiny. I could be wrong, as I’m just not very knowledgeable on “urban” matters. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/6 "2003-02-23T00:02:39Z")
Has [Ali G](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=164855) reached foreign shores ? ---
**Author:** ![ProjectOmega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@ProjectOmega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProjectOmega)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/7 "2003-02-23T00:15:36Z")
It’s a euphemism for “hooray” or “woohoo”, or expressing approval. For example, if an urban-dwelling African-American gentlemen sees a particularly attractive woman, he might nudge his friend and say “bling bling”. Likewise if he sees a car that is universally understood to be expensive and fast, he might let out an exclamation of “bling bling”. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/8 "2003-02-23T00:21:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalt \* > \*\*My understanding is that african-americans tend to gravitate towards shiny things, and “bling bling” is their way of giving approval of something very shiny. I could be wrong, as I’m just not very knowledgeable on “urban” matters. \*\* Well, this is just silly. We blacks do not gravitate towards shiny things. Whatever gave you this ridiculous idea? I cannot understand how any one can live in the world today with their heads full of these silly generalizations and misconceptions. Why I oughta. . . ohh look, a new dime! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/9 "2003-02-23T00:22:41Z")
When come back, bling bling pie. [sub]Well, someone **had** to say it.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![flapcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@flapcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flapcats)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/10 "2003-02-23T00:26:06Z")
One of the V-Birds is called Bling. But they’ve all got silly names. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/11 "2003-02-23T00:56:48Z")
> [@](#): > > bling bling > (n) Jewelry, derived from the sound it makes. For future reference, here’s the [Rap Dictionary](http://www.rapdict.org/terms/b). Thank **Anthracite** for the link. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/12 "2003-02-23T01:14:35Z")
Wow that sounded pretty racist. Black people like shiny things. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/13 "2003-02-23T01:21:07Z")
Am I misunderstanding, or is “bling bling” (or sometimes just “bling”) used also as a synomym for “money”? In the same vein as “moolah”, “dinero”, “green”, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Bandanaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ab097/32.png) [@Bandanaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bandanaman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/14 "2003-02-23T01:28:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biggirl \* > \*\*Well, this is just silly. We blacks do not gravitate towards shiny things. Whatever gave you this ridiculous idea? I cannot understand how any one can live in the world today with their heads full of these silly generalizations and misconceptions. Why I oughta. . . ohh look, a new dime! \*\* That…was…funny. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/15 "2003-02-23T02:40:49Z")
Paging **Kiki**! Paging **Kiki**! Oooohhhh… _shiny!_. 🙂 > [@](#): > > When come back, bling bling pie. Eh? I don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/16 "2003-02-23T03:02:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biggirl \* > \*\*Well, this is just silly. We blacks do not gravitate towards shiny things. Whatever gave you this ridiculous idea? I cannot understand how any one can live in the world today with their heads full of these silly generalizations and misconceptions. Why I oughta. . . ohh look, a new dime! \*\* _lol_ That is a pretty damn asinine assumption, though. Most frequently, I find it being attatched to the so-called “wiggas.” Frankly, if a black person actually used the term seriously, I’d bust out laughing even harder than if a white person did. I’d second the ever-present minerals as the source, generally meaning to have lots of money. To use it in a sentence, imagine a 5’8" skinny white guy with pants hanging off his ass and a big gold chain standing in front of a lowered Nissan Sentra with a spoiler and chrome rims saying, “Yo, dat boy gots da bling bling fo shizzle, J-Dog.” Follow this thought up quickly with someone kicking his ass, and you’ll be happy all day. For reference, see the “Icy Hot Stuntaz,” a web legend for their wigganess. [http://www.geocities.com/thestuntaz/](http://www.geocities.com/thestuntaz/) ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/17 "2003-02-23T03:03:22Z")
> [@](#): > > You really think y’all are as fly as us? Don’t step. We are Rap starz blowin up in the 2G+3. _falls over laughing_ I forgot… how funny… ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/18 "2003-02-23T03:11:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunspace \* > \*\*Eh? I don’t understand. \*\* Errrm…weak joke based on a running SDMB gag: “when come back, bring pie”. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/19 "2003-02-23T03:48:24Z")
When I was in Malaysia, and saw that the star fruit (carambola) was called _belimbing_ in Malay, I corrupted the word into “bling-bling.” I never dreamed it would become a slang word someday. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834/20 "2003-02-23T04:54:54Z")
I feel qualified to answer this, being a student at an inner city high school. Bling-bling is jewelery. Specifically, big gold or platinum chains. (If it has diamonds, those are “ice.” So, one can be wearing “iced-out bling-bling.”) No one really uses it seriously. I have also heard it being referred to as a “Mr. T starter kit.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bling-bling-mean/156834.md?page=2)