# What does Dubya mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540 "2004-07-17T03:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/1 "2004-07-17T03:46:54Z")
I have noticed that democrats refer to GW Bush as “Dubya”. What does this mean? Also, how do you pronounce that word? Is it a derogatory term? ---
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/2 "2004-07-17T03:52:07Z")
It’s “W” (as in George W. Bush) pronounced with a southern twang. It pokes fun at his reputation for being sort of stupid (by way of the “southerners are sort of dumb” characterization), but it’s not the worst he’s been called. ---
**Author:** ![dre2xl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@dre2xl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dre2xl)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/3 "2004-07-17T03:52:11Z")
Dubya = bastardization of the letter “W”. _Is it a derogatory term?_ It’s his own nickname, so no–but it has been used in a sarcastic, psuedo-familiar context like “honey”. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/4 "2004-07-17T03:52:32Z")
“Dubya” is how a Texan says the letter “W.” It’s probably meant to be derogatory, but I’m a Texan, and a lot of us do indeed say it that way. ---
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/5 "2004-07-17T04:23:33Z")
And if it hasn’t been made abundantly clear, it’s pronounced “DUH-byuh”. Emphasis on the “Duuuuuh.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/6 "2004-07-17T04:27:45Z")
I remember him being called Dubya way before he went national and it was usually from supporters. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/7 "2004-07-17T04:41:02Z")
> [@Jadis](#): > > It’s “W” (as in George W. Bush) pronounced with a southern twang. It pokes fun at his reputation for being sort of stupid (by way of the “southerners are sort of dumb” characterization), but it’s not the worst he’s been called. Which is a slur at Southerners since Texas is not part of The South. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/8 "2004-07-17T05:50:07Z")
> [@](#): > > What does Dubya mean? I’ve been listening to him talk for four years now, and I still don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/9 "2004-07-17T06:02:10Z")
Here in Houston, I’m seeing a lot of “W’04” bumper stickers popping up. This being Texas, the Bush people obviously know how people are going to pronounce this letter. Presumably this indicates that they are not backing away from the monker “Dubya.” ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/10 "2004-07-17T08:26:51Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I’ve been listening to him talk for four years now, and I still don’t know. THAT’S good! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/11 "2004-07-17T12:03:18Z")
> [@Jadis](#): > > It pokes fun at his reputation for being sort of stupid (by way of the “southerners are sort of dumb” characterization) I don’t think his being called Dubya or his reputation for being sort of stupid has anything to do with any “dumb Southernor” stereotype. AFAIK the whole “W” thing started only as a way to differentiate him from his father with the similar name, and Dubya’s reputation for being sort of stupid came from his seeming inabilty to put together a sentence in standard English syntax, his penchant for using non-words like “misunderestimate” and his demonstration during the 2000 campaign of a near-total lack of grasp of such foreign policy questions as the names of various heads of state. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/12 "2004-07-17T14:33:20Z")
> [@edwino](#): > > Here in Houston, I’m seeing a lot of “W’04” bumper stickers popping up. This being Texas, the Bush people obviously know how people are going to pronounce this letter. Presumably this indicates that they are not backing away from the monker “Dubya.” Is a ‘monker’ like a ‘wanker’? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/13 "2004-07-17T14:48:23Z")
The Bush family is apparently big on “initial” nicknames. Brother “Jeb” is really John Ellis Bush–J.E.B. Of course, brother Neal is rarely acknowledged whatsoever. I’ve mentioned to some people that Bush has a second brother, and they go “Duh?” ---
**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/14 "2004-07-17T14:48:37Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Is a ‘monker’ like a ‘wanker’? I think that’s “moniker.” ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/15 "2004-07-17T15:13:57Z")
As governor, GWB embraced the middle initial. He signed memos with it. The rest of his family speak like the Connecticut Yankees they are, but GWB affects a folksy Texan-like accent in order to seem more likeable. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@Agent\_Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Cooper)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/16 "2004-07-17T15:15:06Z")
I think the best part about the name “Dubya” is that the bushes arent actually from texas at all, but he wears his image like they are the original texans. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/17 "2004-07-17T18:28:19Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > … but GWB affects a folksy Texan-like accent in order to seem more likeable. Doesn’t work for me. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-dubya-mean/255540/18 "2004-07-17T19:51:09Z")
Asked. Answered. Closed. **DrMatrix** - GQ Moderator