# What is the bump and what is the grind?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-bump-and-what-is-the-grind/362749>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 30, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-bump-and-what-is-the-grind/362749 "2006-06-30T13:42:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-bump-and-what-is-the-grind/362749/1 "2006-06-30T13:42:35Z")

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Bump and Grind.

I have heard the expression since I was a youngster.

I have seen exotic dancers do it. There’s even a new Fanta commercial  
being played during Wimbledon Tennis coverage in which a bunch of young  
ladies do a teeny-bopper rendition of it. (You’ll know it when you see it, and  
when you do, you might even wonder how it got past the censors.)

But I have to confess I don’t know where the bump starts and the grind begins,  
or vice versa.

Anyone?

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-bump-and-what-is-the-grind/362749/2 "2006-06-30T15:15:50Z")

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Bumps and grinds appear in descriptions of burlesque dancers in the US in the 1930’s.

Typically the grind comes first, moving your hips around slowly in a suggestive manner, then a quick forward thrust of your pelvic region towards the viewer–that’s the “bump.”

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**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-bump-and-what-is-the-grind/362749/3 "2006-06-30T15:19:49Z")

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> [@samclem](#):
>
> Bumps and grinds appear in descriptions of burlesque dancers in the US in the 1930’s.
> 
> Typically the grind comes first, moving your hips around slowly in a suggestive manner, then a quick forward thrust of your pelvic region towards the viewer–that’s the “bump.”

Sounds right. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-bump-and-what-is-the-grind/362749/4 "2006-06-30T16:10:33Z")

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I think it’s the grind and then the [bump](http://www.babybump.co.nz/). 😉

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-bump-and-what-is-the-grind/362749/5 "2006-06-30T16:44:50Z")

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No, THIS is the bump 🙂

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**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-bump-and-what-is-the-grind/362749/6 "2006-06-30T18:34:40Z")

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> [@gigi](#):
>
> I think it’s the grind and then the [bump](http://www.babybump.co.nz/). 😉

Pretty good, gigi, (but I had to use Internet Explorer for the link to work).

They’ve got everything now. My daughter’s identical twin boys were 9 months old yesterday. Their Mom has 2 DVD’s to teach them how to sign. Their hearing’s normal, but these folks (on the DVD) say signing enables children and adults to communicate before the kids learn to talk.

It’d be incredible if it works. But it’s worth a try. Check the DVDs out at Amazon, if you’re interested:

My Baby Can Talk - First Signs

is Volume 1 I think.

I am now off to my very last piano lesson. ¡Salud!