# What is the origin of the term "bitch-slapping"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-bitch-slapping/107975 "2002-05-08T22:37:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![katerina2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ce73a5/32.png) [@katerina2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katerina2)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-bitch-slapping/107975/1 "2002-05-08T22:37:14Z")
Greetings. I have absolutely _no_ idea if this is appropriate for Doper input and discussion, nor how naive this question is since I live in a cave with a television feed and phone line, plus two cats ( **Weirddave** , the cats have come out from my brother’s closet, now). So…edit away… What I am interested in knowing is whether someone can help me track the rise in popularity of this expression. Was there a particular artist, medium or social/cultural group that originated use of this expression, how long, how has it crossed over, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-bitch-slapping/107975/2 "2002-05-08T23:11:50Z")
I can’t think of any question **more** appropriate for the Straight Dope. The origin of the term seems rather obscure. The OED says its earliest citation for the term is 1991: [http://www.oed.com/public/readers/list\_frame.htm](http://www.oed.com/public/readers/list_frame.htm) (unfortunately they don’t say where). [This](http://www.panikon.com/phurba/alteng/p.html) site suggests that its origins lie urban prostitution culture and that it may have mutated from the terms “pimp arm” and “pimp slap.” ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-bitch-slapping/107975/3 "2002-05-08T23:15:36Z")
i always thought it arose from pimp culture, and spread. jb ---
**Author:** ![Pythagoras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Pythagoras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagoras)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-bitch-slapping/107975/4 "2002-05-08T23:18:13Z")
What about popular or gangster rap, theyve given many great slang terms. ---
**Author:** ![katerina2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ce73a5/32.png) [@katerina2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katerina2)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-bitch-slapping/107975/5 "2002-05-09T00:24:28Z")
**DrLao** , I shouda _known_ you’d have a decent answer. Cool! 😃 So…does anyone have a musical cite that dates this? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-bitch-slapping/107975/6 "2002-05-09T14:44:48Z")
Thanks, **katerinatoo**. I actually found what the OED is talking about, I think. 1991’s Guns 'N Roses song “You Could Be Mine” contains the line (from [http://www.google.com/search?q=bitch+slap+lyrics+1990&sourceid=opera&num=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8](http://www.google.com/search?q=bitch+slap+lyrics+1990&sourceid=opera&num=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8)): > [@](#): > > ‘Cause you could be mine > But you’re way out of line > With your bitch slap rappin’ > And your cocaine tongue > You get nuthin’ done > I said you could be mine It is not entirely clear from the context what “bitch slap” means. It is kind of strange nowadays to hear it used as an adjective like this. So, this sounds like it is fairly early in the term’s exposure. Interestingly, this song appeared on the soundtrack to the hugely successful 1991 film _Terminator 2: Judgement Day_. ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-bitch-slapping/107975/7 "2002-05-09T15:41:30Z")
"With your bitch slap rappin’ And your cocaine tongue " I believe that same quote was also used in Appetite for Destruction. Not in a song, but in the liner notes or thank-yous or something. I don’t have a copy here with me to cite though.