# What the hell is bling bling?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bling-bling/171589>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 28, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bling-bling/171589 "2003-04-28T03:35:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bling-bling/171589/1 "2003-04-28T03:35:01Z")

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I see it used in so many contexts: jewlery, music, etc…

What’s the origin of the term and what does it mean?

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**Author:** ![johnboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@johnboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bling-bling/171589/2 "2003-04-28T03:39:13Z")

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I’m sure more people will chime in on this but I believe it is the “sound” a big cartoon diamond makes when light shines off of it.

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**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bling-bling/171589/3 "2003-04-28T03:40:45Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by KidCharlemagne \*  
> \*\*I see it used in so many contexts: jewlery, music, etc…
> 
> What’s the origin of the term and what does it mean? \*\*

[This was discussed a couple of months ago.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=164928&highlight=Bling+bling)

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**Author:** ![HBby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/977dab/32.png) [@HBby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HBby)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bling-bling/171589/4 "2003-04-28T04:29:11Z")

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Good grief, I had no idea the meaning of the term “bling bling” could be so debated. I second what **Mirror Image egamI rorriM** said.

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**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bling-bling/171589/5 "2003-04-28T04:31:13Z")

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There is no debate…

[There can be only three stuntaz. Don’t hate… appreciate](http://www.geocities.com/thestuntaz)

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**Author:** ![Scarf-Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Scarf-Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarf-Ace)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bling-bling/171589/6 "2003-04-28T13:49:41Z")

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I thought it was the black British version of “bada bing bada boom”.

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bling-bling/171589/7 "2003-04-28T14:05:17Z")

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Chrome wheels? Just look at them and gesture saying “bling bling”.

Offering a compliement and wish to include in full sentence, possibly dressing the phrase up for a lady, “You are blinging.” or

“Bling bling, baby.”