Bubba
Encyclopedia
In American usage, bubba is a relationship nickname
formed from brother and given to boys, especially eldest male siblings, to indicate their role in a family. For some boys and men, bubba is used so pervasively that it replaces the given name. The nickname may also be used outside the family by friends as a term of endearment.
Because of its association with the southern part of the United States
, bubba is also often used outside the South
as a pejorative
to mean a person of low economic status and limited education. Bubba may also be taken to mean one who is a "good ol' boy
."
In the US Army and Marines, bubba can mean a lay soldier, similar to grunt but with connotations of endearment instead of derision (e.g., "Can you make that device easier to work with, 'cus every bubba is gonna have to use it.").
At times it may be used as a term of endearment (or in an insulting sense) for a person, especially a man, who is overweight or has a large body frame. In popular culture and prison slang
, it is often joked that new male prisoners will be obliged to share a cell with a large, physically powerful inmate called Bubba who will become forcibly sexually intimate
with them.
The word exists in other languages and carries similar meanings. Bubba is common in Australia and New Zealand as a noun or pronoun to refer affectionately to a baby.
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
formed from brother and given to boys, especially eldest male siblings, to indicate their role in a family. For some boys and men, bubba is used so pervasively that it replaces the given name. The nickname may also be used outside the family by friends as a term of endearment.
Because of its association with the southern part of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, bubba is also often used outside the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
as a pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
to mean a person of low economic status and limited education. Bubba may also be taken to mean one who is a "good ol' boy
Good ol' boy
Good ol' boy is an American slang term that can have both positive and negative meanings, depending on context and usage.The term can be used for well socialized men who live in rural and generally Southern areas. If a man is humble and well thought of, he can be referred to as a "good old boy",...
."
In the US Army and Marines, bubba can mean a lay soldier, similar to grunt but with connotations of endearment instead of derision (e.g., "Can you make that device easier to work with, 'cus every bubba is gonna have to use it.").
At times it may be used as a term of endearment (or in an insulting sense) for a person, especially a man, who is overweight or has a large body frame. In popular culture and prison slang
Prison slang
Prison slang is an argot used primarily by criminals and/or detainees in correctional institutions. As might be expected, many of the terms deal with criminal behavior, sex or violence...
, it is often joked that new male prisoners will be obliged to share a cell with a large, physically powerful inmate called Bubba who will become forcibly sexually intimate
Prison rape
Prison rape commonly refers to the rape of inmates in prison by other inmates or prison staff.In 2001, Human Rights Watch estimated that at least 140,000 inmates had been raped while incarcerated. and there is a significant variation in the rates of prison rape by race...
with them.
The word exists in other languages and carries similar meanings. Bubba is common in Australia and New Zealand as a noun or pronoun to refer affectionately to a baby.
People
- Former President of the United States Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. - Seattle Mariners outfielder Bubba CrosbyBubba CrosbyRichard Stephen "Bubba" Crosby is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees...
. - Tommy "Bubba" FacendaTommy FacendaTommy "Bubba" Facenda is an American rock and roll singer and guitarist. He is best known for his one-hit wonder single, "High School U.S.A."-Career:...
, rockabilly singer/dancer, Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps - Bubba DickersonBubba DickersonBenjamin Gordon "Bubba" Dickerson is an American professional golfer who was previously a PGA Tour member and currently plays on the Nationwide Tour. He is best known for winning the 2001 U.S. Amateur....
, PGA Tour golfer. - Bubba FranksBubba FranksDaniel Lamont "Bubba" Franks is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers 14th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
, National Football League player for The New York Jets. - Professional wrestler Mark LoMonaco wrestled under the ring name Bubba Ray Dudley.
- Bubba ParisBubba ParisWilliam "Bubba" Paris is a former professional American football offensive lineman who played for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL from 1983 to 1990. He was a member of three 49er teams that won the Super Bowl...
, former National Football League player. - Professional Motocross rider James Stewart Jr.James Stewart Jr.James Stewart Jr., also known as Bubba Stewart is an American professional motocross racer competing in supercross. He is known for being the first African-American to have success at the very top level of any major motorsports association.-Amateur and Lites Class:Stewart was born in Bartow,...
. - Southern rapper Bubba SparxxxBubba SparxxxWarren Anderson Mathis , known by his stage name Bubba Sparxxx, is an American Southern rapper. His biggest hit is "Ms. New Booty" featuring The Ying Yang Twins which peaked at #7 in the United States...
. - Bubba Pond, multiple time winner of the "Tough Guy of the Week" award.
- Bubba ShobertBubba ShobertDon Wayne "Bubba" Shobert was a three-time A.M.A. Grand National Champion from 1985 to 1987 and was AMA Superbike Champion in 1988 while riding for American Honda....
, former motorcycle racer - Bubba SmithBubba SmithCharles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player who became an actor after his retirement from the sport. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors as a defensive end on the Spartans football team...
former National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player. - Bubba the Love SpongeBubba the Love SpongeTodd Alan Clem is an American radio personality better known by his Legal name Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. He is the host of The Bubba the Love Sponge Show on various Cox Radio and Beasley Broadcast Group stations, formerly on Sirius XM Howard 101, as well as on RadioIO.-Early career and the...
Clem, Radio talk show host. - Bubba TrammellBubba TrammellThomas Bubba Trammell was a Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. He is an alumnus of the University of Tennessee....
, former Major League Baseball player. - Bubba WellsBubba WellsCharles Richard "Bubba" Wells is a retired American professional basketball player. He played briefly for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA...
, former National Basketball Association player. - Bubba WatsonBubba WatsonGerry "Bubba" Watson is an American professional golfer. Watson is one of the few left-handed golfers on tour and is known for his tremendous length. The longest driver on the PGA Tour, in 2007 he had an average drive of 315.2 yards and is capable of generating a ball speed of 194 mph, being...
, PGA Tour golfer. - Bubba PhillipsBubba PhillipsJohn Melvin "Bubba" Phillips was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball who attended the University of Southern Mississippi...
, former Major League Baseball Player - Charles "Bubba" ChaneyCharles "Bubba" ChaneyCharles R. "Bubba" Chaney is a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 19, which includes his home city of Rayville in Richland Parish in northeastern Louisiana. He was elected in 2007, when he defeated Anita Mack-Tennant.The position opened when the long-term Democratic...
, Louisiana politician - Bubba Nissen, NASCAR Sportsman driver
Animals
- Bubba the GrouperBubba (fish)Bubba was a Queensland grouper who resided at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois. Bubba is believed to be the first fish to undergo chemotherapy. He was often nicknamed "The Super Grouper."-History:...
(d. 2006), a Queensland grouper who resided at the Shedd Aquarium, noted for being the first known fish to undergo chemotherapy.
Television and movies
- Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue in the 1994 film Forrest GumpForrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
- Bubba the Caveduck from The Walt Disney Company's series DuckTales
- Bubba Ho-tepBubba Ho-tepBubba Ho-tep is a 2002 American comedy horror drama film starring Bruce Campbell as Elvis Presley — now a resident in a nursing home. The film also stars Ossie Davis as Jack, a black man who claims to be John F. Kennedy, explaining that he was patched up after the assassination, dyed black,...
, a name given to a reanimated Egyptian mummy by Elvis Presley in Joe R. Lansdale's novella and film of the same name - Bubba Zanetti, in the 1979 film Mad MaxMad MaxMad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
- Bubba HigginsBubba HigginsBubba Higgins is a fictional character in the television situation comedy, Mama's Family. He was played by Allan Kayser.-Character overview:...
, in the situation comedy Mama's FamilyMama's FamilyMama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,... - Bubba Bexley, a recurring character in the situation comedy Sanford and SonSanford and SonSanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
- Bubba Bixby, a character from the 2007 television film , Shredderman RulesShredderman RulesShredderman Rules is a 2007 television movie based on Wendelin Van Draanen's Shredderman book series. It originally aired on Nickelodeon along with the series finale episode of Ned's Declassified on June 9, 2007, and had 3.9 million viewers...
, a film based on the books - Plumber Bubba, a fictional comedian based on Larry the Cable Guy and idolized by Rusty and Early Cuyler on the Adult Swim animated series SquidbilliesSquidbilliesSquidbillies is an animated television series about the Cuylers, an impoverished family of anthropomorphic hillbilly squids living in the Appalachian region of North Carolina's mountains. The show is produced by Williams Street Studios for the Adult Swim programming block of Cartoon Network and...
- Bubba Skinner, a leading character from the television series In the Heat of the NightIn the Heat of the Night (TV series)In the Heat of the Night is a television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995...
- Bubba J, a puppet of ventriloquist Jeff Dunham
- Bubba the Chimp, a character on Quigley's VillageQuigley's VillageQuigley's Village was a long-running collection of Christian children's videos designed to teach children "sound Biblical values" in a fun and exciting way...
- Bubba Bo Bob Brain, Brain's fictitious country music star persona from a Pinky and the BrainPinky and the BrainPinky and the Brain is an American animated television series.The characters Pinky and the Brain first appeared in 1993 as a recurring segment on the show Animaniacs...
segment on the U.S. cartoon series Animaniacs - LeatherfaceLeatherfaceLeatherface is the main antagonist in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror-film series and its spin-offs. He wears masks made of human skin and engages in murder and cannibalism alongside his inbred family. He is considered by many to be one of the first major slasher film villains alongside Michael...
, or Bubba Sawyer, from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Bubba Ray Dudley, an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment.
Books
- Bubba Kelly, a character in Carson McCullers' novel The Heart Is a Lonely HunterThe Heart Is a Lonely HunterThe Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is the debut 1940 novel by American author Carson McCullers. Written in Charlotte, North Carolina, in houses on Central Avenue and East Boulevard, it is about a deaf man named John Singer and the people he encounters in a 1930s mill town in the US state of Georgia...
- a character in A Drink Before the WarA Drink Before the WarA Drink Before the War is the Shamus Award-winning debut novel by Dennis Lehane and was published in 1994. It is the first book in a series focusing on private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro.-Plot introduction:...
- Alvin "Bubba" Bixby, the bully in Wendelin Van Draanen'sWendelin Van DraanenWendelin Van Draanen is an American author of children's books.- Biography :Van Draanen lives in California with her husband Mark Parsons and two sons, Colton and Connor. She is the daughter of chemists who emigrated to the U.S. from Holland...
Shredderman series. - Bubba is a character in the Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine HarrisCharlaine HarrisCharlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing mysteries for over twenty years. She was born and raised in the Mississippi River Delta area of the United States. She now lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and three children...
and is a "codename" for Elvis who is now a vampire in this series
Games
- One of the protagonists of Amiga computer game Bubba 'n' StixBubba 'N' StixBubba 'n' Stix is a 2-D side-scrolling platform game for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Amiga and Amiga CD32 designed by Core Design and released by Tengen in 1993.The player controls Bubba, a redneck character, who is accompanied by a sentient stick named Stix...
- Monster from video game Rampage: Total DestructionRampage: Total DestructionRampage: Total Destruction is the latest sequel to the Rampage arcade game produced by Midway Games. The game was released on April 24, 2006 in North America for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 . It has also been released on the Wii .-Gameplay:Rampage: Total Destruction is rendered in 3D but has 2D...
- One of the protagonists of Redneck RampageRedneck RampageRedneck Rampage is a 1997 first-person shooter game designed by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay. The game features songs by Mojo Nixon, Reverend Horton Heat, Beat Farmers and other Psychobilly artists. As the name implies, Redneck Rampage has many hillbilly elements in it...
- Monster in Super Mario 64Super Mario 64is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
- A character in the game Jagged Alliance 2Jagged Alliance 2Jagged Alliance 2 is a tactical role-playing game for PC, released in 1999 for Windows, and later ported to Linux by Tribsoft. It is the third game in the Jagged Alliance series, and was followed by two expansions: Unfinished Business and Wildfire...
Music
- Bubba Shot the JukeboxBubba Shot the Jukebox"Bubba Shot the Jukebox" is the title of a song written by Dennis Linde, and recorded by American country music singer Mark Chesnutt. It was released in September 1992 as the third single from his 1992 album Longnecks & Short Stories. It peaked at number 4 on the U.S...
, a single by country singer Mark ChesnuttMark ChesnuttMark Nelson Chesnutt is an American country music singer. Chesnutt recorded and released his first album, Doing My Country Thing, in the late-1980s on private independent record label, Axbar Records, with the vinyl album version now a collector's item...
. - If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)"If Bubba Can Dance " is the title of a song recorded by country music group Shenandoah. It was released in 1994 as the third single from their 1993 album Under the Kudzu. It was a Number One hit in both the United States and Canada and Shenandoah's final number one as of 2009.-Chart...
, a single by country group ShenandoahShenandoah (band)Shenandoah is an American country music group founded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 1984 by Marty Raybon , Ralph Ezell , Stan Thorn , Jim Seales , and Mike McGuire...
. - Bubba Hyde, a Top 20 hit Diamond RioDiamond RioDiamond Rio is an American Country music/Christian music band formed in 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee. Since its foundation, the group has comprised the same six members: Gene Johnson , Jimmy Olander , Brian Prout , Marty Roe , Dan Truman , and Dana Williams...
.