Entry · catalog no. 8827
bama
/ — /pending
noun · Washington, D.C. · 2026
✓ Verified
1.
A person who is corny, unfashionable, or country; someone with no sense of style or how to carry themselves. Washington, D.C.'s signature insult.
“Socks with sandals? That's bama.”
Origin & Attribution
From "Alabama." In Black D.C. it began in the mid-20th century as a put-down for Southern migrants seen as unsophisticated, then shed the geography and became a general word for anyone lacking style or sense. A cornerstone of D.C. and go-go vocabulary.
Region of origin
West
Midwest
N.East
South
Nationwide / diaspora
Washington, D.C. · 2026
Spoken by
Washington, D.C.
$BAMAThe Record · cultural traction
▲ Rising0 yrs
ahead of the mainstream
12/100
peak cultural energy
Introduced to English by the culture — logged here before the mainstream caught on.
Cultural usage — the recordMainstream search interest
First used
2026
in the culture
Recorded here
2026
point of first record
Cultural energy indexed from documented usage, search interest, and citation frequency. The recorded date is the archive’s permanent point of record.
Hear it spoken
By region — how it actually sounds
@auntiereg
Atlanta, GA
@deltasoul
Memphis, TN
Contribute your pronunciation
Citations & Sources
■
Washington City Paper, "Who You Calling a Bama?" — article
submitted
■
+ Cite a sourceGreen's Dictionary of Slang, "bama" — reference
submitted
See also