Blonde bombshell


What's the meaning of the phrase 'Blonde bombshell'?

A glamorous blonde.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Blonde bombshell'?

The phrase was first used to describe Jean Harlow. Her US film ‘Bombshell’ was released in 1933. The blurb that went along with adverts like this one was:

“Lovely, luscious, exotic Jean Harlow as the Blonde Bombshell of filmdom.”

By the time that the film was released in the UK the phrase had taken off and it was titled ‘Blonde Bombshell’ there.

See other phrases that were coined in the USA.

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.