Big Bubba

Posted by Smokey Stover on December 14, 2009 at 04:27

In Reply to: Big Bubba posted by Dr. Hahn on December 13, 2009 at 10:58:

: What is the origin of the phrase "Big Bubba"?

As far as I know, "Big Bubba" is not a significant phrase, except possibly in a particular piece of writing or TV show. In normal use, "big" is just an adjective, "bubba" being a nickname for "brother." Like brother, you can use the word in many contexts without literally meaning brother, much as "bro" can be used with people who aren't your brother.

It's an expression of the southern U.S., now gaining wide currency because of its frequent use on television, sometimes to mean "good ol' boy," and sometimes to mean a redneck with little education. It has probably been in use in the South for many generations without any negative conotations, such as those now attached to it by people who are not from the South.