bish

See also: Bish

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: bǐsh, IPA^(key): /bɪʃ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪʃ

Etymology 1

Phonetic modification of bitch, based on black American speech.

Noun

bish (plural bishes)

1. (slang) A minced oath (as a term of abuse).
   • 2016 December 17, Saturday Night Live (comedy sketch), National Broadcasting Company:

     Kate McKinnon, playing Hillary Rodham Clinton, on a series of cue cards: I know you're an elector / And on December 19^th... / You're supposed to vote for Donald Trump / But bish... / ...He cray[1]

Etymology 2

Noun

bish (plural bishes)

1. (British, slang, dated) A mistake.
   • 1951, Anthony Buckeridge, Jennings Follows a Clue, →ISBN, page 41:

     What on earth was the matter with him? He never made bishes like this during PT!

   • 1952, Anthony Buckeridge, Jennings and Darbishire, London, Glasgow: Collins, page 64:

     "You — you don't mean you've made a bish of it?" [said Darbishire]

Etymology 3

Clipping of bishop.

Noun

bish (plural bishes)

1. (slang, chiefly British or chess) A bishop.
   • 1927, P. G. Wodehouse, “The Bishop's Move”, in Meet Mr Mulliner:

     'It's all right, bish,' said Augustine.
     'All—all right?' faltered the bishop.

   • 1986, Blackadder TV series, Money (series 2 episode 4)

     BALDRICK: My Lord, the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
     BISHOP: (enters) The time has come, Blackadder!
     EDMUND: Oh, hello, Bish.

   • 2017, Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, We Know All about You, page 1:

     'The Bishop of Bangor called.' My father and the bish were pals. 'He has received a strange request from the security service.'

Derived terms

• archbish

 

Etymology 4

Noun

bish (uncountable)

1. Synonym of bikh

See also

• bish bash bosh

Further reading

• Eric Partridge (2005) “bish”, in Tom Dalzell and Terry Victor, editors, The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, volume 1 (A–I), London, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 164.

Anagrams

• bihs, HSIB, Hibs

Hamer-Banna

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bíʃ/

Adverb

bish

1. only, alone