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Modern shorthand and terms

BBW, BHM

Big beautiful woman, big handsome man


Self-descriptions used by larger people, and by those looking for them.

TypeModern shorthand and terms
CategoryIdentity code
Stands forBig beautiful woman, big handsome man

History

BBW is usually credited to Carole Shaw, who launched Big Beautiful Woman, a fashion and lifestyle magazine for plus-size women, in 1979. It became a common self-description in personals, and BHM followed as the male counterpart. BBW appears in Craigslist's 2005 acronym guide. Earlier personals often used euphemisms instead, such as Rubenesque.

Sources: Wikipedia, Big Beautiful Woman; Craigslist guide to personals acronyms (2005); Smithsonian, Advertising for Love.

Related terms

HWPVGL

How to cite this entry

“BBW, BHM.” The Personals Dictionary, AseeksB, 2026, https://www.aseeksb.com/dictionary/bbw.html.
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