Acronym of BBW

( Big Beautiful Woman ) Big Beautiful Woman (commonly abbreviated as BBW) is a euphemism for an overweight woman. The terms Big Beautiful Women and BBW were coined by Carole Shaw in 1979, when she launched BBW Magazine, a fashion and lifestyle magazine for plus-size women.

Although BBW may have been first used in the context of BBW Magazine, the terms usage spread over the years, to the point that even women who had never heard of the magazine began to refer to themselves as BBWs.

Some women may adopt the term as a personal preference over the term Rubenesque, or full-figured, because they may not necessarily have large breasts or hips. Such terms, and others such as queen-sized, plus-sized, or fat may lead to feelings of marginalization or non-inclusion for some women. However, some strongly prefer the term fat over other words which they consider unnecessary euphemisms.

The abbreviation BBW can often be found used in personal ads (and online dating services) denoting an identification with (or preference for) such women, and is also used to denote events specifically targeted to such women, and persons interested in them, such as specific gathering nights in dance clubs, restaurants, and fashion stores and shows.

The term is also commonly used as a positive euphemism by those involved with the fat acceptance movement.

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