What does the slang term HBIC stand for?
According to Urban Dictionary, the acronym HBIC stands for “Head Bitch in Charge.” 7 E S L states that this term refers to a woman, derogatorily referred to as a “bitch,” who is the one in charge. She is making decisions and is the head honcho. This is usually used to describe an alpha woman or alpha female. While this term may be used in a snarky or sarcastic way when used behind someone ‘s back, some women have reclaimed the term into something to be proud of. One variation on this slang term is “HMFIC” which stands for “Head Mother F***er in Charge.”
There are a few other less common meanings of HBIC, listed below from The Free Dictionary. While these are still used, they are far less well-known than the meaning “Head Bitch in Charge.” One should be careful when using HBIC to mean any number of the following phrases, as one will likely assume they mean “Head Bitch In Charge” unless specifically stated otherwise.
- History of the Book in Canada (research project)
- Hertfordshire Business Incubation Centre (UK)
- Help for Brain Injured Children (est. 1967; California)
- Head Boy in Charge
- House Business and Industry Committee (New Mexico State Legislature)
- Head Beauty In Charge
- Head Boss in Charge
Where is HBIC seen in popular culture?
The phrase HBIC had a boom in popularity after reality star Tiffany Pollard claimed the title as her own. She even has the phrase in her Instagram handle. Tiffany Pollard stars in the reality shows Flavor of Love and I Love New York, and has become known as “Miss New York.” Pollard was always proud to announce she was the HBIC, and became known as such. Lifewire states that she gave herself the nickname HBIC. According to IMDb, Flavor of Love ran for three seasons between the years 2006-2008. It starred Pollard, Dion Graham, Ricky B. Head, and Flavor Flav. The show was a combination reality show and dating show. In 2007, Pollard was given her own spin-off of Flavor of Love called I Love New York. IMDb states that in the show, 20 men competed to date Tiffany Pollard. Both of the shows aired on the network VH1.
Is HBIC a casual or formal acronym?
HBIC is a phrase that can be considered offensive in a variety of contexts. One should definitely steer clear of this phrase in professional and formal settings, such as business emails, negotiations, letters, or when speaking to other people of authority. This term can quickly cause offense if one does not understand that the use is trying to be complimentary. This term is appropriate to use with others whom the user is casual and comfortable with. One could use this to refer to a friend on social media who just got a promotion, or in other similar scenarios. While this is a useful acronym, it should be used with caution. Never use HBIC to refer to someone of authority, in the workplace, or in other professional or formal settings.
Below is an example of a situation in which it is inappropriate to use the term HBIC, followed by a revised version of the same message. In this example, Brian’s boss has just gotten a promotion. He emails his boss Katia to congratulate her.
BAD:
Katia,
OMG congrats on the promotion! Hello HBIC! LOL. Srsly so proud of u and cant wait to c where u go in this company. Have luved working 4 u. Virtual cheers!
B
GOOD:
Hi Katia,
Congratulations on the promotion! Very well deserved. I have truly enjoyed my time working for you and cannot wait to see where you go in this company. Consider this a virtual cheers!
Best,
Brian
Here, while Brian is excited about his boss’ promotion, he should never use casual internet slang to describe his emotions – particularly one that contains vulgarity like HBIC. Brian should maintain professionalism and proper email etiquette when communicating with anyone from his place of work, and can still congratulate Katia sincerely without the use of expletives or internet slang.
How can HBIC be used in a sentence?
HBIC can be used in a variety of ways in different sentences. This phrase is usually seen when texting or over social media. In this first example, the term HBIC will be used to give someone a confidence boost. Later in the day, Katia is feeling anxious about her new promotion. She texts her friend Lanie for support.
Katia: IDK, I’m just feeling really nervous. There’s such a high standard to live up to and I’m not sure I can handle it. I just feel like I’m going to mess everything up.
Lanie: Katia, they gave you the promotion for a reason. They believe in you. I believe in you! You’re the HBIC, now start acting like it! 🙂
Katia: R u sure?
Lanie: Absolutely. They wouldn’t have given you the promotion if they didn’t think you’d do an amazing job of it.
Overall, the trending internet slang HBIC means “Head Bitch in Charge.” This is used to refer to a woman who is the boss of whatever is being referred to. While this may be offensive and derogatory in certain contexts, many women have reclaimed the term as something to be proud of. This is likely inspired by Tiffany Pollard of Flavor of Love and I Love New York, who used the term proudly to describe herself.
Sources:
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
