Bim, BEM, Bum

phrase

Retro art composition; composition stereotypical of the cover art of mid-20th-century science fiction pulp magazines.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. slangartRetro art composition; composition stereotypical of the cover art of mid-20th-century science fiction pulp magazines.

Origin

Clipping of bimbo + BEM (“Bug-Eyed Monster”) + bum (“incompetent man”). From a typical composition for the cover art of science fiction pulp magazines such as Thrilling Wonder Stories, notably by artists such as Earle K. Bergey and Rudolph Belarski, featuring a woman (the "Bim") being attacked or threatened by a monster (the "BEM"), while a man (the "Bum") protects her and/or attacks the monster.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Bim, BEM, Bum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bim%2C%20BEM%2C%20Bum

MLA

“Bim, BEM, Bum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bim%2C%20BEM%2C%20Bum. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Bim, BEM, Bum,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bim%2C%20BEM%2C%20Bum.

Source: Bim, BEM, Bum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.