BOHICA
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Look up BOHICA in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
BOHICA (also spelled "B.O.H.I.C.A" and Bohica") is an acronym that stands for "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again". It is used colloquially to indicate that an adverse situation is about to repeat itself, and that acquiescence is the wisest course of action. It is commonly understood as a reference to being sodomized. An alternative etymology relates the expression to the days of sail and avoiding being struck by the boom, which would swing around the mast due to shifts in wind or the vessel's course. The term grew to regular use amongst the United States armed forces during the Vietnam War. Although it originated in the US military forces, and is still commonly used by USAF fighter crew chiefs, its usage has spread to civilian environments and used to describe unavoidable, unpleasant situations that have inconvenienced one before, and are about to yet again.
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[edit] Variations
The term is also used in the Andrew Montlack B movie, The Devil's Filmmaker: BOHICA,[1] which revolves around the difficulties of a director making a film.
The term has been incorporated into the telecom industry, used as utterance of frustration by computer support personnel who anticipate a directive from an ignorant supervisor to do something that cannot be accomplished.[2]
The term has also been used to describe a business managerial problem. Published in Wiley InterScience journal, the article "The BOHICA syndrome: a symptom of cynicism towards change initiatives", identifies "the importance of demonstrating the credibility and logic of managerial action and allowing for incremental change wherever possible in addressing the problem". In example, "Beverly Olson keeps giving me the BOHICA treatment." [3]
[edit] In popular culture
The term is used as a plot device in The Unit episode 1.11, "Exposure". During the Unit's annual Day of the Dead celebration, Sgt. Major Jonas Blane tells the son of a deceased Unit member that the guerillas who kidnapped the young man's father sold the soldier's knife to a shop in town. The knife, distinctively inscribed "BOHICA", was a clue instrumental to the Unit's tracking down the victim. Additionally, in the last frame of episode 1.12, "Morale, Welfare and Recreation", the camera captures a sign reading "ARMY BOJICA" on a bulletin board hung behind Blane and Sergeant First Class Charles Grey.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "The Devil's Filmmaker: BOHICA". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001ZMWSC. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- ^ "definition". Babylon.com. http://www.babylon.com/definition/Bend_Over,_Here_It_Comes_Again/English. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- ^ "The BOHICA syndrome: a symptom of cynicism towards change initiatives". Wiley InterScience (journal). John Wiley & Sons. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/100519747/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
[edit] Further reading
- Jacobson, Gary (August 14, 1994). "Humor best way to remove last of `Bohicans' resistance". The Dallas Morning News: pp. 7H. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED3D4DDA7D891CC&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
- Stromberg, Rich (May 10, 2005). "Grab your ankles and say BOHICA". UWIRE. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-108572048.html. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
