There comes a time in life where waving hello means showing off some flabby underarm, but we have some slang to make “flabby underarm” sound a little less icky. A hi Betty takes its name from the idea of someone waving hi to a friend named Betty. They’re also known as hi Helens, bingo wings, bat wings, and flying squirrels. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Flabby Underarms”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Yes, hello.
Hi, who’s this?
This is Nora. I’m in Madison, Wisconsin.
Hi, Nora. Welcome to the show.
Hi, Nora.
What’s cooking?
Hi, thank you.
What’s up?
Well, a few weeks ago, a fellow dog walker and I were discussing various things, and I mentioned, I don’t know why, but I mentioned that I did not like the way my triceps were looking, and therefore I was beginning to do a little weightlifting at home.
And she immediately smiled and said, oh, you’re talking about your high Bettys.
This was an indirect thing. She has a friend who heard someone in a booth while she was trying on clothes exclaiming, oh, I can’t wear this. It shows my high Bettys. And so she figured out that the woman was referring to the flabby part of the underarm.
So, any idea of the origin of this? Or was it just made up by this?
I bet he’s.
Yes, lots of ideas.
Oh, boy, this is a good one. This is a really good one. Oh, my gosh. And there’s a bunch of terms for this.
Oh, my gosh, are there a bunch of terms?
Of course there are. They’ve also been called the High Hellens.
Yes, yes, I’ve heard High Hellens. After a certain age, the underarm, even on men, even on men, it’s a little flabby.
Yes, yes. And then my English stepmother added to that, my son was just visiting her, that they were sometimes referred to as bingo wings.
Yes, or bat wings.
Yep, I read bingo wings.
So you know those.
Yeah, yeah. But men in their 50s tend not to wear sleeveless garments, so you don’t really see their flabby triceps, but women may wear sleeveless garments, dresses, or what have you, right?
Right, right. And so it’s more visible.
But the joke supposedly is that it’s from you seeing your friend Betty or Helen across the way and raising your arm to wave hello, and that tricep goes blah-blah-blah-blah-blah.
That is right. That is right. You’re like, hi, Betty. So it’s your hi, Betty’s.
How long ago it was coined? You don’t know?
Well, I’ve seen it. The High Helens version is exactly the same term, only with a different name. I found it in 2004 in Joy Fielding’s novel Lost. So we know it at least goes back about nine years.
Okay. But it’s probably older. There are some citations on Urban Dictionary for what it’s worth for high betties from 2007. And I wouldn’t be surprised if this is one of those terms that has lingered in the dressing rooms of America for decades.
Yeah, and the bingo wings, or I’ve heard them called bingo arms, or, you know, if you’re playing bingo, then your hand is going over those cards.
Right, right. Really fast. Your triceps are flapping, about ready to take off.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Another one that I’ve heard that I just love is flying squirrel.
Oh, no.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because, yeah, I see the image.
Yeah, that might be the, I might switch to flying squirrel. I like flying squirrel. And I think high bet is because you have to explain the backstory to really get it.
Yeah. I think that’s a good one.
Yeah. Or high helens.
Yeah, reasons for sleeves.
Nora, thank you so much for calling about this. This is a fun one. And you know what? I bet we’re going to get a dozen more terms in email and phone.
Absolutely. I’m looking forward to them.
All right, take care now.
Thank you much.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
What do you call the flabby flesh on your arms? You know, the triceps that used to be so firm and buff but now kind of flap in the breeze?
Yeah, I have friends who call it Armagello.
Or Arm Waddles.
Oh, no.
Email words@waywordradio.org.
