When did the beamer/bimmer myth start?

"davedave1111" (davedave1111) 12/12/2015 at 19:56 • Filed to: None

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A few times recently, I’ve seen people round here saying that there’s a difference between a Beamer and a Bimmer, with one being a motorbike and the other a car. I’m pretty certain that’s a new idea, and the Beezer explanation is just folk etymology created to explain a difference people didn’t understand. It seems much more plausible to me that the two are the same word said in two different English accents: bimmer is northern, beamer is southern.

Does anyone have a verifiable example of anyone talking/writing about it before about 2010? What about back when BSA were still in business? What’s the earliest reference anyone can find?

Update: so far the earliest is 2005.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > davedave1111 12/12/2015 at 20:03

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http://lmgtfy.com/?q=beamer+vs+b…

davedave1111 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 12/12/2015 at 20:05

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Yes, I’m aware there’s a myth that has become widespread recently. I’m trying to find out when it started, or if there are actually any references to it from longer ago than the last few years.

Alfalfa > davedave1111 12/12/2015 at 20:09

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I first heard it from my brother-in-law, at about 2007.

Urambo Tauro > davedave1111 12/12/2015 at 20:09

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Here’s an old Jalopnik article I stumbled upon: Bimmer vs. Beamer: The Answer! Unfortunately, it only explains Beemers ; Bimmers are a bit more mysterious.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > davedave1111 12/12/2015 at 20:18

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Only bros (I think in England-ese the word is chavs) use those words out loud. Respectable people just say “BMW”.

davedave1111 > Urambo Tauro 12/12/2015 at 20:18

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Oh yes, I saw that on Google. Earliest so far, at 2005.

davedave1111 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/12/2015 at 20:22

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Definitely true to a large degree, although not quite universally so. I mean, when I used to have a BMW, and it would make it on a long journey, at the end I’d get out and say ‘thanks, O Bimmer’.

Urambo Tauro > davedave1111 12/12/2015 at 20:26

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I suspect that the word Bimmer may have been created to be as close to possible to Beemer , while attempting to distance itself from the 2-wheel connotation. The i in Bimmer is a very short vowel sound, almost nonexistent, as if the speaker is trying to pronounce a word composed of only consonants. The -er suffix seems to just be a way of foregoing propriety in favor of a more friendly sound that rolls off the tongue easily.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > davedave1111 12/12/2015 at 20:31

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Birddog > davedave1111 12/12/2015 at 20:32

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This argument predates commercial internet as we know it.

The first time I heard someone explaining the difference was around 1988-89.

davedave1111 > Urambo Tauro 12/12/2015 at 20:43

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Bimmer/beamer are the same word in different English accents, spelled phonetically.

Northerners use much shorter vowels than southerners. They pronounce bath to rhyme with math, where we’d pronounce it to rhyme with hearth. It’s most extreme with Scots, who pronounce team to rhyme with tim, and so-on.

davedave1111 > Birddog 12/12/2015 at 20:48

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OK, but there are lots of things online that pre-date that era, having been digitised at a later date. You’d think we could find some written corroboration - not that I doubt your experience, but you’d think there’d be some written evidence somewhere, if this idea has been around so long.

davedave1111 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/12/2015 at 20:51

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I always found the Burberry trend deeply odd. Where I come from, Burberry was the ultimate old people brand. My grandmother had a Burberry raincoat.

Trunk Impaired 318 > davedave1111 12/12/2015 at 21:02

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My dad and grandfather have been calling BMWs Bimmers since the mid 80s

Birddog > davedave1111 12/12/2015 at 21:13

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Ah. I get it. Like a back issue of a Cycle rag or the like.

davedave1111 > Trunk Impaired 318 12/12/2015 at 23:18

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Bimmer/beamer has been a nickname for BMWs since forever. I’m trying to find out when the story about one being for cars and the other for bikes started.

davedave1111 > Birddog 12/12/2015 at 23:24

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Yep, or a book on BMWs, or something . I can’t believe no-one’s ever written about it if it was a thing all this time.

Birddog > davedave1111 12/12/2015 at 23:30

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It’s definitely pre ”webz yo”.

Now to nail it down? That may get difficult.

dogisbadob > davedave1111 12/13/2015 at 00:13

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Car and Driver said it earlier than that after replying to a reader’s question about the difference. Probably in the 90s some time, but definitely earlier than 2005.

Flat Six > davedave1111 12/13/2015 at 12:35

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I see references to “Bimmer” as far back as 1975 in google books.

https://books.google.com/books?id=0lRWA…

I’m guessing the term Beamer has been around much longer. Bimmer probably started when the cars got popular with the Neue Klassse in the 60’s or 70’s.

davedave1111 > Flat Six 12/13/2015 at 12:37

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Bimmer and Beamer have both been around since BMW started selling to the English speaking world. It’s the origin of the story that one is for cars and the other for bikes that I’m trying to track down.

Flat Six > davedave1111 12/13/2015 at 12:53

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Its been that way at least since the 70’s, although it was mainly spelled “Beemer” for motorcycles. All references to Beemer and BMW pre-1980 are for motorcycles.

https://www.google.com/search?q=beeme…

It’s explained pretty clearly here: http://www.bmwccbc.org/misc/tech-and-…

It’s just enthusiast slang.

davedave1111 > Flat Six 12/13/2015 at 13:05

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https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=beeme…

When the same magazine uses the terms interchangeably at the same time, it rather gives the opposite impression.

The BMWCBBC explanation is clear, but that doesn’t make it true. As far as I can tell it’s a relatively recent bit of folk etymology. That’s why I’m specifically looking for that explanation, or even a mention of one being for bikes and the other for cars.

The thing is, beamer and bimmer are simply phonetic spellings for the same word said in two different English accents.