The word “boat” is one of those words that everybody knows. But did you know that there are also a range of slang words and acronyms that people have attributed to it down the years? But what does boat stand for?
Whilst the word boat doesn’t legitimately stand for anything, there are a number of acronyms that have crept into popular culture. One such example of what boat stands for is “bust out another thousand” which refers to how costly boat ownership can be.
Boat acronyms and slang words
Below you can see a list of popular acronyms of BOAT, with common phrases that people have adopted down the years, plus instances where BOAT has been used in popular culture.
- Best of All Time– common phrase used in sports.
- Bust Out Another Thousand– slang describing how expensive boating can be.
- Byway Open to All Traffic– used to describe a type of public highway in the UK.
- Bankruptcy on a Trailer– boating term and acronym.
- Break Out Another Thousand– slang describing how expensive boating can be.
- Boat Operator Accredited Training– a Lifesaving Society in Canada.
- Building Officials Association of Texas– organization in Austin, Texas.
- Blow Out Another Thousand– slang describing how expensive boating can be.
- Bring Over Another Thousand– slang describing how expensive boating can be.
- Buoyancy Operated Aquatic Transport– comes from Phineas and Ferb TV show.
- Base-station Over the Air Testing– term used in the telecoms industry.
So those are just a few examples of what BOAT stands for. As you can see, some are puns and slang words used in the boating world, but others are acronyms from around the world which have nothing to do with boating at all.
What does B.O.A.T. stand for in sailing?
The next time someone asks you what BOAT stands for in sailing terms you can tell them that actually, it no official meaning.
But sailors and boat people will often use the acronym as joke (click here for 44 boat jokes), to describe how much money they can end up spending when owning a boat.
What does BOAT stand for in slang terms?
The most popular of the slang words and puns that BOAT stands for is the “bust out another thousand” phrase. It has some variants such as:
- Bankruptcy On A Trailer.
- Break Out Another Thousand.
- Blow Out Another Thousand.
- Bring Over Another Thousand.
How about some new slang words the word boat can stand for?
As part of this research, I asked a question on social media if other boaters could come up with some new acronyms and slang words for boat. Here is a sample of the best responses:
- Beats Out Another.
- Beautiful Open Air Trips.
- Beer Onboard Arctic Temperatures.
- Bend Over And Takeit.
- Best Obsession After Thirty.
- Best Of Adventurous Tendencies.
- Best Of All Therapies.
- Beyond Opinions And Time.
- Boaters Organize Awesome Trips.
- Boating Obsession = Affordable Therapy.
- Boats Often Add Tranquility.
- Bored On Another Transport.
- Bought On A Bender.
- Bring An Another Thrill.
Is there a similar slang or acronym for YACHT?
Not as far as I can tell, however, some bright sparks on a yachting forum came up with a few ideas including:
- Yachts are Cash Hungry Toys.
- Yet Another Cash Hungry Toy.
- Yet Another Cold Hungry Trip.
- Your Account Can’t Handle This.
Where did the word boat come from?
The origin of the word “boat” can be traced back hundreds of years. Language experts believe it originates from the word “bat” which was an Anglo-Norman word for a boat, ship, or vessel.
The Anglo-Norman language was developed during the years 1066 to 1204. This is the period when England and the Duchy of Normandy were united after the 1066 Norman invasion of the British Isles.
You can see how the word “bat” influenced other languages too. For example:
- Danish word for boat is bad.
- Dutch word for boat is boot.
- French word for boat is bateau.
- German word for boat is boot.
- Norwegian word for boat is bat.
- Spanish word for boat is bote.
- Swedish word for boat is bat.
The last word…
So, there you have it, that’s what the word boat stands for. It can stand for literally anything you like with the letters B, O, A, and T. There is no official acronym or slang, so if you can come up with anything better, I would love to hear it!
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