hambone

English

Alternative forms

• ham-bone

Etymology

ham +‎ bone

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

hambone (plural hambones)

1. The bone at the center of a ham
   • 2009 February 22, J. David Goodman, “The Night of the Foot”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Perhaps I was afraid of being laughed at if the mysterious item turned out to be a hambone, a distinct possibility.

2. (US slang, acting) A ham; an eager or inferior performer
   • 1946, Radio Alphabet: A Glossary of Radio Terms, Hastings House, page 38:

     HAMBONE — An unconvincing blackface dialectician.

   • 2009 February 15, Rob Salem, “When comedy geniuses unite”, in Toronto Star‎^[2]:

     Ferrell is the ubiquitous hambone, an affably oblivious man-child prone to shirtless prancing onscreen.

3. (music, dance) A certain type of dance that involves making noise with the body, especially by slapping parts of the body with one's hands
4. (bowling, informal) Four consecutive strikes.

Synonyms

• (type of dance): Juba dance
• (inferior performer): ham, hamfatter, overactor, tear-cat

See also

• Juba dance on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

1. (intransitive) To dance the hambone.