What Does CBH Mean? Child-Bearing Hips, Corned Beef Hash and Other Meanings

Dictionary.com defines CBH as an acronym for child-bearing hips, a reference to wide hips that are said to be good for bearing children, and adds that it can also stand for corned beef hash, various medical conditions and an Australian grain company called CBH. One acronym dictionary lists 33 meanings in total. In social media comments, though, it's nearly always about hips, and that's where it can cause trouble.

CBH as child-bearing hips

When CBH appears under a photo or in a comment about someone's looks, it's describing wide or curvy hips. Dictionary.com explains that the phrase comes from an old folk belief that wider hips make it easier to give birth. It's clear that there's no medical evidence that this is true, but the myth has stuck around, and so has the phrase.

Dictionary.com says it isn't clear exactly when the acronym came into use online, but the first definition entered on a popular crowd-sourced slang dictionary was in 2005. By the early 2010s, it was showing up in tweets as both praise and a jab.

The corned beef hash CBH came first

Here's the twist. Dictionary.com notes that one of the first uses of CBH online came on Twitter in 2008, referring to corned beef hash. So the breakfast meaning was there early, and you'll still see it in diner menus, cooking chats and food posts. Someone ordering "CBH with two eggs" is talking about breakfast, not anyone's body.

Other CBH meanings you might meet

CBH meaning	Where it turns up
Child-bearing hips	Comments on photos, dating chat, body talk
Corned beef hash	Menus, food posts, recipes
CBH Group	Australian grain company
Cheltenham Borough Homes	UK housing organisation
Can't Be Heard	Chat and gaming slang
Circumference at breast height	Forestry measurements of tree trunks

The last four come from an acronym dictionary's list. They're niche, but if you see CBH on a tree survey or a council letter, you'll know it's nothing personal.

CBH in dating chats and body talk

CBH turns up a lot in dating app bios and replies, and in threads where people describe what they find attractive. In that setting it's rarely neutral. Even when it's meant as a compliment, it reduces someone to one part of their body and quietly hints at babies, which is a lot to load onto a first message. If someone you've just matched with opens with CBH, it tells you more about them than about your hips.

Online fitness and fashion posts sometimes use the full phrase "child-bearing hips" in a jokey, self-describing way, like someone laughing about jeans that never fit. When people say it about themselves, it's their call. When it's said about someone else, the safer assumption is that it won't be welcome.

CBH and similar body-comment slang

CBH belongs to a family of comment-section shorthand that rates people's bodies in a few letters. They all share the same trouble: they're quick to type and easy to misread, and the person on the receiving end doesn't get to explain how it made them feel. If you're a parent seeing CBH under your teen's photos, it's worth a calm chat about who's commenting and whether they want to hide or filter words like it. Most apps let you set a list of hidden words for comments, which takes a minute and quietly removes the problem. For brands and creators, the same filter keeps your own comment section a kinder place.

Why CBH comments can sting

Dictionary.com is frank about how mixed the reaction is. Some women take CBH as a compliment, since many people see wide hips as attractive. Others may hear it as being called "fat". The same three letters can land as flattery or as a body comment nobody asked for.

It also links someone's body to having children, which can be painful for anyone dealing with fertility problems, pregnancy loss or simply not wanting kids. A comment that feels light to the sender can feel very personal to the person reading it. Dictionary.com's examples even include a tweet asking whether people mean it as an insult when they say it, which tells you how unsure people are.

How to read a CBH comment

1. Check the topic. Food, menus or brunch photos almost certainly mean corned beef hash.
2. If it's under a photo of a person, it's about their hips.
3. Look at who wrote it. A close friend hyping you up isn't the same as a stranger in your comments.
4. Notice how it makes you feel. You're allowed to delete, hide or ignore a body comment, even a "nice" one.
5. If it crosses a line, most apps let you restrict, block or report the account.

Invented CBH examples

These are made-up messages to show how it's used:

• "Brunch spot does the best CBH in town" (food)
• "That dress looks amazing on you, CBH queen" (meant as praise, may not land that way)
• "Stop commenting CBH on my photos, it's weird" (unwelcome)
• "Can't hear you, mic's broken, CBH" (can't be heard, rare)

My advice: leave CBH out of brand comments

If you manage a business account, never comment CBH on a customer's or creator's photo, even when it's meant kindly. Comments about bodies are an easy way to make someone feel uncomfortable, and they can follow your brand around in screenshots. It's also worth adding CBH to your keyword filter if your audience tends to get body comments under their posts. The one place it's fine is a food brand talking about corned beef hash, and even then I'd write the dish out in full the first time so nobody misreads it. If you're catching up on other comment-section slang, my guides to what sus means and TBH are worth a read.

Frequently asked questions

What does CBH mean on social media?

On social media, CBH usually means "child-bearing hips", a comment about someone having wide hips.

What does CBH mean in food?

In food posts and menus, CBH means corned beef hash.

Is CBH a compliment?

Some people take it as one, but others hear it as being called fat, so it often doesn't land well.

Is there any truth to child-bearing hips?

Dictionary.com says there's no medical evidence that wider hips make it easier to give birth.

When did CBH first appear online?

Dictionary.com says the first crowd-sourced slang dictionary definition was in 2005, and an early Twitter use in 2008 was about corned beef hash.