Word
brandon
Phoneticsbran·don
/ˈbɹændən/
Definitions
01a person's name
n. a common first name for a man or a boy.
n. a male given name of Old English or Irish origin, widely popular in North America during the late 20th century.
“Brandon decided to study engineering after he finished high school.”
“Brandon was named after his grandfather, following a long-standing family tradition that spanned four generations.”
02a place name
n. the name of several towns and villages in the UK, US, and Canada.
n. a common toponym for various settlements in English-speaking countries, most notably a city in Manitoba, Canada.
“The family took a road trip to visit their cousins in Brandon, Manitoba.”
“The historic market town of Brandon in Suffolk is well-known for its long association with the flint-knapping industry.”
03political code for Joe Biden
n. a name used in the phrase 'Let's Go Brandon' to insult US President Joe Biden without using a swear word.
n. a euphemistic surrogate for Joe Biden, typically used within the phrase 'Let's Go Brandon' as a coded vulgarity.
“He wore a shirt with a 'Brandon' slogan to the political rally.”
“The phrase 'Let's Go Brandon' originated from a televised sports interview and rapidly evolved into a ubiquitous shibboleth for anti-Biden sentiment.”
American English · Slang · Informal
Usage
Usually appears in the fixed phrase 'Let's Go Brandon'.
Teaching tip
This sense is highly political and potentially offensive; learners should be aware of its subtext before using it in social settings.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“In the men's final, fifth seed Ben Shelton secured back-to-back Canadian Open titles with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory over fellow American Brandon Nakashima.” Etymology
From Middle English Brandon, Brampdon, Bramdun, Bremedon, Bromdun, from Old English brōmdūn, from brōm (“broom shrub”) + dūn (“hill, dune”). Doublet of Branton.
From Irish Mac Breandáin (“son of Breandán”). Doublet of Brendan.
From let's go, Brandon, ultimately from Brandon L. Brown. Originated from a news reporter incorrectly describing NASCAR fans chanting "fuck Joe Biden" as chanting "let's go, Brandon".
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/brandon