Explanation of B&D

Explanation of and etymology for the term B&D in BDSM

B&D (B&d, B/D, B/d, BD, Bd, BaD) originally meant bondage and discipline but is now often interpreted as bondage and dominance as well.

The acronym B&D was instated since bondage often is performed together with various kinds of "discipline" in the form of "enforced" caresses, other stimulus, orders, beatings, clamps or intercourse to emphasize the helplessness or submission of the bound part. Since such actions often also are associated with dominance, a slide of the D interpretation from discipline to dominance is common.

Etymology

The terms "bondage" and "disciplin" have an old history, all the way back to the ancient Latin and probably longer. When they came in use among people into BDSM is less known, but the term "bondage" in a sexual context is found in a (somewhat) scientific article from 1954. The term "discipline" with approximately the same meaning as in BDSM has been used at least since the 16th century, so it was probably picked up by people into BDSM as an established term. The combined term "bondage and discipline" is however probably a 20th century construction, possibly adopted at approximately the same time as bondage started being used in its present meaning in BDSM, i.e. somewhere in the middle of the 20th century. As late as in the 1990's it was however not uncommon that "bondage" in BDSM was used in its original meaning "slavery" and sometimes the acronym "B&B" for "bondage and binding" was used at UseNet News alt.sex.bondage. "B&D", "B/D" or "BD" as an accepted acronym is probably a lot later than the words in its interpretation. In the mid 1970's it appeared in some American personals and media titles, but did not seem to be in more general use. In the beginning of the 1980's it was in general use in the USA but not at all in Germany. This indicates that this acronym, similar to "SM" first was came into use, probably in the USA, during the "sexual revolution" in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

The above etymological information was compiled mainly from BDSM magazines and the UseNet archive on the Internet. Probably none of the terms first found on UseNet have their origin there, but have been instated in discussions within BDSM organizations, and come in more wide use through BDSM BBS's (dial-up electronic bulletin board services that were popular from the end of the 1970's until some time after the Internet boom in the 1990's). But the terms appearing on UseNet after the Internet boom have probably been spread there rather quickly after they have been instated at other forums.