bam!, excl. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

bam! excl.

echoic of a sudden sound or action.

1907		‘John Crow & Fowl-Hawk’ in W. Jekyll Jam. Song and Story 141: Hawk get down Dog hit him bam.
1911		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 16: ‘You came from Cork, didn’t you.’ ‘I did,’ piped Dave. ‘Well,’ piped Corbett, ‘You came a long way to get this’ and bam a left hook bumped upon the starboard glim.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 106: Last act of Lucia. Shall I never more behold thee? Bam! expires.
1930		J. Lait Gangster Girl 130: Some good-lookin’ chippy at you to get in wit’ you till you’re off your nut over her an’ trust her, an’—bam!
1936		E. Hemingway letter c.27 Feb. in Baker Sel. Letters (1981) 439: Mr. Stevens hit me flush on the jaw with his Sunday punch bam like that.
1955		‘Hal Ellson’ ‘Wrong Way Home’ in Tell Them Nothing (1956) 146: Bam, all them people in the hall scatter quick.
1956		S. Selvon Lonely Londoners 53: One day bam! something happen to throw everything out of gear.
1964		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 91: Bam, bam! The bitch was getting up off the floor.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 83: hen Lalín said, ‘You’re fucked up, eh, Carlito?’ Bam. Just like that.
1988		S. Selvon Eldorado West One 18: The drivers only have to see a spade crossing the road and all they have to do is step on the X and bam!
1991		L. Bing Do or Die (1992) 50: ‘Let’s see if this little nigger down,’ and bam!! You have to head up with ’em.
2000		Observer Mag. 25 Jan. 32: We [...] did the sleeve in a day and rushed it out. Then, bam!
2010		L. Redhead Thrill City [ebook] Just waiting for the trial and soon as that’s over, bam, we rush the release.
2019		Guardian 27 May 22/4: ‘We saw her face and arms waving...like bam!’.

In exclamations

bam, in yo face! [in someone’s face under face n.]

(US teen) an excl. of triumph, of victory in an argument.

2002

K.L. Carter ‘Black Brother I Love Ya’ 13 Aug. at KellyLCarter.com 🌐 More brothas need to listen to that song. He wasn’t even tryin’ to front. He was like, ‘Sayin’ I can get you anything is ridiculous’. BAM! In yo face.