English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Coined by American columnist Herb Caen in the late 1940s, likely reflecting the multiculturalism and exotic character of the city, while also identifying the city with a great historical cultural and intellectual center, as well as possibly implying a moral association with Babylon.

Proper noun

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Baghdad by the Bay

  1. (informal, dated) San Francisco (a city in California).

Synonyms

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  • San Fran, Frisco, The City (Northern CA only), The City by the Bay, The City That Knows How (dated)