Ronald be Bad is an adjective used to describe badasses, tough-guys, etc. This first reported usage of Ronald be Bad was sometime in the late 60's. Apparently, two men in a diner disputed over who was the toughest. The two decided to settle the matter by arm wrestling. The contest ended after a one hour stalemate. The two men shook hands, and decided to listen to some music on the jukebox. The song they chose was "Run that Beat Back" by Flyhands McGregors (a New Orleans Jazz artist). One of the men, mistakingly thought that McGregors was saying "Ronald be Bad", so he adopted the term to describe himeself. The what died down somewhat years later, but it is still occasionally used in the South and Midwest.
by Cranberry Slim December 9, 2004