The Rice University Neologisms Database

“bourgeois bohemians,” referring to the new upper class of American society The author chose to call members of the new upper class of American society by this term because he saw a blending of some aspects of the bohemian counter-culture of artists and musicians into the upper-middle class (bourgeois) social structure. Since Brooks saw a blending of the cultures of several strata of society, it makes sense that he describe this using a word that blends the social terms used for these strata. As the strata are becoming less distinct, the words describing their differences also blend to become one.