Often breaking bad refers to taking part in an illegal activity, or skirting the rule of law
Jesse: “Hey guys, I’m gonna have a lot of product for you to run, and with school out the kids will be all over this shit. Let’s totally bust it and make crap loads of dough, yo!”
Skinny Pete: “Yo, Jess, your new recipe’s tight, but my pops says he can get me work as a contractor or somethin’.”
Beaver: “Yeah, man, after what happened to Combo, can’t we just hang here a bit and fire up a taste of that crystal?”
Jesse: “What the hell, Beaver. You know I miss Combo just the same as you guys, but he’s the one who decided to break bad. I don’t wanna get shot, neither, but I’m talkin’ some fat stacks, yo.”
Few people realize that while the popular television series Breaking Bad has made the slang term known worldwide, to 'break bad' has been slang in Albuquerque for years. The name of the show originated from Albuquerque slang, and not the other way around.
Here's a clip from the show – quite possibly "the most badass scene ever":