Girl's nickname
(Other definitions for bess that I've seen before include "Elizabeth (dim.)" , "Black - was Dick Turpin's horse" , "Our Good Queen" , "George Gershwin opera 'Porgy and . . . .'" , "Queen Elizabeth 1 (sl)" .)
(Other definitions for barb that I've seen before include "Aggressive remark intended to have a telling effect" , "Deliberately hurtful remark" , "Cutting remark" , "Sharp point; wounding comment" , "added to wire?" .)