[Ads-l] "Your Mother" (Not in OED)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Jesse Sheidlower also has this pertinent entry in "The F Word" (2024)

[Begin excerpt]
your mother! Especially Juvenile. (used as a derisive retort). [It is
widely perceived that the phrase abbreviates go fuck your mother and
is therefore especially provoking; it is also reminiscent of the
“dozens,” a game of ritually exchanging insults.]

[1891 in J. F. Dobie Rainbow in the Morning (1965) 172: Talk about one
thing, talk about another; / But ef you talk about me, I’m gwain to
talk about your mother.]

[1929 E. Hemingway Letter (June 7) in Selected Letters (1981) 298: In
a purely conversational way in a latin language in an argument one man
says to another “Cogar su madre!”]

1937 C. Odets Golden Boy 243: [On telephone:] I’ll bring him right
over … you can take my word—the kid’s a cock-eyed wonder … your mother
too!
[End excerpt]

On Tue, Apr 21, 2026 at 2:50 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > When I was in junior high ca1960, it was understood that "Your mother!"
> > was euphemistic for a slightly longer phrase beginning with "Go."
>
> Jesse Sheidlower has a pertinent entry in "The F Word" (2024)
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> [go] fuck [yourself] (used to express hostility or contempt); go to
> hell! get out! be damned! Also variants with other objects, especially
> go fuck your mother. See also fuck spiders under spider noun.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Here are some citations within this entry containing "your mother":
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> 1932 E. Hemingway Winner 152: F— yourself. F— your mother. F— your sister.
>
> [1951 African Studies (vol. 10) 32: “Copulate with your mother!”
> Normally no insult could be more frightful.]
>
> 1955 J. Sack Here to Shimbashi 92: Sometimes they toss cigarettes to
> the MP’s on patrol, and sometimes they have been known to shout, “Hey,
> GI — your mother!” in English.
>
> 1969 in M. Girodias New Olympia Reader 68: She [was] screaming, "Go
> fuck your mother."
> [End excerpt]

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