Seeing as it’s Mother’s Day today here in the UK – I know that other parts of the world celebrate it at different times of the year – I thought I’d dedicate my latest blog post to language-related facts, trivia and idioms about mothers.
Synonyms for ‘mum’
A quick search has thrown up 16 different words in English for ‘mum’; some of these are rather out-dated, however, while others such as ‘mom’ are used mainly in America.
Ma
Mam
Mama
Mamma
Mammy
Mater
Matriarch
Matron
Mom
Momma
Mommy
Mother
Mum
Mummy
Mumsy
Being ‘mum’ in other languages
Collins Dictionary reveals that most countries in Europe have a similar sounding word for ‘mother’:
Croatian: mama
Czech: máma
Danish: mor
Dutch: mam
Finnish: äiti
French: maman
German: Mutti
Italian: mamma
Norwegian: mamma
Polish: mama
Portuguese: mama
Romanian: mami
Russian: мама
Spanish: mamá
Swedish: mamma
Ukrainian: мама
Idioms about mothers
Keep mum means to keep something a secret, while Mum’s the word is used as a request, command or warning to remain silent so as not to reveal a secret.
As is the case with most idioms, the word mum used in these expressions has nothing to do with mothers. Instead, it stands for an inarticulate sound made with closed lips – indicating either unwillingness or inability to speak.
Other sayings and idioms about mothers include:
A face that only a mother could love = used to describe someone who’s not been blessed in the looks department
A mother hen = a woman who’s protective and caring for those she loves
A mummy’s boy = a boy or man who allows his mother to have too much influence on him
At your mother’s knee = said about something you learnt to do as a young child
Experience is the mother of wisdom = people learn from what happens to them
Failure is the mother of success = failure is often a stepping-stone towards success
Like mother, like daughter = when daughters resemble their mothers in appearance or habits
Mother Nature = the force that controls the weather and all living things
Necessity is the mother of all invention = if you really want to do something, you’ll think of a way to do it
Shall I be mother? = a humorous way to ask if the speaker should serve food or drink; mostly associated with pouring tea
The mother of all something = an extreme example of something, e.g. a headache
Tied to your mother’s apron strings = someone, usually a man, who can’t think or act independently of their mother
Mother-related phobias
To round off this post in honour of Mother’s Day, here are some phobias you might not be aware of:
Metrophobia is the fear of motherhood
Pentheraphobia is the fear of your mother-in-law
Tokophobia is the fear of pregnancy or childbirth
So, on that jolly note, may I end off by wishing mums everywhere a very Happy Mother’s Day!
(image courtesy of Stuart Miles via Freedigitalphotos.net)
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