Is your friend telling you that they appreciate your effort in helping them out with a task? If so, you could respond with the idiomatic street slang phrase, “word to your mother.”
This post unpacks everything you need to know about the meaning, origin, and use of this phrase in conversation.
“Word to your mother” is a slang term popularized by African-American culture. The term started with the meaning of paying respect to the motherland of the African-American man, the continent of Africa. The phrase evolved its meaning over the 80s and 90s with the adaptation of street culture and hip hop to language.
Today, “word to your mother” means that you show confirmation after someone tells you something. For instance, the person could say to you that they appreciated you standing up for them in a confrontation, and you could reply with “word to your mother, son, you know I’m here for you when you need me.”
It’ a slang saying, and many people from Gen X and late millennial generations will understand the term, especially if they enjoy listening to hip hop. Today, both white people and African Americans use the phrase to express confirmation of what other people are saying to them.
Word to Your Mother Example Usage
“We out, word to your mother.”
“I’ll be there for you, bro, word to your mother.”
“Man, that Wu-Tang show was dope; those guys know how to rap, word to your mother.”
“I’ll be there on Wednesday to help you out, word to your mother.”
Word to Your Mother Origin
The phrase “word to your mother” comes from the 80s and 90s hip-hop culture. The Afrocentric movement of the 1980s saw the rise of the saying due to the popularity of the Nation of Islam in cities like New York. The phrase was part of the culture, including other popular expressions like “Word God” and “Peace God.”
In the original context, the use of the term referred to the continent of Africa as the “motherland.” The rise of hip hop culture in the 90s saw the phrase become popular with recording artists and with street language.
The phrase gained huge popularity after the rapper, “Vanilla Ice,” aka Rob Van Winkle, used it at the end of his smash hit song, “Ice Ice Baby.” The phrase started to drift from its original meaning of the mother being Africa to a confirmation.
As a result, many people started using the phrase to confirm that they understood what the other person was saying to them or impress a point on them.
Phrases Similar to Word to Your Mother
- Mad props, son.
- I got you.
- Respect.
Phrases Opposite to Word to Your Mother
- I don’t get what you’re saying.
- No, I won’t do that.
- What are you talking about?
What is the Correct Saying?
- Word to your mother.
- Word to yo mama.
- Word to mother.
Ways People May Say Word to Your Mother Incorrectly
Some people may use the phrase when talking to older Boomer generations. These individuals won’t understand street slang, and they might take offense to you saying the term, taking it out of context to you referring to their mother. The phrase does not suit use in professional settings.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Word to Your Mother
You can use “word to your mother” in social conversations. Typically, the other person would have to understand street slang and hip-hop culture to understand what you’re saying. You can use the phrase when giving confirmation to what you are saying or what others are saying in the conversation.
An anachronistic corruption of the phrase «word to the mother», which was a popular reference to Africa or «The Motherland» during the late 1980s Afrocentric movement. While the replacement of «the» with «your» effectively obliterated the term’s Afrocentric roots, it continued to be used in the same manner, that is, to express agreement. Alternatively, the «your» could take on sinister connotations, implying that speaker was sexually intimate with the listener’s mother, as in «say hi to your mom for me», or, in keeping with the whack terminology, «props to your mom, she’s da bomb». Finally, the phrase might mean nothing at all, and be used to ineptly feign street cred, in the style of Vanilla Ice.
Get the word to your mother mug.
Originally «word to the mother.» Used by African Americans as a salutation. It means «Give due respect to the motherland from which we came.» Can be used in the same context as «Keep it real.» or, also, can be used to literally express respect to the motherland and African-American customs and traditions.
Get the word to your mother mug.
Word to your mother was a phrase used back in the 80s and 90s. Though it was originated by the African American community, saying to keep it real or to respect the motherland, it then became the retarded phrase of white boys trying to act gangsta. They sound so gay and make respectable white people like me look like the skid-mark on the underpants of society when they say it. Thanks a lot Vanilla Ice.
Black guy 1: «Yo nigga, what’s happenin’?»
Black guy 2: «I’m fine, man. Keepin’ it real.»
Black guy 1: «word to your mother.»
White boy who overhears the conversation and immediately thinks thinks of ice ice baby: «What’s good, niggas?»
Black guy 1: «What you call us bitch?»
WB: » Yo man, keep it real. Word to your mother.»
Black guy 1 knocks him out and he and Black guy 2 laugh and walk away while listening to the Beastie Boys, a well respectable white hip hop group.
Get the word to your mother mug.
-
#1
Saludos,
Que significa la expresion,
«Word to your mother»
Y cual es el origen?
Gracias,
Edher
-
#2
Edher said:
Saludos,
Que significa la expresion,
«Word to your mother»
Y cual es el origen?
Gracias,
Edher
Edher;
Can you tell me a bit of context…In a song, on a show, in a book, on the street??? then I might be able to help you…RECORDER…I said MIGHT.
te gato
-
#3
te gato said:
Edher;
Can you tell me a bit of context…In a song, on a show, in a book, on the street??? then I might be able to help you…RECORDER…I said MIGHT.![:D]( "Big Grin :D")
te gato![;)]( "Wink ;)")
Saludos te gato,
I heard a couple of people say this on the street. I think they use it as a tantamount of «Your mother.»
«You’re the most stupid person I know.»
«You’re mother.» (Some people instead of saying this, they say «Word to your mother» with the same meaning) However, to me it doesn’t make sense.
I think I’ve also heard it in «Ice, Ice, Ice baby.» However, I can’t give you any context of that because those are the only two things I understand; the expression and the chorus.
Edher
-
#4
Edher said:
Saludos te gato,
I heard a couple of people say this on the street. I think they use it as a tantamount of «Your mother.»
«You’re the most stupid person I know.»
«You’re mother.» (Some people instead of saying this, they say «Word to your mother» with the same meaning) However, to me it doesn’t make sense.I think I’ve also heard it in «Ice, Ice, Ice baby.» However, I can’t give you any context of that because those are the only two things I understand; the expression and the chorus.
Edher
Got ya now…Another is «YO- MAMA» When said here, it means that what ever you-as the speaker-just said is a bunch of shit (lo siento) Mother insults are the worst…Another is «YOUR MOTHER DRESSES YOU FUNNY AND WEARS ARMY BOOTS» Personally I don’t get it but….
te gato
-
#5
te gato said:
Got ya now…Another is «YO- MAMA» When said here, it means that what ever you-as the speaker-just said is a bunch of shit (lo siento) Mother insults are the worst…Another is «YOUR MOTHER DRESSES YOU FUNNY AND WEARS ARMY BOOTS» Personally I don’t get it but….
te gato![;)]( "Wink ;)")
I still don’t get it. Why did they choose that expression to mean that? Word to your mother — Palabra a tu madre. Is that another way of saying «A word to describe your mother»? I would also like to know the origin if possible.
Edher
-
#6
Edher said:
Saludos te gato,
I heard a couple of people say this on the street. I think they use it as a tantamount of «Your mother.»
«You’re the most stupid person I know.»
«You’re mother.» (Some people instead of saying this, they say «Word to your mother» with the same meaning) However, to me it doesn’t make sense.I think I’ve also heard it in «Ice, Ice, Ice baby.» However, I can’t give you any context of that because those are the only two things I understand; the expression and the chorus.
Edher
Lo siento forgot to add..What streets do you hang out on??????
te gato
-
#7
te gato said:
Lo siento forgot to add..What streets do you hang out on??????
te gato![;)]( "Wink ;)")
I was paying a little visit to tinseltown and I heard that twice from two actor-wannabes.
Edher
-
#8
Edher said:
I still don’t get it. Why did they choose that expression to mean that? Word to your mother — Palabra a tu madre. Is that another way of saying «A word to describe your mother»? I would also like to know the origin if possible.
Edher
No it is an insult—insulto to you and what you were saying. Here NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE!!!!!! insults your mother, it is the lowest of the low..It would be the same type of insult as calling you a «Mother Fu**er»..You don’t F**k your mother..therefore insult…
As for the origin..check your in box.
te gato
-
#9
Edher said:
I was paying a little visit to tinseltown and I heard that twice from two actor-wannabes.
Edher
Remind me to never go to that part of town…
te gato
-
#10
te gato said:
Remind me to never go to that part of town…
![:D]( "Big Grin :D")
te gato![;)]( "Wink ;)")
Believe me, the streets there are infested with worse cliches.
Edher
-
#11
Edher said:
Saludos te gato,
I heard a couple of people say this on the street. I think they use it as a tantamount of «Your mother.»
«You’re the most stupid person I know.»
«You’re mother.» (Some people instead of saying this, they say «Word to your mother» with the same meaning) However, to me it doesn’t make sense.I think I’ve also heard it in «Ice, Ice, Ice baby.» However, I can’t give you any context of that because those are the only two things I understand; the expression and the chorus.
Edher
I’ve never heard «word to your mother». But I agree with te gato about one thing: I’d be careful of using the phrase or repeating it (other than here) until you find out the meaning. It’s does sound suspiciously like a number of idioms using «mother», all of them rude and crude.
Perhaps someone else will know more about the phrase though…
-
#12
Ok, ok, ok people. Here goes:
«Yo Momma / Your mother» and «Word to your mother» are not the same. They are totally different.
«Yo momma / Your mother» —> passes the insult on to your mother.
«Word to your mother / Word up» —> an expression of agreement
«You are the dumbest person I know.»
-«Your mother!»
«No, yo momma!»
«That movie was dumb, yo.»
-«Yeah man, word to your mother.»
«That movie was dumb, yo.»
-«Yeah, word up.»
I hope this is clear now.
Note: «Word to your mother» can also be said as a slang for «goodbye». However, I thought it died in the 80’s.
«Alright yo, I’m out.»
-«A’ight, word to your mother.»
-
#13
Venusenvy got it right. It is 80’s street slang. ‘Word’ was used to say ‘I agee’, ‘hello’, and ‘goodbye’ and other things. It is kind of like the word ‘DUDE’ based on inflection and the sentence it is used can mean different things.
Word to your mother — Usually used to say good-bye as is ‘Say hello to your mom when you see her’.
It is not an insult.
-
#14
Saludos,
Thank you for clarifying that. It doesn’t sound like an expression I’d like to adopt though, I was just curious to find out what it meant and its origin.
Edher
-
#15
This is EXTREMELY entertaining.
VenusEnvy and Daviesri, I’m with you…it’s all about the context.
I’m not so sure it died out in the eighties, though, at least on the east coast. I think it hit its peak use in the eighties, but I still heard it when I was in college in the late nineties.
Too tricky to adopt, yet very interesting…especially when contrasted with the plethora of «motha» jokes!
Max
-
#16
VenusEnvy said:
Ok, ok, ok people. Here goes:
«Yo Momma / Your mother» and «Word to your mother» are not the same. They are totally different.
«Yo momma / Your mother» —> passes the insult on to your mother.
«Word to your mother / Word up» —> an expression of agreement
«My bad…»
Not too long ago I was watching «The Wire» on HBO, and although I think it’s very well done, I feel as if I need subtitles.
«I got it now.» I never know what I’m going to learn next around here.
Many thanks for the explanation!
-
#17
Lots of people in Chicago still say «word» as an expression of agreement. But «word to your mother» is over unless you are being ironic.
-
#18
Hi,
Check out
www.urbandictionary.com
They have several definitions. I had heard that it came from word to the mother which is said when you agree with something.
Well, most of these answers are in the right ballpark but no one has put all the pieces together.
There’s a phrase that comes from the 1800s, perhaps earlier, «my word is my bond» (or, «your word is your bond»).
At some point in the late 80s/early 90s, this anachronism got picked up by youth culture (I think specifically rap and hiphop) as «word is bond». The earlier uses of this word had a connotation of «I’m expressing confidence that I believe what you’re saying is true» or «I appreciate that you are speaking the truth» or «I lend my reputation to my previous statement that it is true», but the connotation changed to one of general agreement, and also was shortened to «word».
Mothers are generally an intensifier in slang. Granted it’s usually negative, but it can go either way. «Go fuck yourself» vs «Go fuck your mother» or «I fucked your mom». But also «I swear» vs «I swear on my mother’s grave» or something.
So «word» being a combination of something positive and an indication (or intensifier) of trust, «word to your mother» is akin to saying «no joke, this is true, because I invoked family». Of course it’s used much more casually than that, but that’s the coloring of the phrase.
Edit: Man now that I’m remembering it, there was a time where «word is bond» was shortened to «word is bon» (without the d), I don’t know why but that bugged the hell out of me.
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Where is your mother from
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Результаты (русский) 1: [копия]
Скопировано!
Где находится ваша мать от
переводится, пожалуйста, подождите..
Результаты (русский) 2:[копия]
Скопировано!
Откуда родом твоя мама
переводится, пожалуйста, подождите..
Результаты (русский) 3:[копия]
Скопировано!
а где твоя мама
переводится, пожалуйста, подождите..
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- Он учится в пятом классе
- Amicae sunt
- Такая, какая есть
- Чтобы понятнее было, ты перевел нам Чехо
- write the verbs in past simple out of th
- I want to read Shakespeare’s plais,both
- banks and thrifts have developed new loa
- What
- Отвар плодов шиповника
- глубокий шейный лимфатический узел
- город Белгород
- мой любимый предмет биология гиография и
- diana est dea silvarum
- thyroidea
- toy solbier has got black jasket
- мой любимый предмет биология гиография и
- qui
- я нашла тебя
- Hello!i’m
- my cousins parents are my
- любимоя сестра
- Who’s Ellen? Read look and choose. Then
- Он учится в пятом классе
- Моя любимая еда это рыба , фрукты и моро
Переводы в словарях Lingvo
where do your parents live?и где твои родители живут?
What do you want to become? What does your mother want you to become?кем ты хочешь стать? кем твоя мама хочет, чтобы ты стал
7. «Does your friend often come here, boys?» said Fred. 8. «Did you like the film?» asked Nick. 9. I said to Boris, «Where does your cousin live?»7.»Ваши друзья обычно приходят сюда,мальчики?» спросил Фред 8. » Тебе понравился фильм?» спросил Ник 9. Я спросил Борис…
I’m interested, where do your parents live?мне интересно,где живут ваши родители?
does your mother like you?doES your mother like you? — твое мама тебя любит?
Where do your friends live?где живут твои друзья?
fromот, из, с
yourваш, принадлежащий вам; твой, принадлежащий тебе; свой
Where do you live?Вы где живете?
word to your mother
interjection
- A phrase used upon departure…
I’m leaving, word to your mother!
Last edited on Sep 06 2010. Submitted by Emily M. from UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
on Feb 29 2000.
Related words
Slang terms with the same meaning
None found.
Slang terms with the same root words
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Other terms relating to ‘mother’: |
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Definitions include: an ugly face. |
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Definitions include: acronym of «adios mother fucker.» |
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Definitions include: acronym for «bad-ass mother fucker». |
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Definitions include: a bitch-ass motherfucker. |
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Definitions include: acronym for «baby mother», i.e. the mother of a male’s child. |
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Definitions include: a good friend that is more like a brother. |
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Definitions include: a Christian who attends church only on Christmas, Easter and Mother’s Day. |
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Definitions include: contraction of «fucking ugly mother fucker». |
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Definitions include: an exclamation of amazement or excitement. |
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Definitions include: acronym for «head mother fucker in charge.» |
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Definitions include: acronym for «head mother fucker what’s in charge». |
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Definitions include: exclamation of alarm / amazement. |
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Definitions include: exclamation of alarm / amazement. |
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Definitions include: Threatening rain. |
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Definitions include: acronym for «lame-ass mother fucker». |
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Other terms relating to ‘to’: |
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Definitions include: extremely intoxicated |
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Definitions include: See nine to five. |
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Definitions include: to make a bad situation worse. |
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Definitions include: to make a bad situation worse. |
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Definitions include: a declaration of victory or superiority. |
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Definitions include: sex in which anal sex is immediately followed by fellatio. |
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Definitions include: to revisit one’s past. |
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Definitions include: to go back to the beginning. |
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Definitions include: extreme; «all out». |
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Definitions include: to be vastly superior. |
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Definitions include: to perform an activity before someone else. |
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Definitions include: to be unintelligible. |
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Definitions include: to do. |
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Definitions include: more important things to deal with. |
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Definitions include: to kill or destroy. |
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Other terms relating to ‘word’: |
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Definitions include: «cunt». |
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Definitions include: the word «cunt». |
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Definitions include: the word «cunt». |
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Definitions include: to suffer the consequences of verbalizing something that was incorrect. |
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Definitions include: a fancy word. |
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Definitions include: a swear word. |
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Definitions include: fuck. |
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Definitions include: to have an opportunity to speak. |
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Definitions include: any good news, ideas, or thoughts. |
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Definitions include: acronym for «in other words». |
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Definitions include: «please.» |
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Definitions include: «remember what I say.» |
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Definitions include: «I will not reveal the secret.» |
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Definitions include: exclamation of surprise. |
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Definitions include: the word «nigger», which is extremely offensive. |
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Other terms relating to ‘your’: |
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Definitions include: sexual activity. |
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Definitions include: Slang for adding your opinion of something or someone without being asked for your opinion. |
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Definitions include: a declaration of victory or superiority. |
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Definitions include: said at the end of a set of instructions in order to mark their conclusion. |
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Definitions include: «bring your own…» |
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Definitions include: acronym for «bring your own beer», «bring your own bottle», or «bring your own booze». |
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Definitions include: «bring your own wine». |
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Definitions include: acronym for «cover your ass.» |
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Definitions include: acronym for «do your own homework». |
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Definitions include: acronym for «for your information.» |
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Definitions include: acronym for «fuck your life». |
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Definitions include: acronym for «Google is your friend». |
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Definitions include: acronym for «I am not your lawyer». |
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Definitions include: «your.» |
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Definitions include: acronym for «mind your own business.» |
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