Word to mother interview

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.