Maternal insult
A maternal insult (also referred to as a "yo mama" joke) is a reference to a person's mother. This is through the use of phrases such as "your mother" or other variations, often used to insult the target by way of their mother.[1] "Your mother" can be combined with most types of insults, although suggestions of promiscuity are common.[2] One of the purposes of these insults is to incite violence.[3] Slang variants such as "yo mama", "yo momma", "yer ma", "ya mum", "your mum", "ya mudda" or "your mom" are sometimes used, depending on the local dialect.
Historic examples[change | change source]
- In the Bible, King Joram is greeted by the rebel Jehu with a hostile expression concerning Joram's mother:
When Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?"
And he answered, "What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?"[4]
- William Shakespeare used such a device in Act I Scene 1 of Timon of Athens:[5]
Painter: "Y'are a dog."
Apemantus: "Thy mother's of my generation. What's she, if I be a dog?"
(In this example, the implication is that the mother is a "bitch".)
- The world's oldest yo momma joke was written about 1,500 BC. It loses much in the translation but was found in Iraq on an ancient tablet:
“...of your mother is by the one who has intercourse with her. What/who is it?
(No answer)”
While it cannot be completely deciphered, it is clear some comment is being made about somebody's mother.[6]
Related pages[change | change source]
- Double entendre
- Fighting words
- Flyting – related historical practices
- Maledicta
- Maledictology
- Russian mat
- Taunt
- That's what she said
- The dozens
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Andrew Conway (1994). "You're ugly, your dick is small and everybody's afraid to fuck your mother: The Stand Up Comedian's Response to the Heckler". Maledicta. 11. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ↑ Millicent R. Ayoub and Sephen A. Barnett (October–December 1965). "Ritualized Verbal Insult in White High School Culture". The Journal of American Folklore. American Folklore Society. 78 (310): 337–344. doi:10.2307/538441. JSTOR 538441. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
- ↑ Jeffries, Stuart (2006-06-12). "The mother of all insults". London: The Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2006-12-06.
- ↑ "2 Kings 9:22". Biblos.com. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ↑ Maureen O'Connor (10 May 2013). "The Mom Matrix: Tanning Mom, Tiger Mom, Teen Mom". New York Media LLC. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ↑ Rolando Pujol (1 February 2012). "Ancient tablet may contain world's oldest 'Yo Mama' joke, along with sex and beer humor". NYDailyNews.com. Retrieved 2 October 2015.