Idioms about Mothers: Mothers are the essence of life, and without them, life is unimaginable. In the English language, we have many mothers’ idioms which make the usage of the language even more effective and efficient.
We all know how useful idioms are. Here we will discover some additional examples of words and idioms about mothers. In this article, we have included a list of phrases related to the word mother, which will show how uniquely it is being used. Having a grasp over these idioms on mothers will surely enhance your language skills and vocabulary.
Enrich your Vocabulary by practicing the English Idioms that are commonly used in everyday conversations and understand their actual meaning.
Name of Mother Idioms
List of Idioms about Mothers
- A mother has eyes in the back of her head
- A tiger mother
- Everyone and his mother
- Like mother, like daughter
- Mama’s boy
- Mother hen
- Mother Nature
- Mother of God
- Mother’s milk
- Mother’s ruin
- Mothercraft
- ‘Mum’s the word!’
- Necessity is the mother of invention
- The mother of all (something)
- Tied to his mother’s apron strings
- To keep mum
- To learn something at your mother’s knee
- A face only a mother could love
- Expectant mother
- Experience is the mother of wisdom
- He that would allow the daughter win must with the mother first begin
- Be mother
- Dog’s mother
- Earth mother
- Every mother’s son of them
- Motherlode
- Mother’s little helpers
- Refrigerator mother
- She’s the cat’s mother
- Step on a crack, break your mother’s back
- The/(one’s) mother country
- The/(one’s) mother tongue
- (Do) you kiss your mother with that mouth?
- Diligence is the mother of good luck
- Founding mother (of something)
- Look (a bit) black over Bill’s Mother’s
- Mother Carey is plucking her chickens
- Mother of pearl
- Failure is the mother of success
Meaning and Example of some commonly used idioms about mothers
A mother has eyes in the back of her head
Meaning: A mother knows what her children are doing even when she can’t see them
Example: Our mother always seems to know when we have done something we shouldn’t have done. She has eyes in the back of her head.
A tiger mother
Meaning: A strict and demanding mother
Example: Being raised by a tiger mother to me implies that as a child, I didn’t have the freedom to make my own decisions.
Everyone and his mother
Meaning: A large number of people.
Example: I’m incredibly jealous, everyone and his mother is going on some vacation this winter, and I’m the only one stuck home.
Like mother, like daughter
Meaning: Daughters often behave similarly to their mothers did before them.
Example: My mother was a fantastic artist. Every time I make an artwork, my father says, ‘like mother, like daughter’.
Mama’s boy
Meaning: A man or boy who is easily influenced by his mother or is highly obedient to his mother.
Example: Akash always asks for his mother’s permission whenever he has to go somewhere – he is such a mama’s boy.
Mother hen
Meaning: Someone who fusses over others in a maternal manner.
Example: Ms Bobita constantly fusses around everyone like a mother hen.
Mother Nature
Meaning: A personification of nature and the natural world.
Example: This is such a beautiful place surrounded by mountains on all sides. Mother nature never fails to impress.
Mother of God
Meaning: Expressing contempt, surprise, outrage, disgust, frustration or boredom.
Example: Mother of God Jenna, what have you done? I can’t believe my eyes.
Mother’s milk
Meaning: Something that is regarded as completely necessary or appropriate.
Example: With the advancement and high demand for technology, coding is the mother’s milk for every engineering student.
Mother’s ruin
Meaning: A way of signifying gin (a strong, clear alcoholic drink)
Example: Since I’ve been travelling a lot recently, I haven’t had much time to indulge in mother’s ruin.
Mothercraft
Meaning: Skills and knowledge needed for the care of young children or babies.
Example: The new all-day service is going to address some of these problems and also be a place for new mothers to learn mothercraft skills.
‘Mum’s the word!’
Meaning: Used for saying that some information must be kept a secret.
Example: We are going to throw a welcome back party for Bonnie, but it’s a surprise – so mum’s the word.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Meaning: When the need for something is important, one is going to find ways of finding, creating, or achieving it
Example: When Jason’s deodorant finished just before his presentation, he used lemon as a natural deodorant – necessity is the mother of invention.
The mother of all (something)
Meaning: Something that is better, larger, worse etc., than all the other things of the same kind.
Example: John’s organised a fantastic farewell party for us. It was the mother of all parties.
Tied to his mother’s apron strings
Meaning: Someone who is attached and dependent on their mother.
Example: At the age of 28, he is still too tied to his mother’s apron strings to get his driver’s license.
To keep mum
Meaning: To keep quiet about something and not tell anyone.
Example: We are going to be working on a highly important secret project, so stay mum all of you.
To learn something at your mother’s knee
Meaning: To learn something at an early age.
Example: Ellen is extremely fluent in Spanish; she must have learned the language at her mother’s knee.
A face only a mother could love
Meaning: A face that is strikingly considered to be unattractive.
Example: Dinesh is an extremely bright student; however, he has the face that only a mother could love.
Expectant mother
Meaning: A woman who is expecting a child.
Example: Even though the metro was highly crowded, it was really courteous of Stefan to give his seat to the expectant mother.
Experience is the mother of wisdom.
Meaning: A person learns from what happens to them and, over time, gain wisdom about it.
Example: You will never understand my concern for you until you become a mother yourself. Experience is the mother of wisdom.
He that would allow the daughter win must with the mother first begin
Meaning: When a man has romantic feelings for a woman (especially if he wants to marry her), then he better make a positive impression on her mother.
Example: Listen, Brandon, if you love Stacy and want to marry her, let her mother know that you are the right match for her. He that would allow the daughter win must with the mother first begin.
Be mother
Meaning: To serve food r pour tea – since traditionally it is the mother who used to serve these things in the house.
Example: Jason, please sit down, relax and let me be a mother.
Dog’s mother
Meaning: A person who is bitchy.
Example: If Katherine insists on being a dog’s mother in this matter, I’ll tell her what I think of her.
Earth mother
Meaning: A especially nurturing or/and fertile woman.
Example: My sister already has four kids, and now she is pregnant again – she is practically an earth mother.
Every mother’s son of them
Meaning: Everyone is a specific group. The idiom is not only used exclusively to refer to men.
Example: I don’t know how many citizens are there in this town, but every mother’s son of them was riding on the train with me this evening.
Motherlode
Meaning: By extension, an abundance of something.
Example: It is a fantastic time to be a researcher in the microbiology field, as a mother lode of data was recently released.
Mother’s little helpers
Meaning: Kids or children who are eager to help their mother.
Example: Susan’s kids, the mother’s little helpers, were running around her during thanksgiving, trying to give their mother a helping hand.
Refrigerator mother
Meaning: A mother who is particularly distant and cold towards her children.
Example: During their entire childhood, I have been a refrigerator mother to my kids; now, I’m trying to rectify my mistakes.
She’s the cat’s mother.
Meaning: A reprimand used to someone for using the pronoun – she – instead of their proper name.
Example: “She’s coming with us to the museum tomorrow.” “Who ‘she’, the cat’s mother” “Sorry, I meant granny.”
Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.
Meaning: A child’s rhyme on the superstitious belief that stepping on a crack (as in the sidewalk) will cause their mother’s back to break.
Example: Today in the afternoon, the kids were playing outside red rover and tag, shouting things such as ‘step on a crack, break your mother’s back’.
The/(one’s) mother country
Meaning: The country where an individual was born of one’s family came from.
Example: Every Diwali, I make a point of making and eating laddoos. This reminds me of my mother country.
The/(one’s) mother tongue
Meaning: The native language of one’s country.
Example: Every Sunday I visit the N.S.C street. The locals over there talk in my native language, and it makes me feel like I’m at home.
(Do) you kiss your mother with that mouth?
Meaning: Said to an individual using inappropriate or other expletive languages.
Example: Stop cursing Jackson! Gosh, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?
Diligence is the mother of good luck.
Meaning: Hard work gives the opportunities for good fortune and success.
Example: Nisha’s first book that she worked so hard on is being published next week. She proved that diligence is the mother of good luck.
Founding mother (of something)
Meaning: A female who was instrumental in creating or pioneering something.
Example: The founding mother of this company is one of the few female billionaires in the world.
Look (a bit) black over Bill’s mother’s
Meaning: When it looks like it’s likely to rain due to a dark and cloudy sky.
Example: Jimmy, you better get the clothes drying on the porch – it’s looking like a bit black over Bill’s mother’s.
Mother Carey is plucking her chickens.
Meaning: When it is snowing or indicating poor weather.
Example: Bundle up, guys – Mother Carey is plucking her chickens, so we’re going for another rough day on the trail.
Mother of pearl
Meaning: An iridescent substance naturally occurring in some mollusc shells – also used as a decorative material for items such as jewellery and buttons.
Example: The mother of pearl earrings your husband gave you for your birthday is beautiful.
Failure is the mother of success.
Meaning: Failure is often a stepping stone towards success.
Example: A year ago, I would have never imagined my life would change like this – failure is the mother of success.