son of a gun

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. son of a bitch
  2. Used encouragingly or to compliment.
intj
  1. Used to express anger, contempt, disgust, astonishment, disappointment, etc.

Word forms

son of a gun sons of guns

Etymology

Euphemistic variant of son of a bitch. There are folk etymologies suggesting nautical origins, such as a reference to the disputed parentage of a child born aboard a ship (between the guns), or a child fathered by a soldier (also referred to as a "gun"). However, these etymologies are not supported by evidence.

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