Whiteisms
The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท S

Sweet mother of pearl!

Meaning

A mild, folksy exclamation of surprise or wonder. It acts as a substitute for harsher profanity.

Whimsical, antique

Used in a sentence

  • Sweet mother of pearl, I forgot to turn the oven off!
  • Sweet mother of pearl, look at how much snow fell overnight.
  • Did you see that touchdown? Sweet mother of pearl!

The backstory

It is likely a play on 'Sweet Mother of God.' By substituting 'pearl' for 'God,' speakers can express strong emotion without feeling like they are taking the Lord's name in vain.

Heard in

Midwest

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