For the anarchist group called the "Motherfuckers", see Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers.

The word "motherfucker" (also contracted forms mothafucka, mo-fucker, mofucka, mother, mofo, mafucka, mofy, mo-facku, mother moo and mamma-jamma) is a common insult, term of endearment, and expletive in the English language and is widely considered obscene. The initials M.F. became a common, less explicit substitute for "motherfucker" in the 1960s and 1970s.

Literally, it accuses one of violating the taboo of incest. However, as with most epithets, its use is pejorative, rather than literal. The power of the word is that it attacks one's sense of manhood. Many consider "motherfucker" to be one of the most offensive profanities in the English language. A study published in 2000 found that British people consider it second only to "cunt" in severity (Hargrave, 2000).

"Motherfucker" has taken on additional meanings through continued use. It has come to mean a formidable or inexorable force, as in the threat: "Payback is a bitch, but revenge is a motherfucker." It is also an expletive expression of disgust or contempt: "Now, isn't that a motherfucker!" "Motherfucker" also has come to be used in some circles as a general pronoun. The late stand-up comedian Richard Pryor frequently used "motherfucker" as a term of endearment both on and off stage, and still used it in the positive sense to address his fans on his official website ^*. He stated in a January 2005 web post rebutting rumors of his losing his voice that "I'm still a talking motherfucker."

The growing use of "motherfucker" in popular culture may mean the term through time has become less offensive to some, but some see its increasing ubiquity as a sign of the general coarsening of society.

Other common replacements are those phrases meant to bear a resemblance to the original word, including "brother Tucker," "mother father," "Fuddrucker" (after the hamburger chain), "mother trucker," "mother lover," "motha lova," "mother crusher," "fothermucker", "monster trucker", and other combinations of similar-sounding words. In Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant, for example, he uses the terms "father rapers" and "mother stabbers".

In the song Mr. Brownstone by Guns N Roses Mr. Brownstone is described with the lyrics "that old man he's a real mother fucker"

In Meet the Parents, it is pointed out that if Pamela Martha Burns and Greg Focker are married, the bride's name would become Pamela Martha Focker. In Meet the Fockers, when Pam is asked what she wants to do about her name change, she says that she is fine with the 'Martha Focker' part, even though she knows what it sounds like.

See also

• John Shaft: Of Blaxploitation fame. Shaft is, according to the theme song, a "bad mother-- 'shut your mouth!'."
• Other profanity, slurs, and insults: asshole, shit, bastard, cocksucker, fuck, Seven dirty words
• In the film Pulp Fiction, the wallet of Jules Winnfield (played by Samuel L. Jackson) says "Bad Motherfucker".
• Bands: Lazy Mutha Fucka, EMF
• Albums: L.A.M.F. A Mother Fucker, the only studio album by Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers
• The musician Peaches used Fatherfucker as the title of a 2003 album
• Songs: "S.M.F." Mother Fucker is the final song on the Twisted Sister album Stay Hungry (by extension, a fan of Twisted Sister is sometimes referred to as an S.M.F.); Sexy Motherfucker by Prince, "Dance, M.F., Dance" by the Violent Femmes, "MF From Hell" by New Zealand rock band The Datsuns, from their self titled album, "It's a Motherfucker" by Eels, "Die Motherfucker" by Death Metal band Six Feet Under and "Die Motherfucker Die" by rock band Slaves On Dope, Mindless Self Indulgence has a song called Stupid MF.
• Motherfucker=Redeemer, a two-part, 31 minute song by Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The song encompasses tracks 4 and 5 from the album Yanqui U.X.O. There is, however, no profanity in the song(s) other than the title, which is an allusion to a line in Dave Eggers' novel A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.
• In recent times, Oedipus humorously has been referred to as a "motherfucker". Considering the story of Oedipus, this is an unusually literal usage. See History of the World, Part One for an example of this.
• Local H's High Fiving Motherfucker, the second track from the 1996 album As Good As Dead.
• Playing the dozens
• Morrison & Foerster LLP, a powerful law firm whose official nickname is MoFo
• "MOFO", a U2 song from the album Pop
• "I'm A Gypsy Motherfucker", a late-period single (and unofficial theme song) by punk rock performance artist GG Allin.
• "Marijuana Motherfucker", a David Peel composition that has also been recorded by Canadian punk group D.O.A..
• MFSB, the house band for Philadelphia International Records, was claimed by some to actually stand for "Mother Fuckin' SonovaBitch", although the label repeatedly stated the acronym's official meaning was the much cleaner "Mother Father Sister Brother".
• Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers, an anarchist punk band from Italy.
• Professional wrestler Matt Hardy uses a play on the sanitized acronym, MF'er, to describe his fanbase. It means "Mattitude Follower". "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is often referred to as a BMF, short for "bad motherfucker". His walking style is also called The BMF Walk.
• Comic illusionists Penn & Teller have, on occasion, included "Mofo the Psychic Gorilla" in their stage act.
• Dane Cook frequently uses the acronym BAMF to refer to a bad ass mother fucker.

Reference

• Hargrave, Andrea Millwood (2000). Delete Expletives? London: Advertising Standards Authority, British Broadcasting Corporation, Broadcasting Standards Commission, Independent Television Commission.

Profanity | Fuck

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