mother of

Idioms  

1. The best or greatest of a type, as in That was the mother of all tennis matches. This expression originated during the Gulf War as a translation of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's term umm al-ma'arik, for “major battle”; the Arabic “mother of” is a figure of speech for “major” or “best.” It was quickly adopted and applied to just about any person, event, or activity. [Slang; late 1980s]

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Example Sentences

The mother of four daughters and 13 grandchildren, was walking a family dog when she used a zebra crossing on Burdon Road at about 13:00 BST on 16 May, prosecutor Michael Bunch said.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Kouri Richins was found guilty of murder in March, and Judge Richard Mrazik ruled the mother of three is "too dangerous to ever be free," the Salt Lake City Tribune reported.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

My executioner, my best friend, my greatest champion — I’m talking about my mother, of course.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Properly understood, every mother of two in this city is already a millionaire.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

These two very old people are the father and mother of Mr. Bucket.

From "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl