son of a gun

American  

noun

PLURAL

sons of guns

1. a rogue; rascal; scoundrel.

   That son of a gun still owes me $20.

2. a tiresome or disagreeable matter, chore, etc.

3. (used as an affectionate greeting, term of address, etc.).

   Charlie Humpelmeyer, you old son of a gun, how are you?

---

interjection

1. (used as an exclamation of irritation, surprise, dismay, etc.)

son of a gun British  

noun

1. slang  a rogue or rascal: used as a jocular form of address

---

Etymology

Origin of son of a gun

First recorded in 1700–10; perhaps originally the illegitimate offspring of a soldier, though later influenced by British argot gun “thief”; gun moll

Example Sentences

With this in mind, I put on the tape, and, son of a gun, if he wasn’t right about everything.

From New York Times

“And then, son of a gun, if I’m not standing in front of red tape that was actually part of an official government document,” he says.

From Washington Post

“I think we’ve always been seeing Alabama win games like we won against Ohio State, and I’ve felt, ‘Saban’s a lucky son of a gun.’

From Los Angeles Times

“And the son of a gun keeps going back in the game. So I don’t put anything past JJ.”

From Seattle Times

"They believe in rod, the scourger almighty, creator of hell upon earth and in Jacky Tar," The Citizen says of the hated British, "the son of a gun, who was conceived of unholy boast, born of the fighting navy, suffered under rump and dozen, was sacrificed, flayed and curried, yelled like bloody hell, the third day he arose again from the bed, steered into heaven, sitteth on his beamend till further orders whence he shall come to drudge for a living and be paid."

From Salon