# POLL: Does the term "MoFo" mean anything to you?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-the-term-mofo-mean-anything-to-you/125994
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 28, 2002, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-the-term-mofo-mean-anything-to-you/125994 "2002-08-28T21:43:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Zoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoff)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2002, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-the-term-mofo-mean-anything-to-you/125994/21 "2002-08-29T13:00:18Z")
I know a guy who works there. He thinks it’s pretty funny and I got the feeling they know the slang.
There also used to be a law firm of Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis that had the website [bdsm.com](http://bdsm.com). They sold it to a, well, bdsm site and now they are [burnsdoane.com](http://burnsdoane.com).
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### Author:  [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2002, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-the-term-mofo-mean-anything-to-you/125994/22 "2002-08-29T13:10:40Z")
**Mangetout** , yea, I know it doesn’t have the same letters. You have to imagine an urban teen slurring their words (similar to the ‘jeet’ = ‘did you eat’).
perhaps it’d help if you heard the entire phrase as it was used (mostly) when I heard it:
“mo-fo-ho” ?
otherwise just put it down to those crazy 'Mericans.
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2002, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-the-term-mofo-mean-anything-to-you/125994/23 "2002-08-29T13:20:33Z")
I always thought it had its roots in jive talk from the 1970s … “Jive-ass mofo ain’t so slick as he think!”
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### Author:  [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-the-term-mofo-mean-anything-to-you/125994/24 "2002-08-29T14:56:37Z")
I didn’t know what it meant until about a year ago. Although, now I seem hear it all the time (not always directed at me, fortunately). The U2 song “MoFo” makes so much more sense now.
I’m Australian, FWIW.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2002, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-the-term-mofo-mean-anything-to-you/125994/25 "2002-08-29T15:22:18Z")
Still one of my all-time favorite pages on the web. I’m sending this out to all you Mofos in tha hood.
Sample clip and translation from Airplane.
[http://www.atlantaga.com/ebonser.htm](http://www.atlantaga.com/ebonser.htm)
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### Author:  [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2002, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-the-term-mofo-mean-anything-to-you/125994/26 "2002-08-29T15:28:44Z")
That is some good stuff Scott. I actually used to know a woman who was an insurance adjuster named Robin Chetum. That was her married name and I don’t believe that she planned it.
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### Author:  [@Clever\_Hans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clever_Hans)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2002, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-the-term-mofo-mean-anything-to-you/125994/27 "2002-08-29T16:45:19Z")
Robin has a great opportunity, a son named Dewy Chetum. How gold is that?
As soon as I read thru the OP I had an image of Samuel Jackson picking a lawyer.
“Which lawyer is yours Mr. Jackson?”
“The one that says Bad MOFO.” Though I can’t decide if it should be Pulp Fiction style or with a back up group saying shut your mouth afterwards.
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### Author:  [@rriggstx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rriggstx)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-the-term-mofo-mean-anything-to-you/125994/28 "2002-08-29T17:44:49Z")
Wring -
You have hit upon my favorite noon-time conversation here in Texas:
TX1: Jeet Jet?
TX2: Notch Jet, Ju?
TX1: Sko-weet!
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