Mum's the word is a popular English idiom. It is related to an expression used by William Shakespeare, in Henry VI, Part 2. [1] The word "mum" is an alteration of momme, which was used between 1350 and 1400 in Middle English with very close to …

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Mum's the word'? ‘Mum’s the word’ means ‘keep quiet – say nothing’. What's the origin of the phrase 'Mum's the word'? ‘Mum’s the word’ has become a popular name for baby product shops and nursery services, but the …

‘Mum’s the word’ is one of the most used idioms in the English language. We all know what it means but very few of us can see the logic of it in our everyday language and how it is related to our mothers. The phrase has emerged in that form from a line in Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 2 and it means to be quiet, to be silent, not to utter a word.

Oct 29, 2014 · The ‘mum’ of the phrase refers to the humming sound made with a closed mouth, representing an inability or unwillingness to speak. As a word, it can be written as ‘hum’ or ‘mmm’, and it has a long history in the English language, dating all the way back to the influential Middle English poem Piers Plowman , written by William ...

The word “mum” comes from the Middle English “mommen” — a verb meaning “to speak softly or remain silent” — which was coined circa 1400. By the late 15th century, the word “mom” (sometimes spelled “mum”) came to mean “an inarticulate closed-mouth sound,” according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

What Is the Origin of the Saying "Mum's the Word"? The term "mum's the word" means to keep quiet. We're throwing a surprise party. Say nothing. Mum's the word. I don't want anyone to know that I'm pregnant yet, so mum's the word. The word …

“Mum’s the word” is an idiomatic phrase that means to keep a secret or to stay silent about a certain matter. In English, we use it to show the importance of not revealing certain information or discussing a particular topic. In other words, “I have a secret, but you can’t tell anyone.”

Mum is an old word from the 1400s, imitative in origin, and means the sound one makes with closed lips. The word 'mumble' derives from the same etymology. By the 1500s, 'mum' meant refusing to speak or to stay silent, from which the word 'mummer', an actor in …

How did the idiom “ Mums the word ” originate? Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms. Keep quiet. Say nothing.

Mum, with the meaning of silent, is thought to originate in Middle English - the name linguists give to the diverse forms of the English language spoken in England between the Norman invasion in 1066 and about 1470.