Know Your English (Sep 2001)

Know your English

What is the meaning and origin of the term "son of a gun?"

This is an expression that is frequently heard in American English. It is used to express different emotions. It is often used to indicate surprise and shock.
Son of a gun! I can't believe that they actually bombed New York.
The expression is also used to refer to a man who is unpleasant.
I wouldn't go anywhere near Anand. He's a mean son of a gun.
Don't get too friendly with that man. The son of a gun will take advantage of you.
The son of a gun tried to steal from his own parents.
It is also used as a term of endearment. When you refer to someone as ``son of a gun", you are indicating your affection for that person. Here are a few examples.
The little son of a gun got an A in the test.
The son of a gun went out of his way to help me.
As to the origin, well to begin with, the expression ``son of a gun'' was a polite way of referring to an illegitimate child, usually a boy! In the old days, it was standard practice to take women on long voyages. Sometimes these women became pregnant and had the baby on the ship. Usually the maternity ward, if you can call it that, was the midsection of the ship, next to the cannons. Since all deaths and births on a ship had to be recorded, the newborn baby's record was written up as well. If it was not clear who the father of the child was, then next to the father's name, the word ``Gun'' was written &151; referring to the cannon next to which the child was born. Against the child's name, the word ``son'' was written. Hence the expression, ``son of a gun".


Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, September 25, 2001