Episode 274: Mums the Word

 

This week Shauna and Dan speak out against the silence with the phrase, Mums the Word. Bonus: Workers Rights, Charley's Men, and Stokyn Lyppis

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Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast
Episode 274: Mums the Word
Record Date: April 27, 2025
Air Date: April 30, 2025

Intro

Shauna:
Welcome to Bunny Trails, a whimsical adventure of idioms and other turns of phrase.

I’m Shauna Harrison

Dan:
And I’m Dan Pugh

Each week we take an idiom or other turn of phrase and try to tell the story from its entry into the English language, to how it’s used today.

Opening Hook
Imagine you are a kid, and your cool aunt or uncle that doesn’t have any of their own kids has come to visit. You find them in the backyard, eating a snack. In my head, it’s peanut butter M&Ms, but it can be whatever you want. You are not allowed to have any sweets before dinner because mom and dad say it will spoil your dinner. But this person is cool. So you give them your signature look and they know exactly what you want. With a handful of a treat, you start to run away.  But before you do, they look at you with a finger to their lips and quietly say, “Shh… mum’s the word”.

Meaning
Special thanks to listener Jon from Kansas who suggested this phrase. And this is potentially a difficult one, even if you have grown up speaking English, though hopefully I gave enough context clues in the opener that you know how the phrase might be used.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, mum’s the word means:

Quote
keep silent, say nothing
End Quote
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/mum_n1?tab=meaning_and_use#35456124

They also note it is often used as a warning or exhortation. Exhortation is just a term that means to encourage or advise.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhortation

I think it might be best to start off with the word “mum”. I usually hear the word used as a shorthand for the flower, chrysanthemum. Or when someone who was raised in England references their mother. But there are more definitions for this word. Here is the relevant one for this phrase from the Oxford English Dictionary:

Quote
An inarticulate sound made with closed lips, usually as an indication of inability or unwillingness to speak
End Quote
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/mum_n1?tab=meaning_and_use#35456124

The OED notes this goes back as far as a middle english dictionary in the late 1300s.

And in this way, mum is onomatopoetic, which just means the action sounds like the word, such as buzz, hiss, or mum. I was curious if there is a tie between mum and mumble. The Oxford English Dictionary notes:

Quote
Apparently ultimately < an imitative base (compare mum v.) + ‑le suffix  or its Germanic etymon
End Quote
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/mumble_v?tab=etymology#35457915

So yes, likely mumble as an English word comes from mum. The OED also notes there may be connections with words in Middle Dutch, Middle Low German, Old Swedish, and Danish.

So that’s a fun fact early in the show.

Next let’s look at some ways mum was used in phrases to basically mean, “keep quiet”. The Oxford English Dictionary notes early versions included mum for that, no words but mum, to keep mum, to play mum, to sit mum, and mum is counsel. Clearly, “mum” is the focal point in this phrase. I almost said clearly mum IS the word, but I thought that might be a bit too hokey, so I reworded.

~1460
Here’s an example from one of the Towneley Plays which are a cycle of 32 plays preserved in a manuscript from around 1460 by the Towneleys, a Lancashire family. It was intended for production by the guilds of Wakefield, and as such they are sometimes called the Wakefield Plays.
https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/arts/performing/theater/towneley-plays

According to the side notes, added by Alfred W. Pollard in 1847, the passage I’m about to read means “He will have vengeance on Him for His silence.”

Quote
Though thi lyppis be stokyn,
yit myght thou say ‘mom’
End Quote
https://archive.org/details/towneleyplays00unse/page/232/mode/2up?q=stokyn

Which I glad we put it in context, because “thy lips be stokin” definitely feels sexual to me.

1523
Or these uses from 1523 in John Skelton’s work, A Right Delectable Treatise Upon a Goodly Garland or Chaplet of Laurel. He was clearly a fan of the word because he used it twice in this work. The first:

Quote
Men of such matters make but a mumming,
For wisdom and sadness be set out a-sunning
End Quote
https://www.exclassics.com/skelton/skel061.htm#v200

And later:

Quote
She looked haughty, and gave on me a glum:
There was among them no word then but mum
End Quote
https://www.exclassics.com/skelton/skel061.htm#v1110

1540
This next one is from the 1523 play Comedye of Acolastus by Gulielmus Gnapheus, which was translated from Latin to English by John Palsgrave in 1540.

Quote
I dare not to do so moche as put my hande to my mouthe, and saye mum, is counseyle.
End Quote
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/mum_n1?tab=meaning_and_use#35456124

1663
This one is from the 1663 play A Witty Combat: or, The Female Victor by Thomas Porter.

Quote
The Lord knows what, but hear me it is no laughing matter mums the word
End Quote
https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_a-witty-combat-_porter-thomas_1663/page/n27/mode/2up?q=mums+word

So there are tons of examples of this phrase from before the 1700s where it was used in a variety of combinations, but mostly in plays and poems. Now let's move a little forward in time so we can see the phrase being used in other contexts.

1785
This is from a story in The Westminister Magazine for June 1785. The story is called Momus; or, The Laughing Philosopher. The author was credited as Celsissimus.

Quote
… we were giving some jolly toasts, for my friend never forgets church and king, and such like - by the bye I believe his father was a Charley’s man in the year 45, but mums the word - he is my friend, and his wine is unexceptionable…
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Westminster_Magazine_Or_The_Pantheon/994PAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=mums+the+word&pg=PA320&printsec=frontcover

I’m not 100% sure on this, but I think he means his friend’s father was a night watchman - kind of a low-level cop. From what I could tell, Charley or Charlies was a nickname for night watchmen in London. These men patrolled at night to watch for disturbances such as a fire or a break-in. If any of you listeners know more about the subject than I, please feel free to let us know on our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod or email us at bunnytrailspod@gmail.com

1835
Here’s an example of the phrase being used in the 1835 work, A Tale of the Present Times. It was written by Theodore Sedgwick Fay using the pen name Norman Leslie. In it, a man bursts into a room to find a man and a woman in a romantic encounter, causing the woman to run away out of the hall by another door.

Quote
“Well, I do declare,” exclaimed Morton, coming suddenly to a stop at the demure group which he had broken up in the hall - “who was that? Oh ho! Master Gravity - mums the word…
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Norman_Leslie/sfE_AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=mums+the+word&pg=PA115&printsec=frontcover


1894
This one is in a newspaper, the Salt Lake Herald out of the Utah Territory. It would not become a USA state for another two years. The date for our article is June 12, 1894. Our phrase is found in the Political Notes section, which is like a predecessor of social media where people just posted things out there for others to enjoy, or possibly hate. This is a question posed by a person calling themselves a Denver republican, with a response from the newspaper’s staff.

Quote
Last week’s gold exports exceeded $7,300,000. Last year, when the outflow was less than half as large as it now is, all the wise men of the east attributed it wholly to the purchase of silver. What have they to say for themes now, we would like to know? - Denver Republican

They just say, “Mum’s the word,”
End Quote
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1894-06-13/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1756&sort=relevance&date2=1963&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&index=9&words=Mums+word&proxdistance=5&rows=20&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=mums+the+word&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=5

1911
Here’s one from The Daily Gate City out of Iowa, USA. It’s dated May 10, 1911. Our phrase is found in the Notes and Comments section, which is the same thing as we mentioned with our previous citation, only this one isn’t always political. This was a comment about Beryl F. Carroll, the 20th Governor of Iowa, who served from 1906 to 1913.

Quote
On the quiet now, and just between ourselves,” says the Burlington Gazette, “we conceded that Governor Carroll did a good job at Muscatine. But mum’s the word”.
End Quote
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025182/1911-05-10/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1756&sort=relevance&date2=1963&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&index=0&words=mums+word&proxdistance=5&rows=20&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=mums+the+word&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=5

I have to assume the Burlington Gazette was referring to a strike in Muscatine at a pearl button factory that was the hotspot of workers rights during for several months. It seems the Governor sent in the militia in late April to “impose order”. In an article from the Little Village Magazine, they noted:

Quote
In her study of the strike published in Annals of Iowa, Kate Rousamaniere explains it’s hard to reconstruct exactly what went on in the strike, because the “Muscatine News-Tribune, which was sympathetic to the union in the first three months of the strike, abruptly stopped coverage of the labor situation in mid-May.” After May, there were only sporadic stories in the News-Tribune and other Iowa papers.
End Quote
https://littlevillagemag.com/your-village-pearl-button-strike-muscatine-labor-history/

Which means with no free press covering the story, the strike was effectively over in the minds of everyone who wasn’t near Muscatine, despite the strike not coming to an end until 1912. We’ll look more into what happened in Muscatine, Iowa in 1911 in our Behind the Scene video, which airs every Friday on our Patreon. That’s patreon.com/bunnytrailspod

1953
Here’s one is from The Northwest Times, based in Washington, USA (for you folks not in the USA, Washington is the State in the pacific northwest, Washington, DC is the Nation’s capital, located on the east coast). This article is dated October 17, 1953. The headline of the article is where we find our phrase:

Quote
‘Mums’ the Word: Chrysanthemum Show Booked
End Quote
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86071999/1953-10-17/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1940&index=6&rows=20&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=Mums+Word&proxdistance=5&date2=1963&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=mums+the+word&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

This is fun because Mums the Word is a phrase that English speaking people would know as a phrase, but it is being used here to refer to the flower show. I mentioned at the top that Mum is short for chrysanthemum.


One more thing before we head to the break. That newspaper we just heard from, The Northwest Times, billed itself as The Only All-English Nisei Newspaper in The Pacific Northwest. Nisei, according to the Densho Encyclopedia, is:

Quote
Term for the children of Japanese immigrants, originating from the Japanese language term for "second generation." In the American context, the term is generally understood to apply specifically to the American-born—and thus U.S. citizen—children of Japanese immigrants who arrived prior to the cessation of Japanese immigration to the U.S. under the dictates of the Immigration Act of 1924. The bulk of Nisei were thus children or young adults during World War II. "Nisei" also implies being raised in the U.S. and speaking English as a first language, with a separate term—Kibei Nisei or just Kibei—applied to those who were born in the U.S. but mostly raised or educated in Japan.
End Quote
https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Nisei/

Another cool fact for you.

With that, it’s time to move to our more modern uses but first we need to say thank you to our sponsors.

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Modern Uses

2001
Mum’s the Word is a smooth, instrumental jazz song by Fattburger off the 2001 album T.G.I.F.

We used to have a smooth jazz station in Wichita around this time, so I have probably heard it. And I love smooth jazz. But it does sound like a lot of smooth jazz from the time. Check it out for yourself on our Patreon or grab the link from the show notes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47lTj-jJcxE

2004
Mum’s the Word is a 2004 book by Kate Collins. It is the first book in the Flower Shop Mysteries series. The protagonist, Abby Knight, dropped out of law school and now owns a hometown flower shop. But she has an eye for mystery. Here is the synopsis from the authors website:

Quote
So maybe Abby's life isn't the bed of roses she was hoping it would be. She adores her job, but a new low-cost competitor is killing her profits - and a black SUV just rammed her vintage Corvette in a hit-and-run. Determined to track down the driver, she accepts the help of hunky ex-cop Marco Salvare. But their budding relationship is threatened when the trail turns deadly. Now Abby is caught in a tangle of menacing phone calls, police corruption, and murderous road rage. If she's not careful, the next flower arrangement might be for her own funeral....
End Quote
https://www.katecollinsbooks.com/mum-s-the-word

By the way, that series was turned into a 2015 Hallmark Mystery tv show starring Brooke Shields. So, it must have been a pretty good book series. We’ll link to the youtube trailer on Patreon and in the show notes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxjE5zr03jc

2008
Mum’s the Word is a 2008 book by Kate Lawson. Here is the synopsis from the publisher:

Quote
Whoever said life began at 40 was dead right…
A riotous romantic comedy about never-ending motherhood, second chances and growing old disgracefully.

What do you do when:
Mr Could Do Worse dumps you on the very night you think he's going to propose?
Your twenty-something son turns up on your doorstep, with a broken heart and dirty washing in tow?
You find out you're going to be a granny – at 45?
Your son's maybe ex-girlfriend's father starts making wickedly naughty suggestions?
Your ex's new bit of stuff wants to become your new best friend?
Your 70-year-old father is dating someone young enough to be your sister?
You make the same mistakes you made in your twenties two whole decades later?
You can't get the one person you want out of your head?

You grab the vodka and wonder if you're too old for all this crap…
End Quote
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/mums-the-word-kate-lawson?variant=42826421960738

2020
Mum’s the Word is an interactive documentary, directed by Colin Scheyen, that was released in 2020. I’ll head to the website for the synopsis:

Quote
Mum's the word is a old expression that means to say nothing; don't reveal a secret.

Our project, Mum's The Word, is an interactive documentary on the history and legacy of the adoption mandate in Canada as seen through the eyes of those who lived it and those who still feel it today. In the post-war period, approximately 350,000 women throughout Canada were coerced into giving their "illegitimate children” up for adoption by churches, social workers, government agencies, and sometimes their own families. The impact and stigma that this mandate created is only beginning to be understood today.

We intend to share the stories and lived experiences of mothers and adoptees from across Canada who were denied their basic human rights. By telling these stories we hope to share their knowledge and lived experiences and give space to those who have been denied it for far too long.
End Quote
https://mumsthewordthefilm.com/about

That’s a heavy subject, but a story that deserves to be told.

2024
The next one is an artwork called Mum’s the Word by the artist Wencke Uhl. It is an acrylic, oil and gold leaf on high quality canvas stretcher. It is finished off with a soft glossy varnish. It features two women, with one whispering something in the other's ear. There is no description of this work, but I’ll read part of the bio of the author that might help inform the viewing.


Quote
Wencke Uhl is a contemporary figurative artist living and working in Germany.

Uhl draws inspiration from human beauty and the female form. As a teenager she wanted to become a fashion designer and her fashion-forward aesthetic continues to shine alongside the deliberate and differentiated elements that define the vivacious and independent nature of her subjects. Uhl still likes to “dress” women in shapes and patterns, but her focus shifted from the purely fashion-oriented to including elements of storytelling.

Her works capture a situation, a moment, or an expression. Playing with concepts of identity and self-image they're reflecting the vibrant pop culture and mood of today’s transitional time. Emancipation, diversity, equality, and liberty are a natural and inherent part of her idea of how the world should be. Consequently, she is usually drawn to subjects displaying a certain independence, strength, and nonchalance. Freed of the male gaze, Uhl celebrates femininity by capturing images of powerful women that have their own agenda and that defy objectification and subordination.
End Quote
https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Mum-s-the-Word/1202345/11570829/view

Current
Mums the Word is a costumed jam band. I’ll let them tell you about them in their own words from their website, mumsthewordmusic.com

Quote
Mums The Word is a costumed jam band from Philadelphia and South Jersey.  Staying true to their eclectic nature, they play a mix of funk, rock 'n' roll, hip-hop, reggae, and draw inspiration from many genres.

Their three primary influences include: The Grateful Dead, Parliament Funkadelic, and Frank Zappa. Led by a powerful and energetic group of vocalists, the driving percussion, bass, guitars, and keys create a world of sound both exciting and colorful. This rich, improvisational blend of sound provides the perfect canvas for dance and flow arts to create a truly unique live experience. Always engaging the crowd, their newest addition:  The Bally Girls Dance Team has elevated the experience to a new level!
End Quote
https://www.mumsthewordmusic.com/about

Wrap Up
This one was such a fun thing to research. I always assumed it had something to do with the British slang term for mothers, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn more about the word mum going back to middle english. Now that I know how this phrase came about, I think I’m going to start using it more often.

Dan:
That’s about all we have for today. If you have any thoughts on the show, or pop culture references we should have included,
reach out to us on Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod or comment on our website bunnytrailspod.com

Shauna:
It’s poll time!

Recently we asked our patrons, Fake Plants or Real Plants?

Real plants was the runaway winner, with several saying they have a healthy mix of both real and fake.

Heather said:

Quote
I have an indoor herb garden and I like real plants outdoors. I have plans to put a raised garden bed in my backyard. But lately I've been getting into the LEGO flower line. So far I have made the cherry blossoms, and plan to get more.
End Quote

Cheryl added:

Quote
At the moment both but I keep killing the live plants except my Jade. So I'll be switching to artificial except the jade and the ones in my crested's terrarium
End Quote

Dan:
Jan said:

Quote
About 15 years ago on a road near Harlingen, TX, I bought an aloe plant at a fruit stand. That’s split into about 10 aloe plants. I’ve got those, plus a miniature pine, our poinsettia from last year, a mandarin sapling and several plants I have no idea what they are.
End Quote

And JGP comes in with the dissenting, though practical, opinion:

Quote
Neither for me. Real plants require a green thumb which I lack, fake ones require dusting which I hate doing, and both require better trained cats than my furry beasts are willing to be.
End Quote

Which makes sense. I opt for real plants because I am bad about dusting in general. My real plants are outdoors, though. Some are potted, but most are directly in the ground or in a slightly raised bed. But I don’t have any pets to destroy them.

Shauna:
I think I would be called a plant lady? ... I have dozens, from Aloe to ZZ. A few of my favorites in between: birkin, monstera, moses in the cradle, paraíso verde, ring of fire, silver pothos. One day, I will live in the rainforest - and perhaps then - I will feel like I have enough plants with me. Lol!

As a reminder, our silly polls mean absolutely nothing and are not scientifically valid. And patrons of all levels, including our free tiers, can take part. Head over to patreon.com/bunnytrailspod to take this week’s poll!

Outro

Shauna:
Thanks for joining us. We’ll talk to you again next week. Until then remember,

Together:
Words belong to their users.