581. IDIOMS: MUM’S THE WORD!

Mum’s the word 

     Mum’s the word is an admonition to keep something quiet, to keep something secret, to remain silent.

     The word mum to mean silent is related to the word mummer, which is a type of entertainment from Medieval times. Mummers performed dances, games or plays in silence. Therefore, the ‘mum’ of ‘mum’s the word’ is ‘mmm’ – the humming sound made with a closed mouth, indicating an unwillingness or inability to speak.

     In Shakespeare’s play Henry VI, Part 2 written in 1592 we find: “Seal up your lips and give no words but mum.” In this case, the word mum has no relation to the word mummy or Mum, a name for mother.

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