Don't have a cow

Don't have a cow

Don't have a cow is a humorous cautionary phrase, dating from the late 1950s at least, possibly of US origin. The metaphoric warning means "don't get so worked up." If one pauses to reflect on the physical aspects of a human being giving birth to a full-grown cow, one can see what this phrase alludes to in terms of emotional expressiveness. Prior to "Don't have a cow," the phrase was "Don't have kittens" (or "Don't have a cat"). A variation in the past tense is also used when someone has already become worked up, e.g. "She had a cow when she found out he'd been smoking."

Bart Simpson used the phrase "Don't have a cow, man!" as a catchphrase in early episodes of The Simpsons. Shaggy Rogers from Scooby Doo uses this phrase often.

References


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  • don't have a cow — don t become so excited or angry, chill out)    Do you want a punch in the nose? Now, Ralph, don t have a cow …   English idioms

  • Don’t have a cow! — exclam. Calm down!; Don’t get so excited! (Made famous in the television show, The Simpsons.) □ Chill out, man! Don’t have a cow! □ Aw, don’t have a cow, dad! …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • have a cow — informal become angry, excited, or agitated don t have a cow it s no big deal * * * have a cow slang : to become very angry, upset, etc. Don t have a cow! I said I d take care of the problem and I will. • • • Main Entry: ↑cow * * * …   Useful english dictionary

  • have a cow — Vrb phrs. To have fit of anger, emotionally lose control. Often heard in don t have a cow. Orig U.S …   English slang and colloquialisms

  • have a cow — See don t have a cow …   English idioms

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