noun Street Slang 18+

how's your father

HOWZ-yuh-FAH-thuh · noun · informal

Mature Content May contain explicit language some viewers may find offensive. Intended for adults.

Definitions

by community

British music-hall catchphrase attributed to comedian Harry Tate, early 20th century.

Variants how's yer father

What does 'how's your father' mean?

It's a jokey British euphemism for sexual activity or hanky-panky, and can also loosely mean 'stuff' or messing about.

Where does 'how's your father' come from?

It's traced to an early 20th-century music-hall catchphrase associated with comedian Harry Tate.

Is 'how's your father' rude?

It's cheeky rather than crude — the whole point is that it hints at sex without saying so directly.