“To have a cow” means to react extremely to bad news. It originated in the 1950s and was popularized by Bart Simpson’s catchphrase “Don’t have a cow, man.” It is used to anticipate an emotional response and is best used in casual situations.
The expression “to have a cow” is said to have originated in the 1950s, although an earlier British expression, “to have kittens”, covered the same territory. The idea is that certain unexpected or bad news could create the same agony and pain as literally giving birth to a cow. There is every chance that the recipient of bad news could react badly, going ballistic or hurting themselves.
Cartoon character Bart Simpson helped popularize this expression with one of his catchphrases, “Don’t have a cow, man.” Because the character was known for his outrageous pranks and flippant attitude towards authority figures, most of his victims were prone to extreme frustration. In some ways, it can be more understandable to have a cow than a hysterical fit, since even the most patient person could lose their temper with the right external motivation.
Sometimes the expression is used in anticipation of an emotional response. You could say the boss will have a cow when he learns what the new employee did to the company car. A parent might have such a reaction if a child fails their assigned curfew. The problem isn’t always the bad news itself, but rather the level of anger or outrage the recipient is about to reach. This is why many people try to defuse the situation by advising those who receive stressful news not to react badly.
The expression is very casual, so it shouldn’t be used in situations where serious empathy or advice would be needed. The advice to “don’t” have one might be best used in circumstances where the initial situation seems worse than it actually is. When a child brings home a bad report card, for example, a parent might react badly at first, but the problem can still be addressed in the long run. There may not be a good way to avoid watching someone who has an extreme response to a problem, but the good news is that the episode is usually short-lived.
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