The Evolution and Origins of Phrases How Now Brown Cow and Don't Have a Cow

Early elocution teachings

How now brown cow originated as a phrase used in elocution lessons to teach people how to pronounce the “ow” diphthong correctly. Wikipedia traces “How now brown cow” to an elocution manual published in 1926. It was commonly used in pronunciation elocution exercises to teach students proper enunciation and the articulation of different sounds.

Popularized through song

In the same year, a song called “How Now Brown Cow” debuted at an English revue called R.S.V.P. which was the first production to play at the grand reopening of the London Vaudeville Theatre. This seemingly cemented “how now brown cow” in popular culture as it was featured in a popular theatrical revue. The song helped spread the phrase beyond classrooms and into broader public awareness.

References in literature and film

Originally, American writer Gertrude Stein wrote “have a cow” meaning to have an orgasm in her writings. However, it was director John Hughes who popularized the phrase “don’t have a cow” through his 1980s films like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club. In these films, the expression was used by characters to mean having an overblown reaction or fit. Hughes helped establish “don’t have a cow” in teen slang and youth culture through his movies.

Usage in The Simpsons

The popular animated sitcom, The Simpsons, further spread the phrase to wider audiences through Bart Simpson’s well-known catchphrase “don’t have a cow, man!”. As one of the most iconic animated characters, Bart’s exclamations disseminated many phrases into common lingo. His line referencing John Hughes films cemented the expression’s association with having an outrageous outburst.

Connections to idioms

Interestingly, both phrases are connected to the meaning of idioms about barnyard animals. “How now brown cow” relates to the idiom about not closing the barn door after the horses are out. While “don’t have a cow” brings to mind the idiom about the cat being out of the bag or a secret being revealed. These idiomatic influences demonstrate how language can evolve from source materials over time.

Modern usages

Today, “how now brown cow” survives primarily in stories about linguistic origins but holds little conversational usage. Meanwhile, thanks to its popularization in 1980s films, “don’t have a cow” remains part of the cultural zeitgeist and in the vocabularies of millennial generational slang. It maintainsrelevance as a lighthearted way to tell someone not to freak out or get too bent out of shape.

Enduring legacy in language

While their origins and earliest meanings differ, the curious phrases “how now brown cow” and “don’t have a cow” demonstrate how expressions can transform through multiple cultural transmittals over decades. From elocution lessons to songs, films and television, their evolutions illustrate language’s continuous flux and a testament to iconic works that help shape the development of idioms and slang in living tongues.