For those unfamiliar with this classic slang term, it means a man who is a bit of as scamp or rascal. In some cases, it acted as a more acceptable version of “son of a b****”. The most accepted explanation for the origin of the phrase comes from the Royal Navy. Although it was against the rules, women were fairly common on warships during the age of sailing ships. When a ship was in port, the officers usually looked the other way when prostitutes came aboard to provide entertainment. Below decks could be pretty risqué. Some of the trysts took place on the gun deck where the cannons provided some amount of privacy. When the ships went to sea, some of the women might remain aboard. No longer as prostitutes, but more likely as “wives” of some of the seamen. Naturally, on these long voyages, pregnancies ensued. Some of the labor may have been in locations similar to where the conception occurred. Regardless of where the baby was born, a new member of the crew would be recorded on the ship’s roll as a “son of a gun”. Originally, the term was used for any son of a military man (“a soldier’s brat”), but soon it became more of an insult. Here is part of a comical poem from 1726.
You Apollo’s son,
You’re a son of a gun,
Made up with bamboozle,
You directly I’ll puzzle;
https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/son-of-a-gun-origins?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_a_gun
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