MILF#Negotiations

File:Jennifer Coolidge - Cropped.jpg, whose character in American Pie helped popularize the term "MILF"]]

MILF ({{IPAc-en|m|ɪ|l|f}}, as if read as "milf") is an acronym that stands for "mother I'd like to fuck".{{cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/milf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014060407/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/milf|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 October 2016|title=MILF, Definition of MILF in English by Oxford Dictionaries|website=Oxford Dictionaries|publisher=Oxford University Press}}{{cite book |last=Press |first=Cambridge University |url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgelearner00camb |title=Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary |date=10 April 2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9783125179882 |url-access=registration |via=Google Books}} This abbreviation is usually

used in colloquial English instead of the whole phrase. It connotes an older woman, typically one with children, considered sexually attractive.{{cite web |title=MILF Meaning |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/milf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805143132/https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/milf |archive-date=Aug 5, 2018 |website=Cambridge Dictionary |publisher=Cambridge University Press}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fdp4CwAAQBAJ&q=milf+dictionary+sexually+attractive+woman+who+is+a+mother&pg=PA423|title=Professional Learner'S Dictionary of Spoken English | first=Rajendra Kumar | last=Dash | date=1 December 2015|publisher=PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.|isbn=9788120352254 |via=Google Books}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=neVBmSyNRnEC&q=milf+dictionary+sexually+attractive+woman+who+is+a+mother&pg=PA660|title=The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English|first=Tom|last=Dalzell|date=25 July 2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1134194780|via=Google Books}} A related term is "cougar", which suggests an older woman in active pursuit of a sexual relationship with younger men.

History

Linguist Laurel A. Sutton states that MILF was one of nine terms for "attractive women" collected from undergraduates at a large linguistics class at Berkeley in the spring of 1992. Typical users would be "college students from East Contra Costa, California".{{cite book |last1=Sutton |first1=Laurel A. |chapter=Bitches and Skankly Hobags |pages=279–296 |editor1-last=Hall |editor1-first=Kira |editor2-last=Bucholtz |editor2-first=Mary |title=Gender Articulated: Language and the Socially Constructed Self |date=1995 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-91398-0 |language=en}} The term was widely popularized by the film American Pie (1999), where John Cho's character (simply credited as "MILF Guy No. 2") used the term to refer to Jennifer Coolidge's character Jeanine Stifler.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163651/characters/nm0158626 |title=John Cho: John, 'MILF' Guy #2 |website=IMDb |access-date=January 11, 2019}}{{cite web |last=Bonner |first=Mehera |date=October 31, 2011 |title=Flashback Video: Jennifer Coolidge as a MILF in American Pie |url=http://www.wetpaint.com/flashback-video-jennifer-coolidge-as-a-milf-in-american-pie-493488/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112095035/http://www.wetpaint.com/flashback-video-jennifer-coolidge-as-a-milf-in-american-pie-493488/ |archive-date=Jan 12, 2019 |access-date=January 11, 2019 |website=Wetpaint}} American Pie screenwriter Adam Herz clarified that he did not invent the phrase.{{Cite news |last=Yahr |first=Emily |date=January 30, 2023 |title=The story behind 'MILF Manor,' the reality show that seems like a fever dream |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2023/01/30/milf-manor-reality-show/ |newspaper=Washington Post}}

A 2007 article in New York magazine stated the evidence that the term had become mainstream included "25,000-plus MILF-branded mugs and tees on Café Press to a rash of hot-mama books (The Hot Mom's Handbook, Confessions of a Naughty Mommy, The MILF Anthology), television shows (Desperate Housewives, The Real Housewives of Orange County, the forthcoming contest "Hottest Mom in America", and a pilot in development called MILF & Cookies), and, of course, a concomitant porn genre".{{cite web |url=https://nymag.com/news/features/2007/sexandlove/30915/ |title=Of MILF and Men |author=Em & Lo |date=24 October 2007 |work=New York |access-date=12 January 2018}}

Some media outlets found the expression offensive to women, and suggested replacing it with WHIP, coined by Bibi Lynch, which stands for "women who are hot, intelligent and in their prime".{{cite web |last=Ruiz |first=Michelle |date=28 August 2017 |title=This Just In: WHIPs Are the New MILFs |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/whips-are-the-new-milfs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912143231/https://www.vogue.com/article/whips-are-the-new-milfs |archive-date=2022-09-12 |accessdate=2022-09-12 |publisher=Vogue}}{{cite web |last=Hosie |first=Rachel |date=29 August 2017 |title=WHIPs: The new empowering acronym to take on MILFs |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/whips-milfs-what-is-it-older-women-sex-prime-bibi-lynch-cougars-a7917901.html |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912143231/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/whips-milfs-what-is-it-older-women-sex-prime-bibi-lynch-cougars-a7917901.html |archive-date=2022-09-12 |accessdate=2022-09-12 |work=The Independent}}

Similar terms

The term yummy mummy is also used along with MILF. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term as "an attractive and stylish young mother".{{Cite web |title=yummy mummy |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/yummy-mummy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102083448/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/yummy-mummy |archive-date=2 January 2014 |access-date=16 July 2016 |website=Oxford Dictionaries |publisher=Oxford University Press}}

Although not yet as widespread in popular culture at large, the forms DILF (for "dad/daddy I'd like to fuck") or FILF (for "father I'd like to fuck") are used among androphiles to refer to a sexually attractive older man{{cite web |last=Mills |first=Simon |date=27 April 2016 |title=How to Be a DILF |url=http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/the-gq-guide-to-dilfs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103230257/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/the-gq-guide-to-dilfs |archive-date=Nov 3, 2022 |work=GQ}} who is likely a father.

The terms GILF{{cite web|url=https://mtltimes.ca/news/dating-an-older-woman/|title=Dating an older woman|date=18 May 2022 |publisher=The Montreal Times|accessdate=2022-09-12}} (for "granny I'd like to fuck") and silver fox refer to attractive, highly-sexual older women (55+), regardless of child-bearing status.

In popular culture

In 2002, a resident of the U.S. state of Washington applied for a vanity license plate reading "GOTMILF", a parody of the "Got Milk?" advertising slogan. This plate was approved (the applicant claimed MILF meant "manual inline lift fluctuator"), but it was later cancelled after complaints were filed against it.{{cite web|title=End of Road For GOTMILF License Plate|url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/end-road-gotmilf-license-plate|work=the smoking gun|access-date=19 June 2012|date= 21 July 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022051924/https://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/end-road-gotmilf-license-plate|archive-date=22 October 2023|url-status=live}}

In December 2007, low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines ran a controversial advertising campaign, using MILFs to promote their tropical destinations, based on a different acronym: "Many Islands, Low Fares".{{Cite news| url=http://www.anna.aero/2008/08/15/fort-lauderdales-spirit-in-the-sky/| title=Fort Lauderdale's Spirit in the sky| date=15 August 2008| publisher=anna.aero}} In January 2009, Spirit ran the campaign again.{{cite episode |title=Over the Line? |series=The O'Reilly Factor |series-link=The O'Reilly Factor |network=Fox News Channel |airdate=2007-12-11 |transcript=Over the Line? |transcript-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217175542/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316578,00.html}}

In 2013, an apparel company, True & Co., parodied the phrase in advertising for its line of brassieres, converting it to "Mom I'd Like to Fit". The campaign garnered negative attention.{{cite news |last1=Moran |first1=Lee |date=2 May 2013 |title=Lingerie chain's 'MILF'-themed ad campaign sparks anger |work=Daily News |location=New York |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/company-milf-themed-bra-ads-sparks-anger-article-1.1333056 |url-status=live |access-date=2 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725064126/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/company-milf-themed-bra-ads-sparks-anger-article-1.1333056 |archive-date=Jul 25, 2015}}

SMILF is an American comedy television series starring, created, written and directed by Frankie Shaw on Showtime. It is based on Shaw's short film of the same title.{{cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=August 8, 2017 |title='White Famous' & 'SMILF' Get Premiere Dates On Showtime – TCA |url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/white-famous-smilf-premiere-dates-trailers-showtime-1202144353/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808022204/https://deadline.com/2017/08/white-famous-smilf-premiere-dates-trailers-showtime-1202144353/ |archive-date=August 8, 2017 |access-date=August 8, 2017 |website=Deadline}} The series' name, SMILF, is a play on the term "MILF", with the "S" standing for "single"{{cite web |last=Barsanti |first=Sam |date=11 May 2017 |title=The 'S' stands for 'single' in new Showtime comedy SMILF |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-s-stands-for-single-in-new-showtime-comedy-smil-1798261746 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814193249/https://www.avclub.com/the-s-stands-for-single-in-new-showtime-comedy-smil-1798261746 |archive-date=Aug 14, 2022 |access-date=October 21, 2017 |website=The A.V. Club}} or "Southie" (a nickname for South Boston, Massachusetts), or both.{{cite magazine |last1=Wilson |first1=Adam |date=November 12, 2007 |title=The Southie in 'SMILF,' a Very Boston Comedy |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-southie-in-smilf-a-very-boston-comedy |url-status=live |magazine=The New Yorker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715210536/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-southie-in-smilf-a-very-boston-comedy |archive-date=15 July 2018 |access-date=15 July 2018 |url-access=limited}}

In 2016, Fergie released the song "M.I.L.F. $" as well as an accompanying video featuring numerous famous mothers.{{Cite magazine |last=Van Amburg |first=Jessie |date=July 5, 2016 |title=Fergie, Chrissy Teigen, Ciara and Other Moms Just Redefined 'MILF' |url=https://time.com/4393118/fergie-milf-money-video/ |url-status=live |magazine=TIME |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203232923/https://time.com/4393118/fergie-milf-money-video/ |archive-date=December 3, 2021 |access-date=December 3, 2021 |url-access=registration}}{{Cite web|last=Stone|first=Natalie|date=July 1, 2016|title=Watch Fergie's "M.I.L.F. $" Music Video Featuring Kim Kardashian, Ciara|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/watch-fergies-milf-music-video-908129/|website=The Hollywood Reporter}}

The 2018 French comedy film MILF is about three childhood friends who become MILFs, seducing three young men.{{cite web |last1=Mintzer |first1=Jordan |title='MILF': Film Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/milf-review-1115244 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=27 January 2019 |language=en |date=29 June 2018}}