One interesting early example of Who’s your daddy? comes from the 1850s in a story about Uncle Sam (yes, that Uncle Sam) who tells off some rowdy young Irishmen in New York: “Did’nt I give you every foot of land you own, you rebellious rascals?… who’s your daddy, hey?” Uncle Sam, here, is being semi-literal but still rhetorical, reminding the lads who’s boss. Daddy as slang for male lover is found in the early 1900s and still calls up sexual dominance today. As early as 1681, there’s evidence of daddy referring to pimps. Records from the early 17th century show daddy being used for any controlling and older figure, regardless of biology. Who’s your daddy? is a slang expression used to show dominance over someone else in an aggressive, playful, or sexual way.ĭaddy goes way back.
