soccer mom

soccer mom

cliché A mother, usually middle-class and especially living in the suburbs, who spends a disproportionate amount of time driving her children to and picking them up from various athletic events and extracurricular activities (such as soccer). Primarily heard in US. I was a little resistant to giving up my career and becoming this stereotypical soccer mom, but I've actually come to love it. I just find that I have nothing in common with all the soccer moms in my neighborhood who have no lives outside of their children's schedules.

See also: mom

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

soccer mom

A middle-class suburban woman who spends a significant amount of her time transporting her children to various activities. Originating in the late twentieth century, the term came into widespread use during the 1996 U.S. presidential election, when it was suggested that Democratic candidate Bill Clinton was targeting soccer moms for their votes. Today the term is sometimes used pejoratively, suggesting that such women overschedule their children in multiple activities. California’s Town Crier ran an article by Nicole Miller headed “How Not to Be That Soccer Mom,” warning about the overinvolvement of parents (August 24, 2010).

See also: mom

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer