Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. Aus.) a general expletive adj.

1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 Jun. 11/2: And as to his being a better man morally, perhaps he is not much worse, for in all other respects but money, he is but a motherless calf of a man, and no more responsible for his actions than a village idiot.
1899		H.E. Hamblen Yarns of Bucko Mate 67: ‘Sleep!’ I roared. ‘Sleep! You motherless lambs! Did you come aboard the Osceola to sleep? Do you think this is the Astor House?’.
1901		Bulletin (Sydney) 21 Sept. 24/2: It had risked its last sprat and missed the mackerel, and local pubs. were deserted as a result of the ‘motherless’ condition of the electors, while shop-keepers stood at their doors and cursed the 20 whose bad play had driven capital out of the suburb.
1949		H.C. Bosman Cold Stone Jug (1981) II 61: If I catch you loafing again I’ll report you to the Governor, you blasted, motherless, cock-eyed sod.
1978		N. Algren ‘Topless in Gaza’ in Entrapment (2009) 251: You motherless alley fink, Bellevue is too good for you!
1965		T. Wolfe ‘The Girl of the Year’ in Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (1966) 205: All that hair flowing down over a coat made of . . . zebra! Those motherless stripes!
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 44: You talkin’ to a man, you motherless sombitch.
1984		W.J. Caunitz One Police Plaza 352: You motherless cocksuckers!
1993		J. Mowry Six Out Seven (1994) 148: Cocksuckin motherless little niggas!
2000		R.G. Barrett Leaving Bondi (2013) [ebook] ‘Keep away, you motherless bastards [...] Fuck off’.
2009		P. Temple Truth 42: Just my dough, Dad, okay? [...] No insurance here, could run stone motherless.

2. (Irish) drunk.

1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 6: Never saw this motherless lush in my life before.
2001		G. Coughlan Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 Motherless (a): drunk.