son of a bitch
avoid. This insult, aimed at a man, ricochets off a woman—his mother. There is generally no dearth of good swear words; replacing this expression is a matter of choice. When you want to refer to a person this way, use so-and-so, ignoramus, saphead, stinker, ratfink, snake in the grass, creep, heel, jerk, bum, lowlife. When using the term to describe a difficult job or situation, use instead a tough one, uphill job.
