What is "mother wit"

Mother \Moth"er\, a. Received by birth or from ancestors; native, natural; as, mother language; also acting the part, or having the place of a mother; producing others; originating. It is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived. --T. Arnold. Mother cell (Biol.), a cell which, by endogenous divisions, gives rise to other cells (daughter cells); a parent cell. Mother church, the original church; a church from which other churches have sprung; as, the mother church of a diocese. Mother country, the country of one's parents or ancestors; the country from which the people of a colony derive their origin. Mother liquor (Chem.), the impure or complex residual solution which remains after the salts readily or regularly crystallizing have been removed. Mother queen, the mother of a reigning sovereign; a queen mother. Mother tongue.

1. A language from which another language has had its origin.

2. The language of one's native land; native tongue.

   Mother water. See Mother liquor (above).

   Mother wit, natural or native wit or intelligence.

alt. inborn intelligence; innate good sense. (from 15th c.) n. inborn intelligence; innate good sense. (from 15th c.)

n. sound practical judgment; "I can't see the sense in doing it now"; "he hasn't got the sense God gave little green apples"; "fortunately she had the good sense to run away" [syn: common sense, good sense, gumption, horse sense, sense]