‘Sock it to me’ has a life of its own

How did the term “sock it to me” come to be, and who was the first person to utter it? 

Historians, linguists and lexicographers have done the research. They concur that early on “socking it” to someone usually involved striking a blow. 

During the Civil War, Union Gen. Philip Henry Sheridan reportedly counseled Gen. William H. Emory in 1864 at the Battle of Cedar Creek, Va., to “sock it to them, and to give them the devil.”

General Sheridan 

American author Mark Twain used a form of the expression more figuratively in “Life on the Mississippi,” published in 1883. 

Twain quoted a New Orleans undertaker who overcharged for coffins. “A rich man won’t have anything but your very best,” the undertaker said, “and you can just pile it on, too – pile it on and sock it to him.”

 Mark Twain

The phrase “sock it to me” in the 20th century came to mean: “Give it to me straight-up, factually and bluntly…with no sugar-coating.” 

In the music business, we find “sock it to me” in the lyrics of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, beginning with the group’s 1966 rendition of “Devil in the Blue Dress.” The band had a big hit in 1967 with “Sock It to Me, Baby!” 

An early novelty recording in 1966 was “Sock It to Me, Santa” by Bob Seger. 

The “sock it to me” phrase was popularized by Aretha Franklin in 1967 with “Respect.” She took the song written by Otis Redding and added the “sock it to me” lines to the arrangement. The rapid-fire refrain was sung almost as a doo-wop effect by the background singers who were Aretha’s sisters, Carolyn and Erma.

 Ben Zimmer of The Wall Street Journal said Franklin’s song is what prompted “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” to pick up the “sock it to me” expression. “Producer George Schlatter recalled a family car ride when the song came on the radio. His wife, Jolene Brand, said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if you could do that (sock it to me) on the air?’” 

The "Sock It To Me Girls" of Laugh-In: Judy Carne, Goldie Hawn and Chelsea Brown

“Schlatter said he was convinced of the phrase’s appeal when he heard their 5-year-old daughter, Maria, singing along in the back seat with the ‘sock it to me’ refrain.” (Today, Maria Schlatter is an Emmy award winning television producer.)