idioms - What did "your mom did a number on you" mean in Seinfeld?


I remember one episode on Seinfeld, a girl said "did your mother do a number on you" when they were talking about breaking up or not.


This is the sentence reported from the transcript:



LISI: Boy, did your mother do a number on you.



According to Urban Dictionary, its meaning is "treat harshly or damage."


What does that mean, in that context? Did Lisi mean that Seinfeld did not dare to fall in a long term relationship because he had bad childhood memories (his mother treating him badly)? Why is it "do a number on"? (why "a number" and what does "do a number" literally mean?) Which is its origin?



Answer



The statement "your mom did a number on you" is a disparaging remark usually said by women who find some kind of flaw in the men with whom they have a relationship. The flaws may range from the man having an inability to commit to the relationship, a failure to have matured sufficiently (because of the overprotectiveness of the mother), or some other related issue.


It does not necessarily mean that the man had bad childhood memories. It's more of a commentary by a woman on how the training given by another woman (the man's mother) has unsuited the man for a proper relationship with an adult woman.


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