I learned that this phrase came at a time when Bill Gates was introducing the first version of Microsoft Office. In fact he first said "Excel to your mother" but that did not catch on. He did try "PowerPoint to your mother" but that was a dismal failure. The change to "Word to your mother" somehow caught on and when a friend asked him about word processing because the friend's mom was behind the times as a secretary and needed help.
When asked what should I buy mom for Christmas. My dad said "WORD TO YOUR MOTHER" It did not work out really well because she did not have a computer.
by The Bulldg September 25, 2015