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going to the mattresses

Prepare for a battle or adopt a warlike stance.

In times of war or siege, Italian families would vacate their homes and rent apartments in safer areas. In order to protect themselves they would hire soldiers to sleep on the floor in shifts.

Ordinarily we would want to verify such stories before publishing them here as part of a phrase derivation. In this case though it isn't really important. The meaning of the phrase turns on the association in Italian folk-memory of mattresses with safety in wartime. The phrase wasn't well known outside of the USA and Italy prior to the Godfather movies. It was used there, and later in The Sopranos television series, to mean 'preparing for battle'. Whether or not the stories that originated it are true doesn't alter the fact that the screenwriters of those films used them in that context.
"That Sonny's runnin' wild. He's thinkin'a going to the mattresses already."

Mainly popularized by the film, "The Godfather."
by icanjuggle2 March 17, 2010
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Mattress Mamboo

MOCO: It's mattress mamboo time!!!

Lisa: Yeah yeah!!!
by MOCO & P-Phat May 29, 2009
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mattress-stabber

"When I awoke this morning, I was sleeping face-down and had a raging mattress-stabber. I hope my water bed isn't leaking."
by dymebag dave June 11, 2009
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heroin mattress

Sitting on the floor shooting up then slowly sliding down on to the heroin mattress as you lose consciousness.

The floor in a crash pad or notorious junkies squat that many use as a bed after getting on.
Dave had a big taste tonight and he will be sleeping on the heroin mattress.
by Wimberley December 4, 2009
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mattress actress

A prostitute; in particular one who will vocally and physically simulate orgasmic pleasure for her clients.
Jade, the coutesan, is renowned for being a high class mattress actress for those who can afford her services.
by fiery69 May 17, 2006
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as pissed as a mattress

Sufficiently drunk to be able to speak in tongues, roll eyes, disable the beer GPS, have taxi drivers take one to the police, break ankles, shag your manager (or someone elses)and ultimately become mpp. Only excuse is "I have to go somewhere, and do something" Anyway...
"He would not have luged the stairs if he was not as pissed as a mattress"
"I (he, she or it) was as pissed as a mattress last night"
"Must be MPP, pissed as a mattress when I left him"
"Pyromaniac? No, just pissed as a mattress"
"No, I didn't do that, must have been pissed as a mattress"
"Don't hit me again, Officer"
by Taipei toecutter June 1, 2006
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pissed as your nans mattress

nans mattress, pisseds aS
After a bottol of bailys you will be as pissed as your nans mattress
by Ed Jackson February 6, 2004
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