this saying has its origins in the 70s love movement and was made really famous by Cheech & Chong in the 80s through their marijuanha films.
It does not mean OMG or awesome. It's a stand-alone phrase, usually preceding the phrase that will describe the object or situation that's freaking you out, blowing you away or leaving you at a loss for words.
It's present tense, denoting something that's actually happening and feels like it is beyond incredible.
Holy mother of pearl! Look at those tender young asses(on the beach);- cops in helicopter shadowing Cheech & Chong.
Holy mother of pearl! That's some serious shit.
Holy mother of pearl! That's one strong fuckin drink.
Holy mother of pearl! Did you see that?(a flying dog playing a guitar and shooting laserbeams from its eyes)
A spaceship appearing over London would leave you speechless, probably only with the ability to utter the words 'holy mother of pearl.'
Nickname given to bales of marijuana thrown overboard or out of airplanes. Origin is reportedly from members of the USCoast Guard in the area of Southern Florida.
"Base we've got some square groupers floating outside of Miami harbor."
A sunburn or suntan focused on the left arm. It is caused by the left side of the body being the only half that gets exposed to sunlight while driving. Presumably, it would be located on the right side of the body in countries where they drive on the left side of the road.
I had a trucker's tan after driving for 10 straight hours on a sunny day.