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<p>Oh, I know. I lived there. I wasn’t surprised but amused. I think it’s cool he can refer to his partner as his husband :).</p>
<p>I’ve never thought about these terms before but now that I think about it, one of the Chinese terms for wife, translated literally, means “old lady.”</p>
<p>“Love Slave” is the one I use. That or “Honey.”</p>
<p>I don’t mind wife or housewife.</p>
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<p>The Chinese were ahead of their time. “Old lady” was the term the hippies used.</p>
<p>I will NEVER forget the time in college when a buddy of my boyfriend introduced me to ANOTHER buddy by saying, “John, this is XXXX’s babe”. :(</p>
<p>Spouse, wife, life partner all the same thing. Emphasis on life partner. Meaning that there is a committment. I too hate that little lady or worse my generation’s “old lady”.</p>
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<p>My impression is that girls secretly like it when introduced like that.</p>
<p>On an unrelated note, it makes people less independent when they identify themselves as “bf/gf/partner of ________” as the first thing they say in an introduction (but many of them like being less independent). This applies to virtual introductions as well, where a Facebook profile pic shows them with their partner. I would never do something like that.</p>
<p>Connie Schultz, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, spoke at Oberlin’s commencement this year. She was great! Spoke about the importance of recognizing contributions from everyday working people throughout your life. </p>
<p>She’s also the wife of Ohio’s U.S. Senator. So it’s amusing that her autobiographical book of columns is called, “And His Lovely Wife.” You can imagine how often she hears herself introduced this way in public.</p>
<p>I know, right. Why can’t they say instead that “______, the Ohio U.S. Senator, is her husband”?</p>
<p>Perry Mason (?) says that the ‘wife’ can not testify against you. Does that apply to the ‘husband’ too?</p>
<p>THIS IS NOT A LEGAL OPINION. Not a simple answer and you would need to check it out yourself to be sure. </p>
<p>State evidence rules can provide a privilege that applies to statements between spouses. Some make it the privilege of the one from whom the testimony is sought, i.e. H can refuse to answer if asked about what W said and visa versa. Some make it a privilege of the other spouse so that W can bar H from testifying about what W said, even if otherwise H was willing to testfy. </p>
<p>I think in federal court uses this second rule, but you’d need to have your lawyer check it out.</p>
<p>“My impression is that girls secretly like it when introduced like that.”</p>
<p>That MAY be true in the case of “John, this is Doubleplay, Jimmy’s babe”.
But not in the case of, “John, this is Jimmy’s babe.”</p>
<p>IOW, I don’t have a name???</p>
<p>Doubleplay,
Yes, it’s Ofjimmy (if you’ve read The Handmaid’s Tale, which is probably the most chilling book I’ve ever read…)</p>
<p>My sister’s husband once (and only once) introduced her as “the wife”. She promptly turned and intrtroduced the guest to “the fridge”, “the oven”, “the chair”. etc.</p>
<p>Am glad ‘old lady’ faded in recent decades. Always felt a bit degrading, and more so as us boomers start to fit the definition. Some more than others, of course, and no one on CC!</p>
<p>Regardless, at this ripe age, it seems a bit ridiculous to refer to my greying companion as my boyfriend. Partner seems too officious for our current relationship, and somehow grates on the ear. So I use ‘my sweetie’ Keep 'em guessing as to how involved we are, and more endearing than other alternatives.</p>
<p>My H would divorce me if I introduced him as “my sweetie!”</p>
<p>When I hear “old lady” I picture a stringy haired girl with no make-up in a faded peasant blouse and skirt, barefeet, next to a guy with long hair and a scraggly beard, slight of build (not buff), an old t-shirt and jeans.</p>
<p>Doubleplay yes, that was the scene. Seemed normal to me at the time, now rather ‘ick’. </p>
<p>Marite, you are married, and your life hopefully has a depth of relationship mine does not, deserving of other labels. Just making the best of things.</p>
<p>I believe the song went – “he had a freaky old lady named Cocaine Kitty…” then something about embroidery on jeans.</p>
<p>great lakes mom --Be honest, there are some pretty GOOD memories of “back in the days”</p>
<p>Hey, there are GREAT memories, dancing and playing music all day long, a life of creativity and harmony with nature. And the basic values of Peace, Love, Hope, Justice for all still can’t be beat. Some of the asthetics, seen thru 2007 eyes, are not as appealing, though there are pieces I still have affection for. But that’s true of any age. My kids talk about the '80s look with great derision. </p>
<p>You want an in depth look at the past? Check out <a href=“http://www.hippiedictionary.com%5B/url%5D”>www.hippiedictionary.com</a></p>
<p>And again through 2007 eyes, post feminist, there is a little piece of the male/female thing of the time that irks me, as exemplified by ‘old lady.’</p>