I call my girlfriend wifey as a joke.
That craic with the dress is a load of shite. It's a nice dress.
That craic with the dress is a load of shite. It's a nice dress.
Has political correctness actually gone mad?
- Thread starter Pogue Mahone
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Wifey has been somewhat reappropriated by younger people and doesn’t mean the same to them as the dictionary definition.
Hmmm. Makes me nearly as uncomfortable as white blokes calling each other Ma Homie (without obvious irony). And I doubt Amanda Carpenter's husband know this as I doubt that he is sufficiently down with the kids. Dawg.
Is wifey in the sense you're referring to it solely an Aussie thing Wibbs, like Sheila, bogan etc?
Can't say I've ever come across it as a derogatory term and it is one my wife and I have used in affectionate jokey conversation in the same way as she would use hubby.
Can't say I've ever come across it as a derogatory term and it is one my wife and I have used in affectionate jokey conversation in the same way as she would use hubby.
Wifey isn't derogatory at all where I'm from.
It's the same as hubby, just a playful way of addressing or speaking about your significant other.
Edit: seems the part where younger folks see it as different has already been addressed. Ignore me then.
This thread was actually the first time I’ve ever heard of it being a derogatory term.
No. Very much a UK term.
I asked my better half what she would do if I referred to her as my wifey in a non-joking way.
I won't quote her as most of it won't get past the Caf's swearing filter.
Then again in a joking sense I call her my chattel but as she knoes I'm joking and trying to wind her up and I just get an eye roll.
I actually thought your initial response was a joke pointing out how silly it is to complain about 'wifey', hence my own (unfunny, sorry) attempt to join in.
All I can say is it's not derogatory where I come from, it's just affectionate. Each to their own, I suppose.
Yeah, if the understanding is that it‘s not derogatory then there is nothing wrong with using it imo. Helps to know that it can be understood that way if you‘re talking with people that are not part of the understanding.
Where are you from out of interest? I grew up in Manchester and it was always a very patronising way or refering to women. 1950's style little woman at home cooking for her man and watming his slippers when he got home from work doing real work type stuff.
Preston, 30 miles away. Mrs 711 is scouse, but I've civilised her, as much as one can.
That's just odd. What partners refer to each other is a personal issue based solely on their relationship.
Just to point out that men are also subject to discrimination due to their sex. Even the most radical of feminists would accept that, though would view it through the lense of patriarchal oppression of women rather than hatred of men. Such as with criminal and family law.
I've never heard 'wifey' being used as anything other than the equivalent of 'hubby' to be honest. Do you have examples?
Wifey is a bit cringe to me, mostly because I associate its usage with basic people, so I personally wouldn't ever use it. What I can't understand is the need for people like yourself to feel offence on behalf of women whose partners choose to use this word in spite of the negative connotations it might have once held, not because of it. Some Black people call each other nigger, some husbands call their wives wifey. Do you really think individuals such as yourself should be concerned with the semantics of pet names used between couples that are obviously not using it with the intent of being insulting?
My mate named his black labrador nigger. I'm fine with it.
And of course because language matters and is a major force in forming societal norms.
Or to look at it another way. Why do "people like you" need to judge others as cringey and basic because they use the term wifey?
And did you not read the bit about the dictionary definition stating that it is a derogatory term?
Surprised to learn that 'wifey' was a condescending term. I had always assumed it was affectionate.
Echoing the point made above, but I imagine the majority of people under 30 most probably see it as an affectionate way of referring to their wife.
Echoing the point made above, but I imagine the majority of people under 30 most probably see it as an affectionate way of referring to their wife.
There are hundreds if you search for them. It is used in the same patronising way as "little woman at home".
Last edited:
I wouldn't have thought it was patronising and surprised to hear it is, thought it was just a pet name that married people use sometimes.
My wife changed her contact info in my phone from her name to “Wifey ” the day we got married.
Context: we’re in our 20s and from the Southern US. It’s the same as her calling me “hubby” to anyone we know.
Should I change it to “spousal unit” to avoid offending anyone?
” the day we got married.Context: we’re in our 20s and from the Southern US. It’s the same as her calling me “hubby” to anyone we know.
Should I change it to “spousal unit” to avoid offending anyone?
Yes, you should. You never know who might steal your phone.
In my mid-30s, would never have considered 'wifey' to be a problem.
Should I give my female companion a firm talking to for setting her contact up as such?
My wife changed her contact info in my phone from her name to “Wifey
Context: we’re in our 20s and from the Southern US. It’s the same as her calling me “hubby” to anyone we know.
Should I change it to “spousal unit” to avoid offending anyone?
. Spousal unit makes me chuckle a bit.First time hearing this too.
A REAL Lady, Not your only but your favourite, different from them hood rat chicks. - urban dictionary
A condescending way of referring to a person's wife. - oxford dictionary
Wife - Merriam-Webster
an informal word for wife - dictionary.com
an insulting word used for referring to a man’s wife - macmillan dictionary
urban one wins again.
A condescending way of referring to a person's wife. - oxford dictionary
Wife - Merriam-Webster
an informal word for wife - dictionary.com
an insulting word used for referring to a man’s wife - macmillan dictionary
urban one wins again.
I blame Judy Blume.
You should do up a PowerPoint explaining to her why she should be offended, including the dictionary definition, historical references and excerpts from this thread.
As always context matters. A boss referring to female employees he regularly takes the piss out of as a 'wifey' would clearly be sexist. By contrast a husband using it as an affectionate term for a partner clearly isn't.
The only time I've heard anyone use the word wifey was a friend talking about an unrequited love and it was just sad and pathetic.
Sounds like a plan!
Well both would actually be sexist. Just not meant to be offensive in the later case. Language informs societal norms even when the intent isn't to offend and this it is how sexist/racist/whatever language remains in every day use without the user often being aware of the issue.
I'm not judging people for using it, you are. I'm just saying that in experience the people I know that use it are a bit basic. I'm talking to the types that update Facebook just to say "Hubby just ran me a bath with candles, I'm so lucky!", or "Me and the wifey about to open a bottle of wine for lunch, #its8pmsomewhere".
The semantics of language evolve over time and certain groups of people use words in different ways. As of now, nigger is still defined as a contempuous term for a black person, yet it is used neutrally between black people. My point is this - If a couple want to refer to each other as hubby and wifey then their intent behind the word means much more than the connotations you associate with it. If you are the sort of person who sees a blokes phone pop up with wifey when she rings and then proceeds to think "God this guy doesn't even realise how sexist and insulting he is being" then sorry to say, but you are just a bit of a wanker.
My point (or one of them) was that you were criticising me for thinking (holding the opinion) that a word with a patronising and demeaning dictionary definition was in fact a bit sexist when you were, ironically, quite happy to think people who used it were "basic". You can't claim that calling people basic isn't a judgement. You even call them types in this post.
Now in your scenario with someone who had named their partner wifey in their phone I wouldn't neccesarily think they were sexist as the possibility exists that they are ignorant of the words meaning or even the slim possibility that they were using the term ironically. Of course as Douglas Adams once said
If that makes you think me a wanker the care factor is sub-zero.
And it bears no resemblence to black people appropriating the term nigger to reduce its power as there is no suggestion of wifey being used in a similar way. It is either sexist or ignorant or ironic. I don't think I've ever seen the later usage but I'm it probably does happen very occasionally.
I don't think people are basic for using the word. Anyone can use it. But in my experience, it's a certain type that use it. Shall we move past this?
I'm critizing you because as I said, I think the intent behind a word and the natural evolution of its semantics shouldn't be gated. Sure, some people might be ignorant to it's original meaning, but if we're entertaining the notion that a number of people are using it as a genuine term of endearment or just ironic humour then that's ok isn't it? We don't need to sit here and say "No no, it's sexist, please don't use it".
What are even arguing about anymore? I just want it to be ok to use a word that used to mean one thing, and for it's meaning to change relative to the intent behind people using it.
You've pitched this twice now. There are lots of black people of different types in this world. Do you think they all feel the same way about the term 'nigger'? So why assert that the term is used neutrally between all of them then? FYI there are lots of black people that are uncomfortable about it's usage all over the world, in all forms.
Don't make the mistake of basing your whole perception of a race off of rap and street vernacular.
It hasn't really changed though. It's dictionary definition is still the same and just because some people are ignorant of its meaning doesn't make it ok to use even if it is in some way better than people being intentional vile sexists. Although the inafantising of the word wife is pretty sexist and demeaning in of itself even if the actually definition was other than it is. This is of course an opinion but the definition is a fact given that nobody ever has "reclaimed" the word from sexists, possibly apart from the very occasional person who uses it in irony (if they exist).
You might not think it matters but it really does. Language is incredibly powerful and if not challenged inappropriate words, terms and phrases inform society that such opinions are ok.
Last edited: