Spouse

Husband, Wife, Partner, Mate, Consort, Better Half, Old Man, Old Lady, Hubby, Missis, Missus, Wifey, WAGs (wives and girlfriends), Ball and Chain, Trouble and Strife, My Lady; Knight in Shining Armor…

Are all identifiers for those who are married, or at least, sleeping together (wink, wink).

So what is a ‘spouse’?

A spouse is a ‘significant other’ in a marriage, civil union, or common-law marriage. The term is gender neutral, whereas a male spouse is a husband and a female spouse is a wife.

Although a spouse is a form of significant other, the latter term also includes non-marital partners who play a social role similar to that of a spouse, but do not have rights and duties reserved by law to a spouse.

Like the word ‘pet’ or to announce another person as ‘my’ spouse or she/he is ‘mine’ is beyond personal. Doesn’t the jewelry declare a bonding love?

My wife never liked the word ‘spouse’. It was like a second-class partner. She did like “Mrs.” She also liked “mine”. Go figure?

I don’t think I ever introduced her as ‘my wife’ but just used her name and the other person would have to figure out if she was my wife or my daughter by the last name.