We heard from someone on the show a while back about what to call an ex-wife’s new husband. Lots of listeners called in and wrote us with their suggestions, including husband-in-law and step-husband to relief pitcher, stunt double, and version 2.0. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Husband Version 2.0”
You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.
I’m Grant Barrett.
And I’m Martha Barnette.
A couple of weeks ago, we had a call from a guy who wanted a term for his ex-wife’s new husband.
Oh, boy.
Remember that?
I do.
It was a polite term.
You know, I kept getting reminded for days on end because we kept getting emails and tweets about it.
We did.
We did because we asked, right?
Yeah, we did.
They all had a really good relationship.
And so he wanted a positive, cordial word for that.
And we heard from lots of listeners. I think far and away, the suggestion that we heard most was husband-in-law.
Husband-in-law.
Yeah, which sounds very matter-of-fact, right?
Okay.
Right? I like that.
We did hear some suggestions for step-husband.
And then some people looked to software and suggested version 2.0 or an upgrade.
An upgrade. Very good, yeah.
Yeah. And then there were a couple other ones that I really liked.
Jules from San Diego suggested relief pitcher, kind of like that.
And Jeff Chavez suggested stunt double.
Stunt double.
Okay.
Why? I don’t know.
Well, speaking of Y, some people, instead of X, suggested Y.
I saw a few of those.
Oh, yeah, yeah, right.
Yeah, that’s pretty clever, but I don’t know because it sounds like the other word if it would work, but still clever.
Exactly.
And we did hear from David Heim in Oxford, Connecticut, who asked for another word.
He wanted a word for spouses who separate and then reunite.
Because his oldest friend had divorced his wife.
And then several years later, they got back together, but they’re not married.
So they’re sort of XXs.
XXs.
Yeah, but he wants another term for that.
XXL.
XX lovers.
Wait, that sounds like a t-shirt size.
I don’t know.
Triple X.
I have no idea.
Well, I guess the point is that English sort of has a paucity of terms for these kinds of things.
We know you’ve coined new words for the odd relationships you have with people in your life.
Maybe you loved them and now you do again, or you don’t love them anymore, or you want to love them.
What’s the word you use? 877-929-9673. Email words@waywordradio.org.
