︎mother wound
n.— «In many marriages, the wife is mother not only to any children, but also to the husband, who sometimes actually calls her “mummy”, which always sounds creepy. Theories abound, particularly in California, as to why this should be. One theory—popular in tree-hugging circles—is because of something called the “mother wound”, defined as the scar left on men from unresolved issues they have with their mothers, leftovers that they duly warm over when they marry, to serve up again to the lucky lady.» —“Married to Mummy” by Rachel Johnson TimesOnline (United Kingdom) May 6, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...
While reading Dean Koontz’s book The House at the End of the World (Bookshop|Amazon), a listener in Ramona, California, encountered the perfect word for the walks he takes with his dog. He now refers to such an excursion as a sniffari. This is...