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
Lucy in Louisa, Virginia, recalls that if her mother was exasperated when the kids were misbehaving, she’d announce I’m going to put you both in a wet paper bag and see who falls out first! This is part of a complete episode.
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