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
Enthusiastic book recommendations! Martha’s savoring the biography of Alexander von Humboldt, the 19th-century explorer, polymath, and naturalist who revolutionized our understanding of nature and predicted the effects of human activity on...
Aaron in Los Angeles, California, notes while using public transit in Britain he and other passengers were instructed to alight from the front, meaning “exit the car from the front.” Alight comes from an Old English word alihtan, literally, to...