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
Why does the term vegetarian cause so much confusion? Some people assume it means avoiding red meat but still eating chicken. And is there a term for a vegetarian who also eats fish and poultry? Plus, screwball comedies from the 1930s mix slapstick...
A Southern California resort for nudists—or naturists, as some prefer to be called—had a recent change of management, and residents received a notice that the place will now become a textile park. The word textile is often used in that community as...