office wife
n.— «To my mind, a private secretary is an “office wife” for some eight hours of a man’s day. She should give him subtle encouragement, approval, admiration, respect. She should laugh at his jokes, overlook his faults and moods, and assure him of her loyalty in unspoken ways.» —“10 dirty secrets of a Bay Street temp” by Susan Bourette Globe and Mail (Toronton, Can.) Aug. 26, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
The adjectives canine and feline refer to dogs and cats. But how does English address other groups of animals? Plus, cabin fever has been around much longer than the current pandemic. That restless, antsy, stir-crazy feeling goes back to the days...