nagging wife
Complaining female partner
A nagging wife is a wife who persistently complains, criticizes, or makes repeated demands of her husband.
The phrase is a sexist stereotype with deep roots in folklore and comedy—the shrewish woman who won't let her husband rest: His nagging wife drove him to spend evenings at the bar.
The construction implies the fault lies with the wife rather than examining what she's responding to.
- complainingExpressing discontent verbally
- henpeckedControlled through persistent nagging
- hen peckedControlled through nagging
- shrewIll-tempered woman, or insectivore
- nagPester repeatedly
ball and chain · bickering · scolding · husband · marriage · honey do list · irritating · quarrelsome · demanding · criticizing · whining · pestering · harping · fault-finding · relentless · exhausting · walking on eggshells · resentment
- sitcomssitcom, sitcoms, episode, episodic, season
- stock charactersvillain, sidekick, hero, damsel in distress, fool
- Wivesspouse, bride, newlywed, housewife, Mrs.
- gender humorgender stereotypes, husband jokes, dating humor, mansplaining, clueless husband
- gender stereotypesboys will be boys, pink for girls, blue for boys, man up, strong men
- comedy tropespratfall, parody, sight gag, running gag, satire