wearing the trousers
Calling the shots
To wear the trousers is to be the dominant partner in a relationship, the one who makes the decisions.
The phrase reflects an era when trousers were exclusively male garments, so the one "wearing the trousers" held traditionally masculine authority: Everyone knows who wears the trousers in that marriage.
British English favors trousers; American English typically uses pants.
- spouseMarried partner
- patriarchyMale-dominated social order
- breadwinnerPrimary household earner
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- dominanceSuperior influence over others
subversion · control · metaphorical language · masculinity · domesticity · hen-pecked · idiom · egalitarianism · stereotypes · figurative speech · empowerment · homemaker · domestic bliss · representation · symbolism · femininity · influence · power
wearing the trousershenpecked
Controlled through persistent nagging
submissive · whipped · at someone's beck and call · pussy-whipped · subservient
wears, wearing, wearer, wearable, trouser, trousers, trousered