Ball and chain(s)
Ball and chain:
A 20th century slang term, meaning wife.
Origin:
The allusion being to the presumption that a man's wife held him back from doing the things he really wanted to.
This, of course, refers back to the actual ball and chain, which was a heavy metal ball secured to a prisoner's leg by means of a chain and manacle. The ball and chain was in use in both Britain and the USA by the early 19th century (and possibly much earlier). The earliest citation in print is from The Times, January 1819
Tja, eigenlijk dus niet zo'n gezellig cadeautje voor een bruilofts-feest... behalve als je er gewoon twee kettingen aanmaakt.A 20th century slang term, meaning wife.
Origin:
The allusion being to the presumption that a man's wife held him back from doing the things he really wanted to.
This, of course, refers back to the actual ball and chain, which was a heavy metal ball secured to a prisoner's leg by means of a chain and manacle. The ball and chain was in use in both Britain and the USA by the early 19th century (and possibly much earlier). The earliest citation in print is from The Times, January 1819He... gezellig! :)
