Etymology Journal ยท H
How's the missus?
Meaning
- A respectful, traditional way to ask about someone's wife. It frames the inquiry as part of polite small talk about family.
Traditional, polite
Used in a sentence
- I haven't seen you in a while, so tell me, how's the missus?
- At the company picnic, he asked his boss, how's the missus?
- The barber smiled and asked, how's the missus doing these days?
The backstory
Missus is a common pronunciation of mistress that became the standard term for a wife in the nineteenth century. It retains an old-fashioned, chivalrous vibe.
Heard in
Nationwide
Vibe check