little woman, the:

A term of reference by a man for his wife . Male usage, meant as affectionate, but no longer appreciated by wives, feminists, and women in general. See wife for synonyms.

QUOTE: Amanda Bonner (Katharine Hepburn) in Adam's Rib (1949): ' There's no room in marriage for what used to be called 'the little woman'. She's got to be as big as the man is .'

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