mistress

[Jonathan Lighter]

I agree with Amy. That's how my grandmother used the word.

JL

On Thu, Apr 12, 2012 at 8:25 AM, Amy West <medievalist at w-sts.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Amy West <medievalist at W-STS.COM>
> Subject:      Re: mistress
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On 4/12/12 12:00 AM, Automatic digest processor wrote:
> > Date:    Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:31:43 -0400
> > From:    "Douglas G. Wilson"<douglas at NB.NET>
> > Subject: Re: mistress
> >
> > On 4/11/2012 1:25 AM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
> >> >  ....
> >> >  So my question is 1) is it true that the term "mistress" applies only
> >> >  to a non-marital partner of a/married/  man?
> > --
> >
> > I don't believe so. I suppose one can discuss at length whether the
> > right word in a given case/society is "[de jure or de facto] wife",
> My mother has applied the term to my unmarried uncle's (her brother)
> girlfriend. My mother did so knowing that it's a marked term and in
> order to mark her disapproval of their remaining unmarried yet cohabiting.
>
> So, in that one speaker's ideolect/lexicon, no: he does not have to be
> married.
>
> Granted, this is limited anecdotal evidence.
>
> ---Amy West
>
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