The phrase “better half” is commonly used to refer to a spouse or partner, reflecting the union of marital partners and implying humility and admiration. Historically, it was also used to refer to valued friends. The phrase can have a chivalrous context related to the idea of women being a favored gender.
The use of the phrase “better half” in English generally applies to the speaker’s spouse or partner, and is used both to complement the spouse and as an expression of humility and honor on the part of the speaker. While the meaning of this idiom doesn’t vary too much, historians of the language have identified different meanings and traditions behind its use across many centuries.
One implication of this common phrase is in the union of marital partners. This reflects some of the traditional parts of wedding vows in many English-speaking countries, for example, when a wedding officiant may say “what God has joined together, let no one put asunder”. Here, the two people essentially become “halves” of each other.
To further illustrate the use of this phrase, readers can contrast it with negative idioms about marriage, such as “ball and chain,” which are often used in jest but have a literally negative connotation. Conversely, the use of the phrase “better half” implies humility and admiration on the part of the speaker or writer. It’s a generous attribution to the other person in the couple.
Historians point out that in some original contexts, the term “better half” was used not of a spouse, but of a valued or treasured friend. Here, the general phrase often meant a philosophical evaluation, such as a relationship between two friends who often argued or argued about philosophy or other profound topics. Over time, the phrase has been applied almost exclusively to those who are married, engaged in civil partnerships, or in a common-law marriage. The versatility of this phrase leaves it open to changing uses consistent with societal changes and trends.
The phrase “better half” can also have a generally chivalrous context. Some may see it as related to another popular phrase in historical English: “the fairer sex”. Where the phrase “my better half” may be used more frequently by men to mean women, it is related to the idea that women are somehow a favored gender or exhibit more positive characteristics than men as a whole. This is not necessarily part of the meaning of the phrase “better half”, but can be seen as part of its implied historical usage; indeed, even today it would be unusual, if not unheard of, for a wife to use the phrase about her husband.
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