Word of the Day: Uxorial, a Vocabulary Vitamin for the Very Married

Our Vocabulary Vitamin, uxorial, and its significant other uxurious, do look as if we left something out. One has a nearly uncontrollable urge to add an "L," but let's not. Our word of the day is much too useful as it is. It means "characteristic of a wife." It comes from a French root word, uxor, meaning wife.

How Uxorial Can Be a Useful Word of the Day for Wives

If you ask him to do the dishes and he says "That's uxurial work," (the wife's job) feel free to burn his dinner. But if he says "Yes, dear! Right away, dear!" he may be uxurious (submissive to a wife) which is even more annoying.

Our Vocabulary Vitamin, uxorial, is a word to relish. Use it in a genteel and diplomatic fashion and it will serve you well. At the all-you-can-eat-fish-fry, for instance, you can say "Darling, not to be uxorial, but isn't that your 15th piece of fried catfish?" Rather than "You loathesome pig."

Uxorious too can come in handy; e.g., "I'm don't want you to be uxurious dear, it was a mere suggestion that you mow the lawn." (Rather than "Lazy bum!")

How Uxorial Can Be a Useful Word of the Day for Husbands

Remind her you are perfectly capable of discharging your responsibilities without any uxorial (wifely) prompting. Remind her of the meaning of "uxoricide," but don't actually commit it (murder your wife) because we will know it's you, and you'll be goin' down.

Use it to gently dissuade her from being overzealous: "I appreciate your uxorial nature, but must you darn my socks while I'm wearing them?"

Use it with other married folk. When your golf buddy cancels your tee time in order to put up curtains, you can say, "Well aren't you the uxurious one!" He will be baffled, but vaguely pleased.

Bafflement is a highly useful weapon in your lexiconical arsenal. For instance, use our word of the day as John Milton did when he wrote:"How wouldst thou insult, When I must live uxorious to thy will, In perfect thraldom!" Hmm. Does that mean her uxorial ways are suffocating and controlling? Or is Milton expressing worshipful adoration? Too late now to ask him, so we don't know.

And that is the joy of taking your Vocabulary Vitamins consistently. You will increase your vocabulary to such an extent that no one can take issue with a word you say. Or perhaps even understand it.

Our Word of the Day: Uxorial

uxorial • \uk-SOR-ee-ul\ • adjective.
Of or befitting or characteristic of a wife [syn: wifely, wifelike]
Date: 1800
From WordNet (r) 2.0

Also, uxorial. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uxorial

Our Vocabulary Vitamin in another form: Uxurious

uxorious • \uk-SOR-ee-us\ • adjective
adj. Dotingly fond of, or servilely submissive to, a wife
Date: 1598
[1913 Webster]'

The speech [of Zipporah, Ex. iv. 25] is not a speech of reproach or indignation, but of uxorial endearment.
--Geddes.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48