Trophy wife

Trophy wife

A trophy wife is commonly used to describe any wife who is considered a status symbol.

The term trophy wife was coined by Julie Connelly, a senior editor of Fortune magazine, in a cover story in the issue of Aug. 28, 1989 [cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E6DA1031F932A35756C0A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |title=ON LANGUAGE; Trophy Wife|first=William|last=Safire|date=1994-05-01] and immediately entered the language. Although it often has a pejorative spin, the term originally meant the second (or third) wife of a corporate titan, who was younger, beautiful and—equally important—accomplished in her own right.cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/fashion/08JERI.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&ref=style&adxnnlx=1183813261-CulpeVBIBDF0pKqUm/hieQ&oref=slogin&oref=slogin |title=Will Her Face Determine His Fortune?|first=Susan |last=Saulny|publisher="The New York Times" |date=(2007-07-08) | accessdate=2007-10-25]

The marriage of former Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith to oil magnate, J. Howard Marshall, was widely followed by the U.S. media, as an extreme example, [Roy, Amit. [http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070704/asp/nation/story_8013804.asp "Padma walks out, but some ‘trophy wives’ have stayed the course"] , "The Telegraph, India" (2007-07-04).] as at the time of their marriage: he was 89 years old and she was 26.

Some sources claim the term was coined earlier (for example the Online Etymology Dictionary cites 1984 [" [http://etymonline.com/?search=trop Online Etymology Dictionary] "] ) but that seems incorrect. The Oxford English Dictionary confirms Aug 28, 1989 as its first use. [Oxford English Dictionary Addition Series 1997 http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50258704/50258704se14?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=trophy+wife&first=1&max_to_show=10&hilite=50258704se14]

ee also

* Boy toy
* Gold digger

References

External links

* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1292834.ece Alpha males forsake the trophy wife] , article in the Sunday Times (UK), stating that "Academics say they have found the first evidence that successful British males increasingly prefer a spouse with a high-powered job to one who stays at home with the children."


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  • Trophy Wife — (zu deutsch etwa „Trophäenfrau“, „Beutefrau“ oder seltener „Trophäenweibchen“) ist ein seit 1989 gebräuchlicher, entgegen seiner ursprünglichen Konnotation auch abwertend gebrauchter Begriff für eine in der Regel gutaussehende junge Frau, die… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • trophy wife — n. a wife, often, specif., a second wife, who is attractive and younger than her usually wealthy husband and regarded as symbolizing his success …   English World dictionary

  • trophy wife — UK US noun [C] (plural wives) ► a young attractive woman who is married to a rich and successful older man and acts as a symbol of his social position …   Financial and business terms

  • trophy wife — noun a wife who is an attractive young woman; seldom the first wife of an affluent older man his trophy wife was an asset to his business • Hypernyms: ↑wife, ↑married woman * * * noun, pl ⋯ wives [count] informal + disapproving : an attractive… …   Useful english dictionary

  • trophy wife —    a younger spouse chosen because her appearance indicates her husband s enhanced status    Or what he conceives his enhanced status to be. Also as trophy or trophy model:     By now Alex had metamorphosed into the country dwelling driver of a… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • trophy wife — tro′phy wife n. cvs soc the young, often second, wife of a rich middle aged man • Etymology: 1985–90, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • trophy wife — the young, often second, wife of a rich middle aged man. [1985 90, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • trophy wife — noun A wife, usually young and attractive, regarded as a status symbol for the husband, usually older and affluent …   Wiktionary

  • trophy wife — noun informal, derogatory a young, attractive wife regarded as a status symbol for an older man …   English new terms dictionary

  • The Trophy Wife's Secret — Filmdaten Deutscher Titel: Tod in einer Sommernacht Originaltitel: One Hot Summer Night The Trophy Wife s Secret Produktionsland: USA Erscheinungsjahr: 1998 Länge: 85 Minuten Originalsprache …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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