# derogatory expression -  husband who does what his wife tells him



## Egoexpress

Hi,

I'm looking for a derogatory expression to call a husband who does what his wife tells him to do all the time.

- Jim couldn't come today, because his wife didn't let him join us.

- What a xXXXx he is..

Thanks,


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## jucami

The first word that comes to my mind is "pushover."  It does not have to do with husbands and wives specifically, but I think it conveys the meaning you described.  A pushover would be someone who can be easily persuaded to do something, someone who does not stand up for himself, who can be "pushed over" easily.


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## Dimcl

This isn't a noun but he is "hen-pecked".


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## Egoexpress

" - What a hen-pecked husband he is" - Is alright?


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## coiffe

Well, I think it's pretty common to call such a guy a "pussy." But that's not necessarily specific only to being dominated by his wife.


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## SleepingLeopard

You can also call him "whipped", which is short for the vulgar "pussy-whipped".


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## coiffe

Ya, or "lackey," "flunkey," "puppet," or Schwarzenegger's "girly-man."

You can also say "His wife wears the pants in the family."


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## Josh_

Another very slang term is whipped (short for the more vulgar pussy-whipped) which refers to a man who submits to the will his wife/girlfriend.  It often has the connotation that he puts up with this behavoir because he is totally smitten with her.

More info at urbandictionary.com:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=whipped
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pussy+whipped

Edit:  SleepingLeopard beat me to it.


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## AngelEyes

Egoexpress said:


> Hi,I'm looking for a derogatory expression to call a husband who does what his wife tells him to do all the time.
> 
> _Jim couldn't come today because his wife didn't let him join us._


 
My personal favorite is one that's already been mentioned: 
*pussy-whipped*. 

In AE, there are also these academic terms:

1. lapdog
2. doormat
3. limp-dick (_you've got to love this one_)

*AngelEyes*


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## Old Novice

I'm surprised everyone has overlooked the obvious one:  "married" .


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## coiffe

AngelEyes said:


> My personal favorite is one that's already been mentioned:
> *pussy-whipped*.
> 
> In AE, there are also these academic terms:
> 
> 1. lapdog
> 2. doormat
> 3. limp-dick (_you've got to love this one_)
> 
> *AngelEyes*



You nailed that one, Angel_E_yes. Nailed it good. Now I know I need either to buy a Dictionary of Slang or spend more time in Academia.


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## NickJunior

Thanks for the thread.  I learn so many new words now.  Very interesting.

pushover; hen-pecked (adj); pussy, whipped (pussy-whipped); lackey; flunkey; puppet; girly-man; lapdog; doormat; limp-dick; ...


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## SwissPete

Milquetoast is a more general term, applying to women as well as men.


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## Harry Batt

My son's  friend, under 42 years old, is on his third divorce. He sums up his marriage history as the guy who is "a piece of furniture" and "doormat" is the best name for that piece.


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## patitofeo

I most commonly hear "whipped."


"Jim couldn't come today, because his wife didn't let him join us. He is _whipped_."


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## ewie

As the first person to chip in *in that other English*, I'd say that _hen-pecked_ is the commonest term for this here (as per Dimcl in CanE). We also use _She wears the trousers in that family/household_ (as per Coiffe ~ with slight change of terminology). I'm pretty certain I've heard _under-the-thumb_ used attributively: _That bloke's so under-the-thumb he can't even sneeze without his wife's permission._


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## nzfauna

A sap?
Someone who has been pussy-whipped.


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## Loob

I vote for hen-pecked.


Perhaps it's only me, but 'pussy-whipped' sounds rather _*rude*_


_EDIT:Oh, I see SleepingLeopard calls it "vulgar". Not only me, then._


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## ewie

Loob said:


> Perhaps it's only me, but 'pussy-whipped' sounds rather _*rude*_


Nope, it's not just you and SleepingL ~ it even sounds slightly _obscene_ to me, somehow: a lot less 'innocent' than _hen-pecked_.
Strange that I can't think of any informal equivalent for a role-reversed scenario ... perhaps because that scenario so rarely exists ... LOL, not.


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## Topsie

Old Novice said:


> I'm surprised everyone has overlooked the obvious one:  "married" .


Some people are happily married - or is that an oxymoron?


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## Elwintee

Egoexpress said:


> " - What a hen-pecked husband he is" - Is alright?



Yes, that's right.


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## Elwintee

coiffe said:


> Ya, or "lackey," "flunkey," "puppet," or Schwarzenegger's "girly-man."
> 
> You can also say "His wife wears the pants in the family."



Note: It's 'wears the *trousers*' in BE!


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## Egoexpress

Hey thanks again!


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## Lexiphile

Whatever happend to "wimp"?  I thought such men were always wimps.


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## AngelEyes

*Pussy*-*whipped* may sound vulgar, feel vulgar, and probably *is* slightly vulgar, but I think if you get a bunch of guys together and they start talking about their buddy who lives under the thumb of a she-cat...they aren't going to choose _hen-pecked_ to describe his predicament.

They're going to say the dude is pussy-whipped. At least, in the U.S. they would.

And Lexi: _wimp_ is terrific! That should be at the top of the list.

I think there is a social shift change behind our word choices today. We are less smooth and reserved and we do choose the harsh and the ribald words sooner, so while I agree with all the suggestions, I'd still say it's the rough words that are chosen first in regular, everyday conversation.

I can't think of one guy I know who would use *hen*-*pecked*. Maybe my priest and the old guy who lives next to my aunt.

Egoexpress:
There is one other thing you might like to know. In the U.S., guys might just make chicken noises in place of saying _hen_-_pecked_.

*AngelEyes*


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## purpleflower

You could say he is "under the thumb" or "his wife wears the trousers" ie. he has to do what she says


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## TimLA

AngelEyes said:


> They're going to say the dude is pussy-whipped. At least, in the U.S. they would.


 
Another shorter form (we like "short" in AE) is "PW".
Dude is PW...


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## Packard

I was going to say "in vogue" now but actually I read it in GQ Magazine:

1. *Himbo* (combine "Him" with "bimbo" and you get "himbo") 

"Himbo" is used exactly as you describe. A man subservient to his female mate.

2. *Metrosexual*. A man that uses 3 types of hair products (and calls them "products"), is overly fastidious about his attire, and may or may not be heterosexual.

I would say that *himbo* is the current word for the "man" you describe.


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## Albert53

I was just reading the urban dictionary links.
Foreign learners of English, beware:
The definitions are funny and one can learn plenty of slang, but many of the contributors are not on a firm footing with their own language.
For example, I found several instances of "beckon call" for "beck and call".

I was going to add a few more examples, but there are more examples of wrong spelling, wrong punctuation, poor usage and so on than you can shake a stick at.

Albert


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## SleepingLeopard

ewie said:


> Nope, it's not just you and SleepingL ~ it even sounds slightly _obscene_ to me, somehow: a lot less 'innocent' than _hen-pecked_.


 
This is why we often simply say "whipped". It *implies* pussy-whipped, without having to say the word "pussy", so it sounds less vulgar.


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## coiffe

Packard said:


> I was going to say "in vogue" now but actually I read it in GQ Magazine:
> 
> 1. *Himbo* (combine "Him" with "bimbo" and you get "himbo")
> 
> "Himbo" is used exactly as you describe. A man subservient to his female mate.
> 
> 2. *Metrosexual*. A man that uses 3 types of hair products (and calls them "products"), is overly fastidious about his attire, and may or may not be heterosexual.
> 
> I would say that *himbo* is the current word for the "man" you describe.



Packard, thanks for this! Had not seen any of these. Should be reading _Seattle Weekly_ more often.

Angel_E_yes, thanks again for your unapologetic presentation of everyday language as it is, no pretense.

Albert, thanks for sounding the warning and calling contributors to a higher standard of spelling, semantic and syntactic accuracy.


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## ewie

I think the (erm) problem here is that AE and BE seem to approach this phenomenon from slightly different angles.  _Please feel free to disagree with me_:
BE sees it as a matter of gentle-ish humour, as in the tradition of the English Saucy Seaside Postcard, in which the wife would always be portrayed as twice the size of her spindly little spouse ~ I couldn't find a hen-pecked example so you'll have to do make do with this one as an example of the _genre_.
AE, on the other hand, would appear to approach it from a far more scornful angle: we simply don't have such a strong term as _(pussy-)whipped_ which, to my ears at least, is *extremely* derogatory to both the victim _and_ the perpetrator.
Maybe I'm just being over-sensitive.


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## coiffe

ewie said:


> I think the (erm) problem here is that AE and BE seem to approach this phenomenon from slightly different angles.  _Please feel free to disagree with me_:
> BE sees it as a matter of gentle-ish humour, as in the tradition of the English Saucy Seaside Postcard, in which the wife would always be portrayed as twice the size of her spindly little spouse ~ I couldn't find a hen-pecked example so you'll have to do make do with this one as an example of the _genre_.
> AE, on the other hand, would appear to approach it from a far more scornful angle: we simply don't have such a strong term as _(pussy-)whipped_ which, to my ears at least, is *extremely* derogatory to both the victim _and_ the perpetrator.
> Maybe I'm just being over-sensitive.



I think you're right on with this observation. Now I'm going to say something that is probably wrong, and even if not, can certainly be contested. Maybe American is more "physical" and British is more "cerebral", so that a vulgar captious term like pussy-whipped is more quintessentially American; whereas the British would have characters from Shakespeare and a long tradition of comedy in their collective memories, and would lean more instinctively towards those comic caricatures (and terminologies).


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## Albert53

coiffe said:


> Albert, thanks for sounding the warning and calling contributors to a higher standard of spelling, semantic and syntactic accuracy.


 
Actually I was just warning the non-native speakers in this forum not to emulate them.

I wouldn't even attempt to try calling the contributors to the urban dictionary to do anything. I don't think they would be able to understand a grammatical sentence. But a few of them were funny. Enjoy them as they are.

Albert


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## AngelEyes

The thing is:

All-American men are extremely masculine and raw in this instance.

In order for them to notice and be bothered by the fact that the guy is being led around by his nose, they are going to have the mindset that thinks in terms of being very graphic and straight-to-the-point.

American men are direct, specific, and concise.

They would say *pussy*-*whipped* and not blink an eye. I honestly don't believe this is an exaggeration. It's the simple truth.

American men are very basic and male this way. Our culture accepts them like this and actually promotes the fact that it's okay to be like that. 

*AngelEyes*


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## coiffe

AngelEyes said:


> The thing is:
> 
> All-American men are extremely masculine and raw in this instance.
> 
> In order for them to notice and be bothered by the fact that the guy is being led around by his nose, they are going to have the mindset that thinks in terms of being very graphic and straight-to-the-point.
> 
> American men are direct, specific, and concise.
> 
> They would say *pussy*-*whipped* and not blink an eye. I honestly don't believe this is an exaggeration. It's the simple truth.
> 
> American men are very basic and male this way. Our culture accepts them like this and actually promotes the fact that it's okay to be like that.
> 
> *AngelEyes*



As long as we're forced to indulge in sweeping generalizations, I wonder what the wife-abuser actually thinks, if anything at all, in a culture such as Russia's (or perhaps most Asian countries, not to mention parts of the United States), when he hands over his paycheck to his wife the day after he beats her senseless? I've always wondered if he understands that she actually runs the family, even though he periodically displays his putative machismo by beating her up when he drinks a little too much vodka?

The problem with the phrase "pussy-whipped" in my mind is not its vulgarity, but its limitation. It says to me that the woman can dominate him with the power of her sexuality. But women dominate men in lots of other ways and probably in many if not most cultures -- despite being abused. I say that with the claim that whoever controls the money, generally controls the overall picture. And women, in many cultures, control the money. That doesn't have to mean the man is "pussy-whipped." Or that he's a girly-man or a lapdog. What term would you use in that case?


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## Loob

Judging from the urban dictionary definitions (repeated here), the term "pussy-whipped" means something completely different from "hen-pecked".

"Hen-pecked" doesn't involve sexuality. 
At all. 
Not one iota.

EDIT: Sorry - having just re-read the last few posts, I think that's exactly what people have been saying


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## Packard

ewie said:


> I think the (erm) problem here is that AE and BE seem to approach this phenomenon from slightly different angles. _Please feel free to disagree with me_:
> BE sees it as a matter of gentle-ish humour, as in the tradition of the English Saucy Seaside Postcard, in which the wife would always be portrayed as twice the size of her spindly little spouse ~ I couldn't find a hen-pecked example so you'll have to do make do with this one as an example of the _genre_.
> AE, on the other hand, would appear to approach it from a far more scornful angle: we simply don't have such a strong term as _(pussy-)whipped_ which, to my ears at least, is *extremely* derogatory to both the victim _and_ the perpetrator.
> Maybe I'm just being over-sensitive.


 
The literal meaning of "pussy whipped" is that the female (frequently the spouse) would punish the male by withholding sexual favors.  So, in order to ensure a steady supply of sexual gratification, the male does as the female demands.

Of course, if she is holding a busted flush, then the husband might seek other avenues of gratification, vis a vis Elliot Spitzer (or simply make an effort to go blind).


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## panjandrum

ewie said:


> I think the (erm) problem here is that AE and BE seem to approach this phenomenon from slightly different angles.  _Please feel free to disagree with me_:[...]


It seems clear from the contributions so far that ewie is right.
Perhaps he and I move in the wrong circles to hear such terminology used.
Perhaps the context for it simply doesn't arise


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## AngelEyes

Loob,

Mine is a female perspective. The use of the word pussy does push it into the sexual but only as a general description. It's guy-talk.

I think it's an all-purpose term and one that's used by really nice guys, regular guys, a guy's guy. One who wouldn't think of raising a fist to a woman.

It's not dirty, insulting, debasing, or anything else the feminists might find in its crevices.

Guys talk like this. And, in my opinion, this is the term American men would use if speaking about one of the men in their group of friends who didn't show up for the get-together because his "wife wouldn't let him."

I'll go a step further. I'd much rather know a guy who'd say *pussy*-*whipped* than a boring one who would say *hen*-*pecked*.

That's how I'd categorize the two types.

But only American men.

Now that I know British and Irish men better, I would understand their context and their culture and not think that about them.

I have no idea how European men, (Italian, French, Spanish, etc.) would react. My impression is that they would react as American men do, just in another language. 

*AngelEyes*


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## Grop

AngelEyes said:


> I have no idea how European men, (Italian, French, Spanish, etc.) would react. My impression is that they would react as American men do, just in another language.



For what it's worth, I think we French men are closer to Americans in that regard. At least in my place and generation. There's a lot of things we may say when women are not around .

(And I agree with the idea of guy-talk: saying something rude that you don't actually think).


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## coiffe

so Angel_E_yes,

I understand how you would find a guy less than attractive if he used the phrase "hen-pecked" instead of "whipped."

What if instead he said to a pussy-whipped limp-dick:

"Oh, forlorn wing-shorn lackey, thou lackest the pendulant spheres to decide your own brave way through the marital thicket?"


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## AngelEyes

Another term in AE that you'll also hear guys use is:
Wuss/wussie, Woose/ Woosie.

HERE

Women use it, too.

It applies very well in reference to this thread.


_edit to coiffe: I'd think that guy was all talk and no action._


*AngelEyes*


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## Packard

I don't see pussy-whipped as equivalent to hen-pecked.

*Pussy-whipped*:  obedient for fear of loss of sexual gratification.

*Hen pecked*:  Obedient as a result of constant hectoring.  (It is easier to abide with the rules than live with the complaining.)


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## AngelEyes

I just asked two guys in their thirties.

They said they would say he's *pussy*-*whipped*.

They've heard of the term *hen*-*pecked*, but they wouldn't use it even as their second choice.

I think it goes way beyond whether or not she's withholding sex. It's usage is much broader in scope than that.

Maybe it's a Michigan guy-thing. 

Edit:
I just got an update.  They said they'd say *PW* first before they'd use the whole word. 

So, TimLA...there you go! 

*AngelEyes*


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## coiffe

One common term which I don't believe has been mentioned here is "owned." So, "She owns him" or "She owned him." Very common. Not as common as "pussy-whipped," however.

"Wrapped around her finger" is another.


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## sokol

AngelEyes said:


> I have no idea how European men, (Italian, French, Spanish, etc.) would react. My impression is that they would react as American men do, just in another language.


Well, there certainly is some dirty talk among Austrian men too - but 'pussy-whipped' would sound to me extremely direct, sexual, and rather negative: only working class men would talk like that (translated, respectively) here in Austria.

And I would be shy of using the term 'pussy-whipped' would I come in the situation to talk with Americans about a guy who's a himbo [you can't imagine how many new words I learned in this thread ;-)] - even now that you have made clear that it wouldn't be out of the ordinary.


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## sam's mum

Very interesing discussion. From a BE point of view, I think I like Lexiphile's _wimp_ best- short and to the point in this context. _What a wimp!_


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## AngelEyes

Yes, Sam's mum, if you were looking for a noun, either *wimp* or *wuss* would be used first, I think, in AE.

*PW* is an adjective.

sokol: I would never tell someone to use a word they were shy about. Words reflect the speaker. But now you know how real guys talk in the U.S. 

And there is a wide range of opinions to choose from.

*AngelEyes*


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## jucami

To me, "wimp" and "wuss" both mean "coward," which is similar but not necessarily what egoexpress is looking for, because you could call anyone a wimp/wuss, regardless of gender or circumstances.
Also, I am not sure about "pussy-whipped."  I have never actually heard anyone use this term.  Maybe I do not hang around with enough of Angel's "real guys," but I have only ever heard "whipped" in everyday speech.


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## Bass Rock

"soft" is simple and does the trick


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## AngelEyes

jucami said:


> To me, "wimp" and "wuss" both mean "coward," which is similar but not necessarily what egoexpress is looking for, because you could call anyone a wimp/wuss, regardless of gender or circumstances.
> Also, I am not sure about "pussy-whipped." I have never actually heard anyone use this term. Maybe I do not hang around with enough of Angel's "real guys," but I have only ever heard "whipped" in everyday speech.


 
Nope, I disagree with this. Men who see other men acting as a result of pressure and strict orders from a woman forbidding them to do something with their buddies *are* seen as cowards - a man who's afraid to be in control of his own life.

Whether or not it's said with total disregard for the woman in question, or if it's just an innocent: "C'mon, what is she? Your mommy?" type of ribbing, both *wuss* and *wimp* are perfect for this scenario.

Also, this takes place when there are no women present. It's "boys' night out." The words they use won't be soft and politically correct, in my opinion.

As for "pussy-whipped" - I still say that's a normal, everyday term used in this kind of circumstance among men who gather together in private.

*AngelEyes*


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## bibliolept

I guess uxorious isn't a very popular term, given that it so perfectly describes the situation but has yet to be suggested in this thread.

(Who would have thought that a thread on dominated or obsequiously servile husbands would elicit so many responses?)


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## AngelEyes

bibliolept said:


> uxorious


 
bibliolept,

I'll grant you this: you've given me an English word I've never heard of before. 

But somehow I just don't see it.

"Where's our pal Bubba tonight?"
"Oh, that uxorious fellow is at home."
"Again? He stood us up again?"
"Are you surprised?"

I guess it's possible. Just not in my world.

*AngelEyes*


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## Bass Rock

There is normally another word following the "soft" that I am not allowed to post that makes the derogatory statement more complete.


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## bibliolept

Bass Rock, if you mean soft-d*ck, the alternative limp-d*ck has already been mentioned.

--

Angel_E_yes, I admit that it has yet to be used in any of the bull sessions, smokers, and guys' nights out that I've participated in, but I felt that the word merited another chance.

Alternatively, we could seek out mythology or literature for henpecked heroes: Walter Mitty, Anlill, Bloom... even Dagwood from the newspaper comics.


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## Loob

Egoexpress said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm looking for a derogatory expression to call a husband who does what his wife tells him to do all the time.
> 
> - Jim couldn't come today, because his wife didn't let him join us.
> 
> - What a xXXXx he is..
> 
> Thanks,


 
I have the impression that we're beginning to lose track of the original question, which was quite specific.

There are lots of words that indicate that an individual is cowardly.

It seems to me that there are three responses that meet the OP's criterion:

_(1) hen-pecked: BrE and AmE - husband who does what his wife says because, basically, he's frightened of her_

_(2) pussy-whipped/whipped/PW: AmE only - boyfriend/husband who's enfeebled by lust for his girlfriend/wife to the extent that he'll do anything she tells him to._

_(3) BrE ways of expressing (2). There are many. They just don't include "pussy-whipped"._


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## AngelEyes

And if you want to use a noun, the two most likely choices in AE would be *wuss* and *wimp*.

And, Loob, I agree with your conclusion.

*AngelEyes*


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## coiffe

Repeating a previous suggestion, "She's got him wrapped around her (little) finger" is still common and not vulgar, although I would expect this only from women speaking, not men.


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## bibliolept

coiffe said:


> Repeating a previous suggestion, "She's got him wrapped around her (little) finger" is still common and not vulgar, although I would expect this only from women speaking, not men.



This reminds me of the coarser phrase "she's got him by the balls"; however colorful, though, it may not be specific enough for our purposes here.


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## coiffe

bibliolept said:


> This reminds me of the coarser phrase "she's got him by the balls"; however colorful, though, it may not be specific enough for our purposes here.



bibliolept, I think that may say more about the wife than the husband, doesn't it -- that she has power over him. Perhaps not. By the way, thanks for "uxorious" -- I hadn't heard that in years.

Another "footnote" suggestion: "He's her slave." Did anyone say that yet?


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## AngelEyes

No, both you guys have contributed two very similar suggestions.

They'd both work, depending on the level of harshness and lack of subtlety you're aiming for.

I truly never realized just how many different choices we have in AE!

*AngelEyes*


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## Packard

bibliolept said:


> I guess uxorious isn't a very popular term, given that it so perfectly describes the situation but has yet to be suggested in this thread.
> 
> (Who would have thought that a thread on dominated or obsequiously servile husbands would elicit so many responses?)


 

Pardon me, but only the pussy-whipped would use the word "uxorious"--or even know that the word exists. (Actually a really fine insult. Insulting people with words they don't understand really drives home a point--I'm not sure what that point is, but it is a point.)

Also consider "Quiche-eating". As in (from "Jollyblogger"):

Put an end to preaching by cheesy, whiny, quiche eating, preening Nancy Boys ... right now! It freaks us meat eaters out. Get it? Hire a pastor who throws off a good John Wayne vibe instead of that Boy George feeling. Know what I mean? And cheer on “Pastor Wayne” to serve up the solid meat of the scripture … the stuff that prods the congregation to biblical maturity rather than prolonging their infancy.​ 


(Although I don't know what a "Nancy Boy" is, a nicely crafted put down.)​


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## coiffe

Packard said:


> Pardon me, but only the pussy-whipped would use the word "uxorious"--or even know that the word exists. (Actually a really fine insult. Insulting people with words they don't understand really drives home a point--I'm not sure what that point is, but it is a point.)
> 
> Also consider "Quiche-eating". As in (from "Jollyblogger"):
> Put an end to preaching by cheesy, whiny, quiche eating, preening Nancy Boys ... right now! It freaks us meat eaters out. Get it? Hire a pastor who throws off a good John Wayne vibe instead of that Boy George feeling. Know what I mean? And cheer on “Pastor Wayne” to serve up the solid meat of the scripture … the stuff that prods the congregation to biblical maturity rather than prolonging their infancy.​(Although I don't know what a "Nancy Boy" is, a nicely crafted put down.)​



damn those two quiche-eaters Milton and Shakespeare


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## ewie

A _Nancy Boy _is, I believe, a Hardy Boy who is over-enamoured of Nancy Drew's wardrobe.


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## Packard

ewie said:


> A _Nancy Boy _is, I believe, a Hardy Boy who is over-enamoured of Nancy Drew's wardrobe.


 

I Googled "Nancy Boy" and it seems to be a pretty good word (phrase) for *"... a derogatory expression to call a husband who does what his wife tells him to do all the time."*


see:  http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nancy+boy&defid=1469483


A bit stronger than "uxorious" (but I think I'll find a use for that word at some point in the future).


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## Dr Savage

I'd vote for hen-pecked tho I would accept doormat.  And it sounds like she definately wears the pants in the family (nice to know that over there I should use trousers).  I wouldn't use pussy-whipped (tho in certain rare cses I might use whipped).  And I definately wouldn't use married, because I'm very happily married (25 yrs next month!), but I don't think any of my friends would call me hen-pecked.


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## KenInPDX

By the way, I don't think "himbo" is at all equivalent to "pussywhipped" or "henpecked".

First of all, it's not an expression in wide use, in my environment anyway.  It is a media-coined word intended to be the male equivalent of bimbo.

Himbo suggest something more along the lines of a gigolo or kept boy - a younger, attractive man who is with a possibly older women who has money.  Or, maybe more generally a guy who is good-looking but dumb.

Totally different thing.


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## Kevin Beach

Nobody seems to have considered the possibility that the husband may enjoy being in that position, in which case "male sub(missive)" would be an appropriate term. Two points arise, though:

1. I am not one.

2.  If you Google the term, be very careful what sites you let it take you to, unless you're into BDSM or any similar kink.


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## Nunty

Moderator Note:
The original poster asked for a derogatory term. For that purpose, it seems to me, the husband's opinion of the state of things (or the wife's) doesn't matter. I think we're discussing terms that could be used by a third party who does not approve of the situation.


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## liliput

In BE I think the most commonly used terms are those that have been mentioned:
-Hen-pecked
-Under the thumb
-Wrapped around her finger
-She wears the trousers

The vulgar term pussy-whipped would certainly be understood but it's very much an AE expression.


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