APAD: Ball and Chain

Meaning:

   A 20th century slang term, meaning wife.

 

Background:

   The allusion being to the presumption that a man's wife held him back from

   doing the things he really wanted to.

 

   This, of course, refers back to the actual ball and chain, which was a heavy

   metal ball secured to a prisoner's leg by means of a chain and manacle. The

   ball and chain was in use in both Britain and the USA by the early 19th

   century (and possibly much earlier). The earliest citation in print is from

   The Times, January 1819:

     "They sentence the prisoner to receive 50 stripes on his bare back, and be

     confined with a ball and chain to hard labour for 12 calendar months."

 

   Soon after, in 1821, is this US reference from the Ohio Repository, Canton, Ohio:

     "Bread and water, the ball and chain, and even whipping, the convicts

     prefer to the solitary cell."

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

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Jack Han, a remote cousin, told his family story when I was visiting last year.

His grandfather, an educated peasant in a Hebei village, was sought after by

both sides of the Chinese civil war. His wife wanted him to have nothing to do

with politics but grandpa Han put his foot down and wouldn't be tethered to his

ball and chain. "The country ruled by a woman ends in ruin and the home goes to

the dogs," he scoffed. He joined the Kuomintang soon after WWII and became

county head. It took only three years, however, for him to tumble with the

Nationalists and his line sufferred for generations after he died as a

counter-revolutionist in prison.

所有跟帖: 

Thx 4 very interesting story. TheWife might b unintentional -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 08:44:48

wiser rather than ball&chain ;-). Saw aDrawing ofPrisoners -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (619 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 08:51:18

Their prisoners were in too good shapes. A big risk. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 09:21:04

One does not have to explain their fear. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 09:21:55

The story proved that the wife was more sensible:)不听老婆言吃苦在后面 -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 08:50:48

Tks 4 APAD. In old times,women are a drag on men没有经济上的独立就是累赘 -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 08:53:18

Remember the oldSaying 头发长见识短? but men’ve longhairs 2 2day~~ -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 08:59:48

经济上的独立 sometimes leads to uppity and a sad marriage. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 09:27:10

Really? If so, it ain’t about money,but wisdom’s missing! -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 09:40:44

Or simply no marriage like nowadays young people. -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 09:49:35

未必,因为资本运作膨胀大量妇女加入劳动大军,提高生产力的同时也会驱动物价上涨,而在旧时,无论中西,一家一个男人工作 -移花接木- 给 移花接木 发送悄悄话 移花接木 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 05:04:30

撑起一个家是无问题的,妇女不是累赘是维持家庭运作的关键,当年我朋友毕业后在日本生活十年,同样工作 -移花接木- 给 移花接木 发送悄悄话 移花接木 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 05:06:33

男人工资高一些,她们不认为是歧视,是因为男人有养家的责任,负担重于女人,也有美国人说 -移花接木- 给 移花接木 发送悄悄话 移花接木 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 05:08:35

风气变坏始于妇女解放,我印象特别深一首歌SmallTownSouthernMan -移花接木- 给 移花接木 发送悄悄话 移花接木 的博客首页 (471 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 05:09:17

nice song. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 08:37:14

Yes, 2 bad those happy good old days r gone, doNeed2 incomes -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 10:38:02

2 afford a house 4 7 people nowadays… -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 10:38:45

女:你耕田来我织布. 男:我挑水来你浇园. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 11:06:15

哈哈,女:我给孩子喂饭你管孩子的方便 ;-)) -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 11:22:32

Pretty soon, 养家的责任 would feel like vanity in a man. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 08:53:19

If so,would you be happy?:) -妖妖灵- 给 妖妖灵 发送悄悄话 妖妖灵 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 09:09:47

Haven't you heard "Happiness is an illusion"? :-) -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 10:28:06

I heard of “Happiness is a feeling”:) -妖妖灵- 给 妖妖灵 发送悄悄话 妖妖灵 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/06/2025 postreply 14:06:10

True, and absolutely for the Hans in hindsight. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 09:23:35

我不同意慈禧太后应得的只是耻辱,她年轻时比较勤奋开明,比道光以后男皇帝好些,没有她全力支持疆防,新疆肯定会分裂出去 -移花接木- 给 移花接木 发送悄悄话 移花接木 的博客首页 (798 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 09:28:16

Good to see more pieces of the picture. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 09:32:22

提到慈禧,我读过这本书(见下),里面讲到1902年清朝政府以慈禧和光绪名义下旨取缔女子缠足并开办女校: -最西边的岛上- 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (394 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 09:53:41

Footbinding was still in rage decades after. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 10:04:12

完全不理解的一个陋习 -永远老李- 给 永远老李 发送悄悄话 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 15:39:55

I'd try and not judge. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 18:18:11

仔细扒拉扒拉也许确实能找出好的东西,但是清朝整个一个腐朽堕落,确实是该完蛋,谁也救不了,2 LITTLE 2 LATE -永远老李- 给 永远老李 发送悄悄话 (54 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 15:39:04

like every other ancient Chinese dynasty -移花接木- 给 移花接木 发送悄悄话 移花接木 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 16:03:03

“Ball and Chain”?这要是不解释一下,很难想到是WIFE -永远老李- 给 永远老李 发送悄悄话 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 15:41:24

It's an idiom. Sure, certain audience'd need explanation. -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 06/05/2025 postreply 18:16:26

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