General
trouble and strife
What does trouble and strife mean?
A wife. 'Trouble and strife' rhymes with 'wife', and is clipped to 'the trouble', dropping the rhyming word.
"The trouble and strife has got me decorating all weekend."
Origin
Late-Victorian East End rhyming slang on 'wife'; the wry pairing of 'trouble' and 'strife' is typical of Cockney's affectionate-cynical humour about married life, and sits among the domestic coinages of the era following Hotten's 1859 dictionary.
Frequently asked questions
What does trouble and strife mean?
It's Cockney rhyming slang for wife. 'Strife' rhymes with 'wife', and it's shortened to 'the trouble'.
Is trouble and strife rude about wives?
It's tongue-in-cheek pub humour rather than genuine insult, part of Cockney's affectionate teasing about married life.
Where did trouble and strife come from?
From Victorian-era East End speech, the same living tradition Hotten began recording in 1859.
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