female equivalent of cuckold (English translation glossary) Art/Literary

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2:05pm Jun 10, 2003

English to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - unspecified

English term or phrase: female equivalent of cuckold

A cuckold is a husband with an unfaithful wife. What is the term for a wife with an unfaithful husband?

Rohan Bayer-Fox

English translation:cuckquean / female cuckold

Explanation:
I admit upfront that this is not known term. In fact, I had never heard of it. However, it is listed on an interesting vocabulary site which is quite amusing.

Female cuckold was a term used to describe Hillary Clinton - also not well-known.

He ignores Hillary's complicit role as Female cuckold (there being no female counterpart for that male designation, except for, I guess, "wife") who chose to ...

cuckquean (KUK-wean) n. a female cuckold.

Selected response from:

Rita Heller
United States

Note from asker to answerer

Thank you. It's strange that the term is so much less common than the condition it describes.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

1 +10

cuckquean / female cuckold

Rita Heller

3 +7

betrayed wife

Kim Metzger

4 +2

a woman done wrong

Joe Bayerl

3 +1

a woman scorned

Marcus Malabad

elle est cocu idem (sais même pas si on le met au féminin)

Catherine Johnstone

scorned woman

J. Leo

Answers

1 min confidence:

peer agreement (net): +7

betrayed wife

Explanation:
That's the only term I can think of.

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 2031

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

a woman done wrong

Explanation:
As a somewhat idiomatic option

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-06-10 14:21:24 (GMT)
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\"Tyanna is a woman done wrong who isn\'t interested in retribution or any such immature thing, but also isn\'t interested in hearing much from Sheldon ever again. \"
http://www.likesbooks.com/nic1.html

There is a sharp contrast between saying, \"It seems your daughter has done wrong,\" and \"It seems your daughter was done wrong.\"

Joe Bayerl
United States
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

neutral

Peter Linton: To my mind, a shade ambiguous - sounds like a woman who has actively done wrong, rather than passively been wronged.

3 mins

-> It's not ambiguous, it's idiomatic. The literary usage is clearly passive on the part of the woman who is betrayed (almost always through the unfaitfullness of her beloved, or betrothed).

disagree

john mason: I think it would have to be 'a wronged woman' - the passive construction is really archaic

11 mins

-> The term cuckold was not born yesterday either. :-)

agree

Rita Heller: Joseph - your suggestion is good but the usage is heavy slang and can mean other injustices-not just infidelity

20 mins

-> I'll agree with you there.

neutral

DGK T-I: I think the sound of the words 'woman' & 'wrong' Joseph puts together are good, but it would be better as 'a woman wronged' (for the reasons given above ~ sorry)

24 mins

-> Unless you are writing sad country songs. Context is everything in literature.

agree

Marie Scarano: depending on the context and register (esp. if American), this is a great alternative.

58 mins

-> Thanks.

agree

J. Leo: with you Rita and Marie also.

1 hr

-> Thank you.

15 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +10

cuckquean / female cuckold

Explanation:
I admit upfront that this is not known term. In fact, I had never heard of it. However, it is listed on an interesting vocabulary site which is quite amusing.

Female cuckold was a term used to describe Hillary Clinton - also not well-known.

He ignores Hillary's complicit role as Female cuckold (there being no female counterpart for that male designation, except for, I guess, "wife") who chose to ...

cuckquean (KUK-wean) n. a female cuckold.

Reference: http://www.vocabula.com/VRdefinitionsarchive.asp
Reference: http://www.newyorkpress.net/NYPletters.html

Rita Heller
United States
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 1252

Note from asker to answerer

Thank you. It's strange that the term is so much less common than the condition it describes.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

john mason: I'll buy it!

3 mins

-> thanks John!

agree

DGK T-I: I like this

3 mins

-> thanks Giuli!

agree

jerrie: Sounds good ;-))

13 mins

-> thanks Jerrie :-)

agree

Joe Bayerl: It has also been suggested in the past that coming up with a term for a woman with a cheating husband would be superfluous... but that's pretty cynical. :-)

14 mins

-> thanks Joseph for expressing the feminist point of view- just too obvious!

agree

Peter Linton: I'd never heard this word before, but used by James Joyce in 'Ulysses'.

26 mins

-> wow - impressive research! thanks, Lars

agree

J. Leo

1 hr

-> thank you

agree

Empty Whiskey Glass

1 hr

-> thanks Svetozar

agree

Louise Mawbey

2 hrs

-> thanks Louise

agree

Bourth: Well found! Now, any offers, please, for male and female homosexual cuckolds?

2 hrs

-> Bourth, are you a troublemaker? :-)

agree

airmailrpl: 92 google references for cuckquean

2 days21 hrs

-> thank you

32 mins confidence:

elle est cocu idem (sais même pas si on le met au féminin)

Explanation:
NA

Catherine Johnstone
France
Native speaker of:

French,

English

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

a woman scorned

Explanation:
idiomatic, cliche even, might not exactly convey that her husband is cheating but it could be used as well I think

Marcus Malabad
Canada
Native speaker of:

English,

Tagalog
PRO pts in pair: 23

1 hr confidence:

scorned woman

Explanation:
?

J. Leo
Netherlands
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 51

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English term or phrase: female equivalent of cuckold

English translation: cuckquean / female cuckold