APAD: Ball and Chain

7
7grizzly
楼主 (文学城)

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]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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.

最西边的岛上
Thx 4 very interesting story. TheWife might b unintentional
暖冬cool夏
The story proved that the wife was more sensible:)不听老婆言吃苦在后面
最西边的岛上
wiser rather than ball&chain ;-). Saw aDrawing ofPrisoners

in ball & chain today In Oslo national museum, a very nice museum with very rich exhibitions.

 


 

暖冬cool夏
Tks 4 APAD. In old times,women are a drag on men没有经济上的独立就是累赘
最西边的岛上
Remember the oldSaying 头发长见识短? but men’ve longhairs 2 2day~~
7
7grizzly
Their prisoners were in too good shapes. A big risk.
7
7grizzly
One does not have to explain their fear.
7
7grizzly
True, and absolutely for the Hans in hindsight.
7
7grizzly
经济上的独立 sometimes leads to uppity and a sad marriage.
移花接木
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

在左宗棠疆防与李鸿章海防之间,慈禧选择了疆防,海防毕竟还没有丢失土地的危险。慈禧也曾开明,向西方开放,推广“海国图志”这本书,描述西方的强盛先进,却被守旧派(男人天下)封杀. 这本书指导思想被日本人拿来发扬光大迅速脱贫,成为现代化强国。伊藤博文嘲讽对地对李鸿章说:日本迅速崛起的秘诀是---海国图志。

慈禧掌权时大清已经积重难返,不能全怪慈禧。慈禧晚年的昏聩还有命的原因,看慈禧的一生,她的命很苦啊,早年丧父,青年丧父,中年丧子,晚年又丧子(光绪算她收养的儿子).或者说她命太硬。换成男皇帝也未必比慈禧好哪里去。

 

7
7grizzly
Good to see more pieces of the picture.
最西边的岛上
Really? If so, it ain’t about money,but wisdom’s missing!
暖冬cool夏
Or simply no marriage like nowadays young people.
最西边的岛上
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:

1. 

2.

7
7grizzly
Footbinding was still in rage decades after.
永远老李
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

清朝末期整个一个ROTTEN TO THE CORE。

永远老李
完全不理解的一个陋习
永远老李
“Ball and Chain”?这要是不解释一下,很难想到是WIFE
移花接木
like every other ancient Chinese dynasty
7
7grizzly
It's an idiom. Sure, certain audience'd need explanation.
7
7grizzly
I'd try and not judge.
移花接木
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
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
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
风气变坏始于妇女解放,我印象特别深一首歌SmallTownSouthernMan

 




Alan Jackson's song "Small Town Southern Man" features a line about a father building a house with his own hands. The song describes a family of seven living together in a home built by the father. 

7
7grizzly
nice song.
7
7grizzly
Pretty soon, 养家的责任 would feel like vanity in a man.
妖妖灵
If so,would you be happy?:)
7
7grizzly
Haven't you heard "Happiness is an illusion"? :-)
最西边的岛上
Yes, 2 bad those happy good old days r gone, doNeed2 incomes
最西边的岛上
2 afford a house 4 7 people nowadays…
7
7grizzly
女:你耕田来我织布. 男:我挑水来你浇园.
最西边的岛上
哈哈,女:我给孩子喂饭你管孩子的方便 ;-))
妖妖灵
I heard of “Happiness is a feeling”:)