found drama

Is there really a better, more apt, more semantically appropriate expression in modern English ¹ than “trophy wife”?  Consider it:

1. There is (perhaps) a hard-won battle in leading up to the “winning” of the trophy.
2. But once you have that trophy, all that’s left is the memory of that winning…
3. …the trophy itself is dead weight on the shelf that needs surprisingly frequent polishing to keep in any kind attractive state.
4. Certainly when your friends come over and see the trophy, they’re jealous; and consequently, you’re constantly looking over your shoulder wondering which one of them is going to try and sneak off with it.
5. And let’s face it, after your big win, the talk of the town will move on to whomever wins the next trophy.  And unless you’ve retired from the game, that means you’re itching to win, too.

1. Say what you will about the term’s potentially ancient origins; say what you will about whether the wife is herself accomplished in anything at all.  We’re talking about popular cultural phenomena, here.[↩]

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