SWMBO

n. a woman in authority; a wife. Subjects: English, Relationships, Acronym

Editorial Note: Usually jocular. Etymological Note: she who must be obeyed. The information in the 2004 cite is likely correct as to the popularization and pronunciation of this term, but the earliest use and probable origin is in the H. Rider Haggard novel She.

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Citations: 1986 Geoffrey Kenihan Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia) (Oct. 17) “L’Epicurien Advertising Supplement”: But to business. She Who Must Be Obeyed began with Soupe de Poisson Bretonne.…SWMBO and I can rarely agree about anything these days, so we settled for peaceful co-existence and a half bottle each to accompany our main courses. 1990 Toronto Star (Apr. 9) “Judi Salem, 52, managed law office” p. A11: Judi Salem was affectionately known as SWMBO—She Who Must Be Obeyed. 2004 [Grung] SWIMBO (Canberra, Australia) (July 1) “Idj’s SWMBO”: SWMBO. It’s pronounced “swimbo.” While we might be able to take credit for the initialism and pronunciation, the phrase is actually a phrase Idj first heard and read in the John Mortimer series “Rumpole of the Bailey.” In it, Rumpole refers to his wife as “She Who Must Be Obeyed,” and, yes, you can hear the capitalization just as Idj wrote it.

Posted 2 Jul 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

I haven’t verified this, but I believe John Mortimer’s character Rumpole lifted the phrase from the Rider haggard novel, “She”, where it referred to an altogether more imposing figure than his browbeaten wife.

by Jonathan 03 Jul 04, 0550 GMT

Yes, I have heard that as well, but I don’t have a copy of the novel to verify it, nor do I have such a citation in any of my databases. I’ll keep my eyes open for the book.

by Grant Barrett 03 Jul 04, 0935 GMT

It IS in the H Rider Haggard book, but hyphenated. From Chapter VI:

“Slay not,” was the reply. “Four suns since was the word brought to me from ‘She-who-must-be-ob eyed,’ ‘White men come; if white men come, slay them not.’ Let them be brought to the house of ‘She-who-must-be- obeyed.’

by Jonathan 06 Jul 04, 0316 GMT

Also, the phrase was popularised in the movie of the book - “She” (1965) starring Ursula Andress.

by David Starkey 01 May 08, 0202 GMT