Topped off

One of the things I value about the relocation to Scotland is the freedom from crime. Vandalism to a car gets top billing in the local paper and the crime scene is very quiet.
That is not to say that there are not some sorts of crime I would like to see here. Things like this for example

A Florida teenager claims he was attacked and robbed by four topless blond women on his way to work.
Olmer Morales, 18, told police the attack happened as he rode his bike to work one morning in Stuart, Martin County. A heavy-set blond woman wearing a white long sleeved shirt and overalls stopped him by grabbing his handle bars, according to the police report.
Four thinner blond-haired women, all wearing overalls with no shirts and no bras, then surrounded him and stole the $100 (£56) in his back pocket, Mr Morales told deputies. Authorities searched the area but didn't find any of the suspects, reports TC Palm

I would even have volunteered for the area search. On foot so that shows how keen I would be.

Wife

Why does the word "wife" still have negative undertones after all these years? Even if a woman has a career but splits household tasks with her husband, tackling the finances and mowing the lawn while he changes diapers and cooks dinner, there's still something about being referred to as a "wife" that conjures up a vision of a blank slate of a woman, looming around the house like a ghost, dusting off the windowsills and folding the clothes while she waits for her children and her man to come home from their busy and important lives.
When you have your own life, your own talents, your own thoughts, your own desires, but your nature keeps you close to your brood despite your ambitions, the word "wife" fits like a scratchy, ill-fitting sweater on a hot day. Mother? Sure. Partner? Maybe. Girlfriend, fiancée, bride? All exciting and full of hope. But wife? It's a term that lacks honor and prestige, hints at a supporting role and reeks of impending disaster.