Subject：My wife wears the pants.

迷你对话

A: Who the the head of the family?

你们家谁当家？

B: My wife wears the pants.

现在我太太做主。

地道表达

wear the pants

1. 解词释义

Wear the pants的字面意思是“穿裤子”，引申为“当家的人”。这个习惯用语非常古老了，它源于四百多年前。当时的民俗是，穿裤子的都是男人，妇女都得穿裙子。而养家糊口的，当家长做主的多半是穿裤子的男子汉。然后又的家庭里母亲必须身兼父亲和母亲的职责，当家做主。这时候人们就会说这个为妇女wears the pants，因为她承担了男人的义务和权利。后来，人们就用wear the pants这个短语来指“当家的人”“当家掌权”了。其英文解释为：to be the person in charge in a marriage or family。

2. 拓展例句

e.g. She has the best-paid job and she also wears the pants in the family.

她工作的薪水很高，但是还是掌管这个家庭的人。

e.g. I don't want to wear the pants in this family. The authority is yours on this house.

我可不想当这个家，这个家还是由你来管吧。

e.g. Mr Wilson is henpecked by his wife; she wears the pants in that family.

威尔逊先生怕老婆; 在他家里，他太太说了算。

e.g. All right, if you have to wear the pants, have it your way.

好吧，你要当家，就随你吧。