proverb · Source-linked selection
He that tells his wife news is but newly married.
He that tells his wife news is but newly married.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying mocks a husband for sharing news with his wife, implying that experience would teach silence. A critical reading questions the distrust and gender stereotype behind it.
What the words are saying
Newly married is used as an explanation for supposed naivety. The expression may invite suspicion that a wife cannot keep a confidence, but it supplies no evidence for that generalisation. A useful interpretation concerns the actual information and any agreement about privacy, not the recipient’s gender or marital role. Mutual trust requires honest discussion rather than a rule of secrecy between partners.
Everyday example
Partners agree what information is private instead of assuming one cannot be trusted because of gender.
When to use it
Use it critically to examine a stereotype about confidence within marriage.
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What it does not mean
Gender and length of marriage do not establish whether a person keeps a confidence.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1766 · Wife (news)
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English