To ask what the phrase "barefoot and pregnant" actually means?

[Fakebook]

And what does it mean when a man says "I want to keep you barefoot and pregnant" to his gf/wife? Would you think of it as a term of endearment? Is it supposed to be a nice comment?

Friend told me happily this is what her DH said to her whilst she was pregnant. I mustered up a little laugh, but felt a bit upon hearing it, but I don't quite know why. It's not something I'd like said to me.

So what does it mean?

Pootles - I too thought it meant that the woman was on her uppers and pregnant.

I heard the term when referring to brood mares! The barefoot part meaning their horse shoes have been taken iff

Off even! Iphones!

In my experience it's usually said as a joke by men who wouldn't dream
Of actually treating women like that. It's also usually followed by an equivalent 'mock' sexist joke by a woman in the same group. I've never heard it used in any other context. In fact when I was heavily pregnant I actually asked my partner to take a photo of me bare foot in the kitchen looking sullen to send to my brother with the caption 'He's finally got what he wanted!'.

It means devoting your life to having babies.

Poor. Permanently pregnant. Vulnerable. In the home. Domesticated.

"Maybe it was a joke?"

An insult dressed up as a joke is not a joke. "When a man tells you who he really is.... listen to him" He's telling her he is a misogynistic bully.

I've never heard the phrase used outside of a joking context - where it was definitely intended to be funny (& was subsequently taken that way.) I find it funny. But then, I'm also enjoying being barefoot and pregnant!

(Okay, not exactly true...I'm currently wearing very cosy slippers.)

Vulnerable, trapped and dependent. Not nice, and even as a joke I'd be To give the benefit if the doubt I'd say he doesn't know the real meaning. Or he might be a knob. Who knows.

Right, so a mixed set of views. They seem like a normal enough couple, and he seems normal too. But you never know what's happening behind closed doors. I hope he was joking and didn't realise what he was saying. they only have one child so she's hardly permanently pregnant...although she only gave birth a few months ago. Hmm.

A misogynistic joke is still misogynistic.

Anyway OP, the wording he says is ' I wantto keep you'

So it sounds (without context) as though it's his will that counts and he posesses her.

Me and dp joke about this as I have been Pg for most of the last 2.5 years

I'm not vulnerable, trapped or dependent

The actual meaning behind it is that women shouldn't work outside of the home.

I don't think you can read too much into jokes couples make between each other. I call DP CuntLord but I neither think he's a cunt or a lord. If anyone heard me they might think I'm abusive but I'm definitely not.

I think the context the phrase is said mitigates how the phrase is taken. Dh said it to me both pregnancies, but I was heavily pregnant in the summer, tended to walk in bare feet in the house, ESP the kitchen as the slate was so cool/cold. My nesting instincts seemed to go into overdrive with cleaning and baking so he just laughed and said it was nice to see that side of me as I'd always been feisty before. Didn't take him long to get bored.

It is a nasty phrase written down. Maybe mums netters could start to reinterpret it as an earth mother image?

I've not heard it said for years. It was always said in a 'jokey' way but the implication was that a wife should be dependent on her husband.

In the same way as 'It's the wife who wears the trousers in that house'.........Not a compliment to a man.

Lots of things were said in the past that are not acceptable now.

I always knew it as "barefoot, pregnant and chained to the kitchen sink".

It's hard to find a compliment in that.

Wiki's quite good on the origins:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_and_pregnant

But basically, it's not something most sensible women would consider desirable!

I've only heard it said by elderly relatives to a couple - as in chicks have come home to roost kind of way ? joking the DC have made you poor ? kind of your now poor but happy as you have DC.

You got pg in the good times - when things were good lots of food - autumn harvest to look forward to - and now it winter and you have no money and times are tough.

No heard younger generations use it though. The relatives all very old and grew up in Black Country.

DP always said it - the joke being that it was clear I was not dependent on him!

I think it's s bit harsh to call this man a misogynistic bully on the strength of a stupid joke.