Re: "Wife"

Stone Gordonssen wrote:

> >No, no, as in "sire" and "dam".
>
> I really wonder how many Americans would know this phraseology, or that
what
> the stallion does to the mare is called "servicing". I do, but I grew up
in
> a rural area.
>
I learned it early on, but only in the context of equine genealogy-- the
annual races at the County Fair, and the attendant "Racing Form", were major
excitement in 1940s South Dakota.  Nobody much discussed "servicing" in
front of the children.  I 'm sure I first  encountered that in adulthood.