silver splitter noun informal someone who divorces in later life
The number of people divorcing in later life has been increasing at a time when divorce rates overall have been falling. What’s behind the phenomenon of the ‘silver splitters’?
[www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34767821 09 November 2015]
lead parent noun in a couple with children, the parent who performs more of the parental duties, usually the one with fewer work commitments
The lead parent is the one who does the school run and has their name down as the emergency contact, while their number two can be more flexible and take on extra responsibility at work because they know everything is being held together at home.
[www.standard.co.uk 12 October 2015]
deputy parent noun in a couple with children, the parent who performs fewer of the parental duties, usually the one with greater work commitments
In last night’s episode of Homeland we met Carrie Mathison the deputy parent. No longer a workaholic CIA agent she appears to have nailed the job/life balance, thanks to a boyfriend who handles childcare when she is working, or kidnapped.
[http://www.standard.co.uk/l 12 October 2015]
On the basis of my own experience and the experience of couples I have known (and I am 71 years old), picking labels like “lead parent” and “deputy parent” is usually a bad idea. Soooo much better to leave roles fluid, adaptable from day to day, depending on circumstances.
As for “silver splitters,” I should point out that US healthcare polices often force couples to divorce. They choose to separate to gain financial advantage, though they remain very close emotionally.
Pingback: (EN) – New words: 14 March 2016 | Cambridge University Press – Glossarissimo!