WIFE-BEATER

n 1. a sleeveless undershirt. Origin: before wearing a wife-beater as one's only shirt became a popular style, the stereotype existed that they were worn primarily by alcoholics or people who were too poor to buy outer shirts. One stereotypical American image of an alcoholic is someone wearing an undershirt and beating their wife. ("All the thugs wear wife-beaters.") Submitted by Nathan, 27-05-1998.