What do you call your better half or ex-better half?
The other day we did words to describe children now let's list the words we use to describe our partners. Keep it clean.
Flaca, gorda, gruñon. None of these would be acceptable in English yet they are very common in Mexico.
18 Answers
La parte de me qué aún es en condiciones de trabajo.
The part of me still in working condition
I'm sorry to tell you that in rural England men often refer to their spouse as '' the wife''. This is even used for formal introductions:'' Hi, I'm George, and this is the wife.. '' ( not my wife, that would be much nicer.)
Example: I wanted to go to the cricket match but The Wife said no.
I've also heard : She who must not be denied.
Wives never refer to their husbands as ' the husband'. It's just not done.
Exes are just that: Hi, can I introduce you to Alicia, she is the ex-partner of my ex-husband, if you rember Robert?? You know not, Bill like , but my old ex-husband.. ( old here indicatees previous relationship not necesarrily age of ex-partners).
I have to laugh because we use so many ! Here are a few that I use, The first thing a man must learn when he marries a Mexican girl is " sí, mi amor"
1) La reina del hogar.
2) ´La dueña de mis quincenas.
3) Mi señora.
4) La innombrable, for the "ex"
5) Mi cachito
Her indoors.
The old lady
Wifey
The trouble and strife.
She who must be obeyed.
My other half.
The ball and chain.
The one who knows best.
Just for starters.
Practice Wife (ex-wife)
I never speak of my practice wife.
The practice wife ran out on us.
I once had a practice wife.
After the practice wife came the love of my life.
I don't know how to say these phrases in Spanish without losing anything; perhaps someone could comment. 
Mexican Spanish:
Mi vieja -- Old lady
La bruja -- The witch
El látigo -- The whip
In the USA you hear "the old ball and chain"grillete con bolla, "the boss" la jefa in the less flattering aspects.
Honeybun, sugarpie, sweetiekins are flattering terms. Pancita con miel, pastel de azucar, dulcititita.
I want to add that I don't know about the "ex" since I'm going to be 40 years with the "only" in September. In our case the secret to such a long marriage (and this is mutually agreed upon) is "stubbornness". Pero de veras ella es mi corazón y el amor de mi vida.
I call my better half.
Mi esposa.
Mi amor.
Mi mundo.
Mi vida.
Mi doña.
Mi angelita.
Mi bonita.
Mi bella bonita.
Mi corazón.
My love.
Que rica.
Mi bendición de Dios.
She calls me some of the same as well as:
Mi bebé Gerber.
Amorcito.
Andrécito.
Mi gran amor.
Mi milagro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
As far as my X, I don't call her.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
As far as the negative terms that people use to describe their partners, I never use them. They are not offensive to me, I just don't like thinking negative about about my wife even when we are not agreeing.
The man is the head of the house but the woman is the heart of the home.
El varón está la cabeza de la casa pero la mujer está el corazón del hogar.
My better half: honey pie, sweetheart, love of my life, cute buns . . . and when I'm talking to the dog: Daddy, as in "Ask Daddy to take you for a walk."
My ex better half: that %$#&%@#$! (Just kidding. Well, mostly.)
Not very interesting or exciting (the word that is) Baby - bebé
Mi media naranja.
jrschenk - If the ex wife is the Practice Wife then is the current wife the Do Over Wife?
mi flaquita
mi perrita choca
mi cosita
mi amor
mi vida
mi luz de mis ojos
ricurita
cosita más linda
mi negrita (aunque sea rubia)
mi gordita
grrrr
hahahaaha!
Not married, but I have heard mostly, my old man. I used to call my late husband baby. He used to call me his bride.
Honey
sweetie
mi amor
mi corazón
