What's a "Golf Widow"?

Language changes, meanings change. 

I'm usually reminded of this when someone younger than me uses a word I've never heard of before.

But recently I used an expression that two of my grown-up kids didn't understand. The expression I used was "golf-widow".

My daughter had sent me information about a Yoga event being held on a golf course...

I commented that it had probably been organized by a golf widow as revenge.

"How awful!" my daughter replied...

"Not that awful," I said... "Do you know what a "golf widow" is?"

"No, I've never heard the expression."

"Well, what do you think it means?"

"Someone whose husband got hit by a golf ball and died?"

"No! That's not what it means!"

Later I asked my son: "What do you think I mean when I say someone is a "golf widow"...?"

"I don't know," he replied, "but I guess it means that her husband was a golfer who died."

"No! It means that when golf season is here, she never sees her husband because he's always playing golf... Like during football season, Dad is always watching football on TV so I'm a "football widow"..."

"Never heard that expression before," he replied...

I can't believe it! Does nobody say that any more?!

One generation - and a perfectly good expression disappears!!