[PW] Re: ? another name for mother-in-law

[Daphne Drewello]

Mary Barna wrote

> This is a real Friday afternoon question. I have a friend who is very
> close to her daughter's mother-in-law.  The two mothers have trouble
> explaining who the other is, when doing introductions. "This is Ruth, my
> daughter's mother-in-law." Sounds odd, like my brother's cousin's son.
> It's even harder for me, " This is Ruth, Linda's daughter's
> mother-in-law."  Is there another name for mother-in-law?  Something
> shorter?  If I just said "This is Ruth." , I would still have to explain
> the connection in even more words.

   I know I'm cranky and have very limited family but why does she have to
explain the connection at all in an introduction?  Why can't she just say, 
"This
is my friend Ruth." ? Or, "This is my friend Ruth. My daughter is married to 
her
son" ?    Personally, if someone was introduced to me as "my daughter's 
mother-
in-law" I'd think the introducer was not very fond of the introducee.

  But as I say, I have hardly any family to introduce.


Daphne Drewello
Alfred Dickey Library
Jamestown, ND