[General] a clinging vine

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vil

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Dear teachers,

Would you tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

Mary is a clinging vine; she cannot do anything without her husband.

a clinging vine = a weak, helpless wife which depends on his husband entirely; a very dependent woman; a woman who needs much love and encouragement from a man.

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V
 

philadelphia

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Not a teacher

Right.
 
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Tullia

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I would say your interpretation is correct for this context, because the sentence tells you she was reliant on her husband.

However the phrase itself, taken out of context, does not automatically mean a very dependant woman or wife. It simply means a very dependant something; there is no gender bias. A man might be a clinging vine, and reliant on his wife, or a child one and reliant on his or her parents, for example.
 
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