quicko: "the missus"

At first I thought this was a bit of an idiosyncratic language use by ... someone I was very glad to have absolutely no relation to whatsoever.  But I've heard it a few more times recently from various sources and, despite exhibiting absolutely no compunction over their use of the phrase, the other thing that I've learned from the guilty males is that (this just rubs salt in the wound!) it can refer not just to one's lawfully wedded wife, but also to, oh, yeah, that girl I've been hanging around with a bit lately.  Which pretty much appears a dead giveaway that she won't be hanging around much longer.