WORD FOR THE DAY: PALIMONY

Your word for today is: palimony, n.

palimony, n.

[‘U.S. humorous. Alimony paid to a former spouse with whom one remains on friendly terms. rare.’]

Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈpalᵻməni/,  U.S. /ˈpæləˌmoʊni/

Etymology:Blend of pal n.³ + alimony n.

 colloq. (chiefly N. Amer.).

 1.  U.S. humorous. Alimony paid to a former spouse with whom one remains on friendly terms. rare.

1927 Ogden (Utah) Standard Examiner 1 May (Sunday Feature section), Some of the handsomest and sportiest young women in the capital belong to that ‘Palimony Club’ and joke about the ex-husbands they have working for them.

1961 Newport (Rhode Island) Daily News 7 Aug. 8/5 Divorces are getting so friendly..that alimony should be called ‘palimony’.

 2.  In the United States and Canada: financial support and financial or other compensation for services, money, and goods contributed during a long-term personal relationship regarded as comparable to marriage, paid as a result of a successful claim by either party after separation. Also in extended use in North America and elsewhere.

Palimony is typically awarded where common-law marriages are not recognized or when an essential element for a common-law marriage cannot be proved.

1977 Los Angeles Mag. Oct. 140  (heading) Pal-imony: a brand new nightmare for L.A.'s swingers.

1979 Telegraph (Brisbane) 10 Jan. 16/2 If..Michelle Triola Marvin..wins her claims for what Americans call ‘palimony’, the outcome could set off a wave of similar claims across the United States by women whose live-in boyfriends walked out on them.

1981 Times 11 Dec. 9/5 Miss Barnett..has alleged in a separate civil action seeking ‘palimony’ (financial support) that [they]..became lesbian lovers in 1972.

1984  M. Amis Money 154 Palimony sounds like bad news for the boys.

1992 Tucson (Arizona) Weekly 10 July 5/3 Martina Navratilova's long-time live-in lesbian lover, who is suing for palimony.

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