Green’s Dictionary of Slang

struggle and strife n.

1. one’s wife.

1935		Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 11: Struggle and strife: Wife.
1950		S.J. Baker in Sun. Herald (Sydney) 8 June 9/5: Detective Doyle has about a dozen rhyming slang words in his list. For example: [...] ‘struggle and strife,’ wife.
1960		J. Franklyn Dict. Rhy. Sl.
1969		S.T. Kendall Up the Frog 12: Two drops of pimple and blotch and needle and pin for the struggle and strife.
1999		R. Walton ‘Cockney Jack’ 🌐 On the Cain and Abel his struggle and strife had placed some bug and flea and some needle and thread for his breakfast.
2001		G. Coughlan Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 struggle and strife : wife.

2. life.

1992

R. Puxley Cockney Rabbit.