Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also fork) life.

1934		in A. Hyder Black Girl, White Lady in Franklyn (1960).
2001		M. Coles Bible in Cockney 12: Right in the middle of this garden was the tree that gives fork.

2. a wife.

1908		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘Disaster Averted’ Sporting Times 23 May 1/3: It might look a bit allurin’ upon ’ere and there a one, / With neat ankles and small tootsies to display; / But on ’Liza, my old ‘fork and knife,’ who scales some sixteen ‘stun,’ / Well, there’d be some ‘’ubble bubble’ ’Ackney way.
1910		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘Gifted’ Sporting Times 9 July 1/4: His ‘fork and knife’ soon settled William’s hash.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 72/2: fork and knife n. one’s wife.
2002		D. Shaw ‘Dead Beard’ at www.asstr.org 🌐 ‘You heard what the fork and knife wants,’ I told Dionne. ‘My saucepan handle going all the way up to your derby kelly. Are you ready for the big time, gal?’ .