Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. one’s wife; the mistress of the household.

1817		Bristol Mirror 19 Apr. 4/2: He takes the ribbands in his hands [...] missis by his side.
1833		D. Crockett Sketches and Eccentricities 41: My ole misses she don’t like me, / Bekase I don’t eat de black eye pea.
1838		Dickens Oliver Twist (1966) 91: He tried to murder me, sir; and then he tried to murder Charlotte; and then missis.
1848		Thackeray Vanity Fair II 144: ‘What ’ave you done, Sir; Misses can’t abide ’em.’ ‘Missis needn’t smoke,’ said James.
1854		G.J. Whyte-Melville General Bounce (1891) 21: ‘Good gracious! Missus’s bell!’ exclaims Gingham.
1858		R.S. Surtees Ask Mamma 285: The heavily laden family vehicles began to arrive, containing old fat paterfamilias in the red coat of his youth, with his ‘missis’ by his side.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 340/1: So what I took wasn’t enough to earn the commonest living for me and my missus.
1868		Sportsman 22 Aug. 4/1: Notes on News [...] ‘[M]y missus told them that she was not afraid of them, and that if they were not off like a shot she would let them have what she had promised them, and they would have had it too, for when my missus promises a thing, she means it’.
1876		‘Mark Twain’ Tom Sawyer 27: Ole missis, she tole me I got to go an’ git dis water.
1879		G.R. Sims Dagonet Ballads 4: I never said now’t to the missus — we both on us liked her well.
1881		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 Mar. 9/3: The Kamschatka Chronicle amuses me. I read it to my missis every Sunday afternoon.
1883		R.L. Stevenson Treasure Island 87: And can you trust your missis?
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) I 189: If Missus should hear us, what will become of me?
1891		C. Roberts Adrift in America 75: When we got up to the house we were glad to find that the ‘Missis’ was up and had made a big pot of hot coffee for us.
1894		A. Morrison Tales of Mean Streets (1983) 127: There the missis put an end to doubt by repeating what the lawyer’s clerk said.
1899		Boy’s Own Paper 15 Apr. 457: ‘Well, missus,’ said her husband.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 144: It was arranged for the missis to stop home an’ cook the bit o’dinner.
1906		‘O. Henry’ ‘Between Rounds’ in Four Million (1915) 39: ’Tis Jawn McCaskey and his missis at it again.
1908		H. Lawson ‘A Song of General Sick-and-Tiredness’ in Roderick II (1967–9) 243: You’ll find, when his Washup has had his say, ’tis the Missus that pays the fine.
1914		C. Holme Lonely Plough (1931) 86: Oh, put it on the missis! I guess a bad excuse is better than none.
1916		J.N. Hall Kitchener’s Mob 6: Gor blimy, ’Arry, ’ow’s the missus?
1922		B. Hecht A Thousand and One Afternoons [ebook] ‘Well, to go on about the missus, I knew I had her from the first day’.
1925		Wodehouse Carry on, Jeeves 202: Somewhere or other some time ago Bingo’s missus managed to dig up a Frenchman of the most extraordinary vim and skill.
1930		H. Ashton Doctor Serocold (1936) 159: I’ve got my missus to consider.
1938		Duckett ‘Double Feature’ in N.Y. Age 22 Jan. 7/1: [H]e and the missus will have a wee guest in the spring.
1939		A. Durie One Jamaica Gal 21: If the ‘missis’ gave out four eggs for puddings, Mrs. Ryan saved one [...] for her own home larder.
c.1939		B. Bennett ‘Doctor Goosegrease’ in Billy Bennett’s Third Budget 16: When my tonic he’s had, he’ll feel like a young lad, / There’ll be no one more pleased than his missus.
1941		K. Tennant Battlers 101: Bring your missus along and have a good time.
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 136: That evening Harry’s missus came round.
1959		W. Hall Long and the Short and the Tall Act I: You ever want to see a bloke carved up? Proper. So his missis thinks he’s someone else.
1962		H. Livings Nil Carborundum (1963) Act III: I want to slip down to Geldon to see the missis. She’s expecting me.
1965		F.J. Hardy Yarns of Billy Borker 107: [He] loved his horses better than his missus.
1972		P. Fordham Inside the Und. 157: Why don’t you try it on the missis.
1985		S. Berkoff West in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 127: How often did you want to impress the missus?
1986		R.G. Barrett Godson 27: ‘Got a great missus and two terrific kids’.
1989		S. Armitage ‘Poem by the Boy Outside the Fire Station’ in Zoom 42: He’s only ever missed a call-out once / when he was getting to the pitch with his missis.
1995		J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 79: They reckoned his missis made him get the hard chair for his back.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 277: Tappy is about to cop a fearful verbal thumping from his young missus .
1999		Guardian Rev. 27 Nov. 1: How’s your good self and the missus?
2007		C. Goffard Snitch Jacket 78: Poor man lost his missus.
2018		R. O’Neill ‘Ocker’ in The Drover’s Wives (2019) 180: The drover’s missus was inside.

2. (US) a procuress, a bawd.

1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 28 May n.p.: They are no longer surrounded by libidinous paramours [...] No ‘Missus’ tends the couch or refreshes the wardrobe.
1842		Flash (NY) 10 Dec. n.p.: A girl of the town on a errand for her ‘missus’ was bargaining for a rooster.

3. (N.Z. prison) a female prisoner’s best friend (but not always lover).

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 117/2: missus (also Mrs) n. a female inmate’s close friend with whom she spends much of her time (although not necessarily her sexual intimate).