v.
In a two-person team, to produce a positive result by having one team member perform well when the other member does not.
Example Citation:
"The Americans' most telling weapon was their putting, mostly Duval's. That and the fact that, as Woods put it, they 'hubby-wifed' it pretty well, with one bailing the other out in times of trouble."
—Lewine Mair, "Americans sink local heroes," The Daily Telegraph, December 11, 2000
—Lewine Mair, "Americans sink local heroes," The Daily Telegraph, December 11, 2000
Earliest Citation:
You've got to break up cliques, or you'll find players husband-and-wifing it on the court.
—Al McGuire, quoted in John McGrath, "McGuire won more than just championships," The News Tribune, January 28, 2001
—Al McGuire, quoted in John McGrath, "McGuire won more than just championships," The News Tribune, January 28, 2001
Notes:
This verb, with its underlying sense of the two players helping each other, is probably derived from the older verb husband-and-wife, "to have two players on a team control the majority of the offensive play." I believe this phrase was coined by former college basketball coach Al McGuire.
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